WHEN YOUR UPSIDE IS BEING THE NEXT USSR:

A Dangerous Paradigm Shift Among Western Intellectuals (D.J. McGuire, 11/21/09, Epoch Times)

True, the obsequiousness of the president is deeply disturbing, but that’s not just for anti-Communists. America’s allies are starting to notice the trend in other areas, too, and are not happy. Moreover, while “engagement” has become a standard lunacy among American presidents over the last two decades, the Obama version is so bad that even “engagement” luminaries such as the Financial Times (also UK) are telling the president that he “need not—and must not—kowtow.”

In fact, the FT even goes so far as to detonate the myth of the CCP’s power as American creditor: “Contrary to common perception, China’s huge holdings of U.S. treasuries are not a sign of great strength. They are evidence of how dependent Chinese growth has been on the U.S. consumer.” I take a somewhat different angle in my view on the subject, but any comments that steer clear of unnecessary pessimism is welcome at this point.

Indeed, the recent election results in New Jersey hint at a second, and still underemphasized, reason for optimism: India. Even the FT took note of India’s role as “a potential regional counterweight to China.” Now, I’ve been talking about the geopolitical importance of India for years, but if what Michael Barone says in the Washington Examiner is any indication, Indian-Americans may be shifting to the Republicans. This will give the GOP more reason to emphasize India’s role in the world.