MB Civic

By Robert J. Samuelson | Thursday, November 14, 2006 | The Washington Post

Beginning with the Marshall Plan, the US has invested unprecendented treasure, blood and military might into establishing a stable world. The overall effect has been to spread not only peace but also prosperity and prosperity’s benefits (improved education and public health, unrestricted world trade and vastly improved infrastructure). But much of the world views those efforts as arrogant, self serving and damaging, despite lofty intentions. “Pax Americana” is now completely dead, argues Samuelson, a process brought on by the end of the Cold War, the rise of China as a world power, and the increasing Balkanization of the world along religious and cultural divides, exemplified in Iraq…BS

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/13/AR2006121301907.html