There was a story on NPR this morning about the UN recommending the US close down the internment camp at Guantanamo Bay. The US response was, as expected, an emphatic "Stuff it". We're so civilized. Nonetheless, there was a sub-plot of sorts in the story that I found interesting.

If you want the US empire to crumble, encourage it.

In the last few years, it seems the standing of the US in the international community has taken on a downward trend. Ok, pretty much everybody seems to hate the US either for its behavior in the world arena, or its undisputable dominance as the sole world power. Both points are debatable, of course, but from my crazy left-leaning-tree-hugging-peace-loving perspective, it seems to be the case that the US is viewed increasingly as the playground bully on a bad day rather than the wealthy, magnanimous benefactor of nations. We're managing military states in two middle eastern countries, and now there's growing tension with Iran. "All options are on the table" as our beloved president has stated. The US becomes weaker the more broadly it tries to assert itself militarily. Weaker in a military sense as well as in both domestic and international opinion. The world is falling apart according to the powers that be, and if the evil doers don't respond to reason, there's no choice but to force them back in line. The problem is that the US is the only capable force to do so. This is all according to the US executive branch, of course. So if the rest of the world views the US's position in the world as unbalanced, then it behooves them to encourage more invasive international involvement. Every nation the US hurles its might at, the less might it has to hurl at others. Additionally, the more aggresive the position, the less likely it will be in alignment with that of the UN or the world at large. At what point will the influence of the US diminish below that of an increasing number of allied disenting countries? My enemy's enemy is my friend, apparenly. But who's saying it?