If President Barack Obama's handling of the events in Libya exemplifies his own definition of a "post-American world," then we have moved past a G-Zero reality, which is how Nouriel Roubini and Ian Bremmer described a G-20 that can't agree on how to rebalance global power, and into what I would describe as the "G-Less-Than-Zero" world, where America purposefully abdicates its global leadership role.
Read the entire column at World Politics Review.
Monday, March 14, 2011 at 9:31AM 
Reader Comments (7)
Tom- great article as always. With regard to the menu of options, what do you see as the best action plan/combo of resources to use? Also, are we talking about taking the Col. out ourselves if we have actionable intelligence, or merely leveling the playing field so the rebels can do it themselves? (FWIW, I'm fine with either option!)
The shame I feel as this goes on probably has a friendly correlation with how much the rest of the world regaurds our rhetoric on supporting democracy and freedom being bunk, which in the arab world ties nicely to those great arguments for anti-americanism, with all that comes with.
So, we are handing over the car keys. That is scary.
So many Americans, for so many years have wondered why we always have to get involved "over there." Like the Marine Hymn says "From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli."
Now a President, that according to Tom's take, is actually saying "no."
I honestly don't know how I feel about this. We have been at the business of the world my whole life. Who will take our place? Can anyone take our place? Is it really time for us to stand down?
So, should we expect to soon hear TV news shows start with the music 'From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli' ?
Tom,
I guess I would advocate doing just enough to carve our a KRG-like enclave in the East.
As I've said before, if the French and Italians, in particular, along with the Arab League, can't get their act together and put skin in this game, I'm not inclined to take on -yet another- obligation in the Middle East. So the challenge for the Obama administration and particularly SecState Clinton is to make that happen.
I think I'd characterize the current international actions as "fiddling while Benghazi burns..." In the UN Security Council, Germany has (according to this CNN.com article: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/15/un.libya.no.fly.zone/index.html) "questions about such a zone. OK, let them host the refugees. India wants to know "who will implement?" Who do they freakin' think??? Certainly not India! And the Arab League wants a no-fly zone with no foreign intervention.
At least George Bush could make a damn decision!