For a country that is supposed to be the most powerful in the world,
the fact that Americans have today woken up to find large swathes of
their nation closed for business is humiliating.
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Thanks to President Barack Obama obduracy over
his flagship healthcare policy, Democrats and Republicans have failed
to reach agreement in Congress on the federal budget, forcing the US
Government to close down for the first time in 17 years, with around
700,000 federal workers being placed on indefinite leave.
While the White House insists that essential areas of the government,
such as the military, will continue to function, the shut down
represents yet a further blow to the prestige of the Obama
administration at a time when it is still reeling from its inept
handling of the recent Syrian crisis.
There was a time not so long ago when the world looked to America for
both political and economic leadership. But now that can no longer be
taken for granted thanks to Mr Obama's inability to provide decisive
leadership on either front.
Republicans rightly argue that by pressing ahead with Obamacare
before the implications of the programme have been properly assessed
risks adding to America's debt mountain at a time when the American
economy is still recovering from the biggest economic crisis in recent
history.
The emergence of Russia, meanwhile, as the main power broker in the
Syria crisis has severely damaged America's standing as a major global
player.
In short, the longer the Obama presidency continues, the more America's status as a superpower ebbs away.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/concoughlin/100238900/us-government-shutdown-barack-obama-is-presiding-over-the-end-of-americas-superpower-status/
