The Michigan Review

Nation Fiddles While World Burns

by Jacob Oslick

Although most of America does not appear to realize it, there is a world outside of the President’s pants. Within the past month, Russia defaulted on its debts, Slobodon Milosevic practically wiped out the Kosovo Liberation Army, virtually all of Central Africa plunged into a proxy war in Congo, North Korea fired two missiles over mainland Japan, and much of the world started clamoring for reckless controls on capital. Today, Russia seems dangerously near to returning towards a planned economy, Asia continues to spiral downward (and is close to taking Brazil with it), the second-craziest state in the world (Iran) is nearing war with the craziest (Afghanistan), and Saddam Hussein is making trouble again. So through all this chaos, where has the attention of the American public, media, and Congress been? Sadly, it has focused on the sordid details of the President’s sexual indiscretions.

The recent stock market plunge (400 points last week), however, proves that although we can ignore the world, we are affected by it. Ever since last year’s Asian Meltdown, the world has faced the most significant threat to global economic stability since the Great Depression. One by one, countries self-destructed (Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Russia; Brazil or China next?), throwing millions into poverty, and eliminating billions in the paper wealth of Western investors. Already most economists predict the chaos knocked 0.5 percentage points from last quarter’s GDP growth, and threatens to send the U.S. into recession next year. Although there is no panacea to the world’s economic problems, the U.S. could do a great deal to keep foreign nations afloat (liberalize trade laws, support IMF programs to restore growth etc.). However, all of these measures require political capital to motivate Congress to approve funds, and pass legislation. Unfortunately, this is something our Perjurer-in-Chief grievously lacks.

Similarly, the United States must take forceful action to defend its interests abroad. Sadly, the last time Clinton attempted decisive action, by bombing selected target in Afghanistan and the Sudan, he was bludgeoned with questions about the similarity to Wag the Dog. More than anything else, this shows why the president cannot remain in office. A president must be able to act in the national interest without the presumption that he places American lives in jeopardy for ulterior motives. Instead, we have a situation where global villains such as Saddam Hussein continue to act with impunity (he recently threw UN weapon inspectors out of Iraq, again), precisely because they know the Clinton-led United States will never make good on its threats. Coordinated military action requires the president to not only have widespread public trust and support, but also to have time to plan strategy. The President currently lacks both, and it is unlikely if he will regain them soon.

Unfortunately, the United States cannot afford an absentee president. Just as seriously, we feel we cannot tolerate a Congress obsessed with scandal at the expense of good policy. However, congressional excesses can be excused. After all, they have a constitutional duty to examine all the charges against the president and decide on a manner of punishment. Sadly, in our media-crazed culture, this will prevent any meaningful work from being done, as impeachment hearings may drag out for weeks or months. Therefore, it is Bill Clinton who must take responsibility for restoring America to a position of world leadership. He must, for the first time in his political career, place the country’s best interests before his own personal ambitions and vanity. In short, the president must step aside, and allow the federal government to broaden its focus from one domestic affair, to the foreign affairs challenges confronting it. Anything less than resignation and the country will continue to fiddle, while the world burns around it. MR

This article was published in the 7 October 1998 edition of The Michigan Review (Volume 17, Number 2).
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