BRIC: is America ready?

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 14, 2011

War with Iran. Putin back in control of Russia. Brazil producing oil and energy. India’s lower class rising up to the middle class by the millions. The nations known as BRIC: Brazil, Russia, India, and China will be major political players into the foreseeable future. These nations, formerly identified as non-industrialized – except for Russia, are now large, emerging economies that can and will weigh heavily on world politics and mankind’s future.

Many of you might say that I am dreaming and that America and the other powerful nations are the true leaders of the world. You cannot lead the world if you cannot pay your bills and right now neither America nor Europe can pay for their domestic obligations, afford multiple wars across the globe, or control the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, G20, or any other multi-agency world body.

Currently, Europe needs to be bailed out of its debt crisis. It is looking like the only place to go for funds is the IMF, using funds provided by the USA. The irony in the situation is that the USA is borrowing money from China to pay our own bills. Therefore, funds from China are being given to the USA that will be used to finance the IMF so they can bail Europe out of its debt crisis. Got all that?

In the meantime, Iran is readying for war with Israel, NATO, the US and any other country that dares threaten it. Standing behind Iran – if the line gets drawn in the sand – will be Russia and China since they are all aligned in a reliance on energy and diplomatic power at the UN.

Iran just found an unmanned American drone spy plane flying over its soil, which is the WWII equivalent of finding a German submarine off the coast of America. We would take it as an act of aggression and so is Iran.

America is currently in Afghanistan, Iraq and several newly liberated Middle Eastern nations and has manned military bases around the world. A major conflict with Iran, supported by Russia and China, would not be an easy task for America to handle. Our allies in Europe are still begging for money and China is our primary debt financier and you usually don’t go to war with the guy paying your bills.

It will certainly be an interesting 2012 as the European fallout continues and America’s political circus turns up the volume during the upcoming Presidential and congressional elections. Nevertheless, the world’s diplomatic tap dance must be maintained in order to ensure a moderate level of peace around the globe and this task falls in the hands of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the ambassador to the world, former President Bill Clinton. Oh, the irony!

The last bite…

Do you know what’s better than Christmas dinner? Being able to enjoy a Christmas dinner two weeks early! Courtney’s dad’s family got together last weekend and really put out a spread of amazing food. My favorite was chocolate dipped Oreos. Yes, the best cookie ever covered in chocolate and it was fat free, too! (yeah right) I give chocolate dipped Oreos 3.5 (out of 5) crumbs!

Buddy Boe, a resident of Garyville, owns a public relations and program management company and is well known on the local political (and food) scenes. His column appears Wednesdays in L’Observateur.