Absence of the US

The absence of major US leaders (Bush, Cheney, Powell, anyone!) from the WEF this year is glaring. Tony Blair's speech revolved so much around the US, and what the US can do, or should not do, that it was like a spotlight on the fact that a big party was thrown and no one important from America decided to show up. Sure, a few senators are here, the guys from Google, Bill Gates. But everyone here has acknowledged that the US is the lone superpower and the one country with the real ability to implement change, enforce security, and bless global ideas. As a native born US citizen who has not travelled much outside the US, the love/hate/need for the US is striking. We (the US) are too strong to be bullied into doing things we do not want to do, but as the lone superpower, we should voluntarily engage with the rest of the world in a true and meaningful way. We are not doing that because it is evident that practically everyone outside the US feels we are not.

There is an urgent need for the US to step in and become a fully engaged leader of the free world, as well as respectful partner (treating other countries as peers even if they are less powerful). Many leaders in the US government, and still a majority of the US population, could care less about what the rest of the world, or what they think. This is simply wrong, and it is apparent from many discussions at the meeting that this attitude breeds a sense of US hatred around the world, fueling and fermenting the basis for terrorists and many other problems. But an engaged US can make a real difference and become a model of open democracy for everyone.

The US must take care of its citizens and itself first, but it must also start caring about the remainder of the world in a real way, and US citizens need to also start thinking about the rest of the world. Not in a remote way, but in a "this will affect me" way. 9/11 brought home part of the world's issues with us home in a violent and terrible way, but we are still ignoring some of the root causes.

The US does not need to bend to the will of the UN, WEF, or any international body. But it needs to take an active, vigorous place at the table in terms of making these international bodies whole and fully functional. The US is like the most popular kid in high school, the strongest, the coolest, and with lots of money and girlfriends. By not attending this party, what message is being sent? I don't need you? I could care less what you think? This is all very dysfunctional.

The reality is that the US needs the rest of the world, and the rest of the world needs it, because the US is the only country in the world that contains citizens from all parts of the world, living freely in a working democratic state. The US is the world's experiment on different races, genders, ethnic groups all living together, freely. The US is the home for freedom seeking people from all over. Its time that the US shared its secrets of success with everyone else, and not just through military might. Why is the Prime Minister of Britian, the country we fought so hard against to gain freedom and independance from in the 1700s, now more enlightened and sensible than our own President? Have we become what we hated and fought to change?

The challenge for those of us from the US is to push back hard on Bush and steer and influence him and his government back towards a more clear and peaceful reality where we can retain superpower status but once again become the country admired, not despised. Bush is not evil - he is in fact idealistic and even willing to go against the grain to achieve what he sees as the greater good. But Bush needs more moderate voices like Powell and others to balance him out. An unbalanced Bush will not be successful in the world, and only breed more dislike of the US. And this would be a shame - because the life and freedoms and wealth enjoyed inside the US are dreamed about by others, and they can have it too.

-R

Comments

[Samantha]

The US is here

Rony, the United States is pretty well represented at the Annual Meeting. A quick scan down the programme or webcast list (http://www.weforum.org/annualmeeting/webcasts) shows a significant presence: there’s Grant Aldonas, Under-Secretary of Commerce for International Trade; Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor; William Donaldson, Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission; Kristin Forbes, a Member of the Council of Economic Advisers to the US President; John Taylor, Under-Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs; Michael Powell, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and Robert Zoellik, US Trade Representative.

And also there’s a host of US senators: John McCain; Bill Frist; Joseph Biden; Orrin Hatch; Saxby Chambliss; Christopher Dodd; Richard Shelby; Gordon Smith and John Sununu.

Now it’s true that there isn’t someone from Bush’s inner team here this year, but they couldn’t make it for obvious reasons: the new administration is not yet confirmed and the State of the Union address falls after the Annual Meeting in early February…

[Jim Fruchterman]

This is my third forum, and the first time that a cabinet level official from the U.S. didn't attend. But, the congressional delegation seems as strong as ever. Last year, I remember being surprised by the relative lack of European leaders. This year, we've had Tony Blair and Chirac by video. Maybe the Forum trades off years? Just kidding!

[socdem]

Why the US should be the only leader in the world?

[Daniel Truran]

Rony has just offered the Bush administration the solution that everyone else sees as the only way to win terrorism.

In a positive, non provocative way Rony also highlighted the potential of Bush to show his (possibly) true idealism. And to have all the power that is in his and his administrations' hands be used to benefit them, the US and the entire world. What an opportunity!

We live in one world and its inhabitants need to think and act as the citizens of this world, united in their diversity.