Major survey finds

first-ever majority that

sees US on the wane

The Pew Research Center conducted the opinion poll on American foreign policy.

A LITTLE NOTICED but hugely important public opinion survey released this week shows that Americans see their country’s influence in the world diminishing – confirming what has become obvious to many abroad.
The survey by the Pew Research Center titled America’s Place in the World 2013 could have major implications for American foreign policy.
In fact, some say it has already done so.
Public support for global engagement, already low, has fallen even further. Experts blame “war fatigue” – the legacy of the Bush/Cheney years of foreign misadventures in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As negotiations proceed with Iran, Afghanistan and Syria, the impact of these trends could be enormous and global.

Nelson Mandela was a giant of a man who suffered almost 30 years of imprisonment for his opposition to Apartheid. He rose from humble origins to become the first democratically elected president of the Rainbow Nation.
His passing in Johannesburg will be mourned by the entire world.
Mandela contributed to every single one of us with his life’s work. Funeral arrangements are pending.

PUBLIC LYNCHING OF GUARDIAN EDITOR AN OMINOUS SIGN
The British government on Tuesday struck a blow against press freedom everywhere with its public inquisition of the editor of The Guardian newspaper.
The reporting by The Guardian, The New York Times and others on the Snowden documents has revealed serious lapses in government oversight, particularly in the U.S.
It is deeply troubling that British politicians would mount such a ferocious attack on press freedom. Journalists everywhere should stand with The Guardian in resisting this blatant intimidation.

REPORTER GREENWALD MOUNTS PASSIONATE, CONVINCING DEFENSE
A vituperative verbal battle has broken out about the journalist at the center of the reporting on the documents leaked by Edward Snowden: Glenn Greenwald has responded with a passionate, extensive and convincing defense of his methods and actions.
It is an absolutely must-read for anyone who cares about how the most startling and significant revelations about government wrongdoing have been exposed – and, likely, will continue to be so.

MILLIONS CAN’T AFFORD TO SHOP AT THEIR OWN WORKPLACES
The shameful truth is that for a huge number of those serving the shopping hordes, the only future is one of bleak, minimum-wage survival.
It’s a national disgrace, which could so easily be changed.
Raising the minimum wage is without question a political issue. If politics is the art of the possible, then the possibility of improving the lives of millions of Americans – without harming the vast majority – seems within reach.

MILLENNIALS SEARCH FOR ANSWERS, BUT WORD OF THE YEAR IS ‘SELFIE’
Young men and women coming of age since the Great Recession are seeking more than material success in life.
They are seeking a meaningful life, defined as having more concern for others and less interest in material goods.
This concern for others is what adds meaning to life,
Indeed, that is a worthy life goal, the essence of what one could call a life well lived.

PAKISTANI PROTEST OVER DRONES BLOCKS NATO CONVOYS
A small group led by a former cricket star turned politician has managed to block NATO supplies to Afghanistan at a choke point in protest over U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan.
It is significant that a small group of protesters in the right place at the right time could have such an impact where years of government-to-government protests by Pakistan have done little to lessen the number of drone killings or change U.S. policy.
The longer the blockade continues, the more serious its impact will be. Time is not on the American side.

PERCEPTION OF US STENGTH AS ALLY IN MIDDLE EAST SUFFERS AGAIN
The deal with Iran over its nuclear ambitions overshadowed, for most part, the Monday announcement that a new attempt would be made to convene peace talks on Syria.
But the two are inextricably intertwined.
President Obama has pivoted away from belligerence and that is admirable. But the cost to America’s ability to influence events in the turbulent Middle East is still unfolding.
With the response in Jerusalem and Riyadh, it has seemingly suffered another decline.

THOUSANDS OF NON-MILITARY UAVS UNDER DEVELOPMENT
It is an absolute certainty that the skies above modern metropolises and the surrounding countryside will soon be buzzing with UAVs.
The potential impacts on gathering sensitive personal data are huge. The ACLU has raised the alarm over the threat to privacy.
If you think government spying on electronic communications like email and telephone calls is bad, there might be a much bigger, less welcome surprise waiting for everyone as drones get deployed by the thousands over our homes and cities.

INEQUALITY, INSTABILITY TOP LIST OF GLOBAL CONCERNS
A significant discussion of research into the most important issues facing the global community went almost unnoticed by most media this week.
The Summit on the Global Agenda hosted by the World Economic Forum presented the top 10 most urgent issues of our time.
Few would argue the 10 cited are indeed the most important issues facing people everywhere, even if their exact position on the list might vary among difference regions.
But, perhaps most pessimistic of all is that included in this list is lack of confidence in leadership.
If the political elites are not paying attention, there is little hope these vital issues will be addressed.