America is in decline - Arthur Kennedy

It has lost influence in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. In a survey of 37 countries earlier this year, only 22% of respondents expressed confidence in President Trump. A staggering 67% in the same survey expressed confidence in ex-president Obama.

In Russia and China, Putin and Xi Jinping appear to be at the height of their powers. America has withdrawn from the Climate deal and appears marginalized in the Middle East.

At home, there is a new viciousness and intolerance in the political dialogue and conduct. Opponents freely insult the President even as he answers them--insult for insult and then some.

Sports teams contemptuously reject invitations to visit the White House.

The Justice Department and FBI investigations of Russian collusion and Clinton have distinct echoes of third world investigations.

Harvard is organizing segregated graduations while other universities take down historic statutes to avoid debate. America appears ashamed of its past-- all of it.

And America could not even qualify for the finals of the soccer world cup!

There are many reasons for America's decline.

First, the tone and nature of Mr. Trump's campaign was divisive and confrontational. And his Presidency has been in the same vein. However the Trump presidency turns out, other things are exacerbating this decline.

Liberals and even some conservatives have moved from disrespecting the President to disrespecting the Presidency. This unprecedented and co-ordinated assault on the Presidency on American institutions has undermined America's confidence in itself. The conduct of investigations have led to a loss of confidence in American institutions.

America has not been perfect. It has been blemished by slavery, discrimination and some unjust wars. But America has been good for the world. It has been a beacon to freedom and democracy in the last 200 years.

When African dictators are going rogue, who are we going to invoke? Mao? Xi Jinping? Lenin? Putin? China? Russia? It has to be America. It has to be Jefferson and Lincoln and FDR and Kennedy.

America must overcome its self-hatred and return to the leadership of the world.

America can overcome one bad President-- if Trump turns out to be bad. It survived Buchanan and Harding and Hayes and Nixon. What it cannot survive is 300 million people in a circle, shooting one another, metaphorically.

Let America be great again. The world needs it.

Arthur K.