America Sneezedand the World Fell

The US economy sneezed and the world collapsed: This is how we might describe the latest global economic crisis. The American economy is merely ailing and the global economy has collapsed into bankruptcy and recession, as if the worldwide economy is tantamount to a line of dominoes propped up by the American economy. If the latter trembles, the world’s economies tumble one by one, and if the US economy holds firm and recovers, the world economy prospers. Because of one American paper merely discussing the fear of the US economy slowing, the stock markets of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East collapsed and hundreds of billions of dollars evaporated within a few hours, leaving millions of investors penniless or on the brink of destitution.

The US empire has succeeded in sending a message to the rest of the world to the effect that the collapse of the United States signifies a collapse of the civilized world, that is, a breakdown in the global free market system and downfall of the information age, the age of the internet, communication, and computers, and also the entry of the world into economic and political turmoil, the results of which cannot be predicted. Without any exaggeration, if the United States collapses, it means worldwide regression to the 1950s.

Luckily the latest global economic crisis could represent a good opportunity for all the sick souls who denounced the Iraqi people for caving in to the American invasion of Iraq— while turning a blind eye on the reckless behavior of the previous regime— to take a stance true to themselves and do right by the native Iraqi people who for many years have withstood continuous fighting with the US empire and 13 years of complete economic sanctions at a time of global economic collapse. Several countries have worked themselves to the brink of famine and complete meltdown because of anticipated stagnation in the American economy, so imagine the situation in those countries if the American empire mobilized its armies to fight them!

It is an opportunity for some Iraqis who still cling to the option of opposition, especially those who call themselves the armed resistance, to embrace reality, abandon their delusions, and follow the example of our brothers in the Arab countries who preceded us in grasping the military, political, and economic importance of the US. They established solid relations with America and as a result, they attained a measure of peace, stability, and economic prosperity. In contrast, Iraq has reaped nothing from the choice of asymmetrical conflict except destruction and underdevelopment. A simple comparison between Baghdad and any neighboring capital reveals to the discerning eye the difference between war and peace, between cooperation with the US and confrontation against it.

The Iraqis have been very late to embrace these lessons whereas most of our brethren and friendly nations, especially those bordering Iraq, have preceded us: Most of those countries entered long-term strategic economic and military agreements with the United States while some Iraqis are still thinking with the mindset of the previous regime. This reckless mindset is the one which opted to confront the US and entered Iraq into a losing battle on behalf of others.

Thus the Iraqi government must make haste to accomplish a long-term strategic agreement with the US that serves the interests of the Iraqi people. No neighboring country can object because they did the same thing a long time ago, at a time when our Iraqi people were sinking under the pressure of wars and sanctions, by choosing asymmetrical conflict.