Dear big brother to the south

Your little brother’s getting worried about you.

Michael Silicz, Staff

Hey,

Umm, I know this is sort of weird, but I don’t know how else to bring this up. Like I know you “don’t really care” and all, but I do. A lot. In fact, it pains me so much to see you like this. I mean, we’re family, after all: brothers from the very same mother, to be exact. So please take what I’m about to say to heart, because I really do mean it. I’ve been watching things from up north here for a while now, and I’m starting to get scared, bro. Scared not just for your personal health and safety, but for the well-being of the rest of your family and friends all over the globe. Big bro, I’m starting to worry about you — I’m worried about whether you’re strong enough to continue leading the world.

I remember, bro, when the whole world used to look up to you. They’d chant your name all the time: “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” It’s been only about 65 years since you ended imperialism in Japan and fascism in Europe and then brought everyone into your economic sphere of orbit with no hard feelings. It’s almost been two decades since you ended the Soviet Union and communism. And it’s hard to believe, but it’s already been seven years since you crushed Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Where does the time go?

Now, I know I nag you a lot. Always about free trade this, human rights that; but I do it out of love and I never mean it to put you down. And I know the world’s been on your case now for eight years because of the crowd you’ve been hanging out with (Bush, Cheney and Rice). But everyone knows this is just a phase and that soon — hopefully by early January 2009 — you’ll be over it. But, America, I’m starting to get scared — you’re not acting like your normal self. The last few years especially, you’ve been acting very strange and out of charter.

Think way back to when we were kids. While I kept bothering Mom for peace, order and good government, all you could ever talk about was ending tyranny, liberalizing trade, and expanding life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to everyone. That’s what I’m talking about, bro — you’re forgetting what you stand for, and it’s really starting to scare me. Your strong principles are what have made you into the leader you are today, but you’re starting to forget and even abandon those principles!

I’m afraid you’re getting yourself into such domestic and foreign trouble that you won’t be in the position to lead the world anymore if you’re not careful! I fear that you’re not going to be able to single-handedly make the decisions of global significance if you’re not careful. What I’m really worried about, America, is that your position as sole superpower of the world is declining.

And that’s bad news for everybody. The Western world needs you to be strong, both internally and externally. You’ve got to get your economy strong again. That means your government cannot spend money like there’s no tomorrow. And not just your government, but that goes for your citizens, too. Further, if you want to stand for human rights, you can’t have your president vetoing bills passed by Congress that protect prisoners from torture.

And most startling of all, bro, is the dangerous rhetoric some of your potential presidential candidates are flirting with. Hillary and Barack are seriously talking about trade protectionism. Do you remember the last time anti-trade populism made you ill? It was nearly 80 years ago now, but remember how the Harley-Smoot Tariff Act made you sick for a decade? You can’t afford for your economic fever to develop into a full blown cold, especially with people like Russia and China getting more powerful by the day.

These are the thing I’m concerned about bro, and I can remain silent on them any longer. It’s because of you, your leadership, and your way of material reproduction that has kept the world prosperous for nearly a century now. None of your friends want to see this status quo come to an end. But if you’re not careful, who knows what might happen? The paradise I, Europe, and the rest of the industrialized world enjoy flows directly from your military and economic power. So, please, take my words to heart and start getting better by remember what made you strong: rights and freedom for all, economic openness, and a sober foreign policy. Because if you’re not going speak softly while carrying a big stick on behalf of the Western world, who will?

Sincerely,

Your little bro up north