☆☆四星级☆☆Economist Debate阅读写作分析----Brand America

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winner announcement

The final vote: 69% for, 31% against.

I don't think this result can have come as a surprise to anyone; the voting has remained pretty consistently above two-thirds in favour of Mark Medish's proposition. Our thanks to him, to the valiant loser Kishore Mahbubani, to our team of five guest speakers and above all to the audience: we received more than 500 comments, most of them very sensible. That is one of the highest figures for any of our debates and surely a testament to how strongly people feel about this issue.

Mr Mahbubani could claim with some justification that our exercise was stacked against him; that only a minority of our readers and, as far as I can judge, our commenters and voters, come from Asia. So they were not best placed to understand how far sentiment in rising India and China has switched against America, in a mixture of disappointment at the superpower's actions and inactions and a reasonable pride in national achievements.

No doubt he is right. But even so, I think our exercise has been valuable, even if it is only a reliable guide to sentiment in Europe and in America itself. By an overwhelming majority, people in those places believe (or want to believe) that America can and will recover from the low point into which George Bush had delivered it. I strongly doubt whether an America led by President John McCain would have scored figures anything like so high. And imagine if, thanks to a repeal of the 22nd amendment, Mr Bush had been elected to a third term. So our result does tell us something worth knowing about what Barack Obama has achieved.

Why do people feel this so strongly? Re-reading the protagonists' speeches, the guest interventions and the comments from the floor, I think there were three main forces at play.

One was an appeal to history. America has recovered from reverses in the past, and will do so again. Think of the catastrophes of the 1930, only a prelude to victory in the second world war and to the rise to global dominance of the 1950s. Or think of the recovery from the ashes of the civil war, or from the chaos of the 1970s, with a hugely unpopular war lost in Vietnam and a president drummed out of office for authorising burglary. This argument I found only partly convincing: Britain recovered from many reverses over the centuries, but clearly its time as the global superpower passed in the end, and Britishness is hardly a brand the rest of the world hankers for any more.

A stronger appeal, I think, is a desire for leadership. Even those who have been most taxed by America's recent blunders might reasonably reflect that even worse than being led by America is being led by no one. A world in which China, India, Russia, Japan, the EU and the United States are all vying to be top dog puts me uncomfortably in mind of Europe at the outbreak of the first world war. Much of the waste of the past eight years has resulted from either America's failure to lead—on climate change, for instance, or in the Israel-Palestine dispute–or its very incompetent leadership, as in Iraq. But this can change. Imagine a world in which America commits itself to working to curb carbon emissions, harnesses its mighty economy as locomotive to the world, and can once again speak out against torture and repression. 政治类的题材

But finally, the argument which I think held most sway is that America still represents an ideal, and that ideal is one that the world still does look to. Democracy, freedom, the ethnic melting-pot, the rule of law: no one has really come up with a more attractive package. America has failed to live up to its own ideals recently. But it is trying to live up to them again. If it succeeds, the brand will shine again.

MOTION CARRIED.

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comments:

icestyle wrote:

February 5, 2009 6:19

SUPPORT

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Andrew Eppink wrote:

January 5, 2009 19:14

Reality rears its ugly head.　

*rears its ugly head:
出现(不祥之物)　

Appear. This phrase is used only of something undesirable or unpleasant, as in "The interview went very well until a question about his academic record reared its ugly head."

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Arif Hussain Nomani wrote:

January 2, 2009 10:23

Well there is no doubt that Obama will need to take bitter and unpopular decision to put US back on track. While we all have to realize that his success would mean the success of the human race.

I certainly agree that his failure now could well be the failure of the western system of life, free economy and democracy.The economic crisis coupled with the forgein policy impact could well turn the human race in serach of a more viable and sustainable economical and social system of life.

Well challenges are huge but American leadership and people have to rise and demonstrate their resilience for the sake of the human race

面对痛苦和并不受欢迎政策,人民对西方的经济和政治体制提出质疑,但又对与美国的恢复能力充满了信心.

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VIIXII Corp wrote:

December 27, 2008 12:19

Great article. I would like to say, Thanks to the Economist and Staff for endorsing U.S. President-elect H. Obama. The world is positioning for the 21st century economy. "The race of life does not go to the fastest, but to the one that will endure to the end," (KJV). To restore global confidence in the investment markets the deregulation rules must be restored and the new appointed U.S. Attorney General and his Staff will have to arrest the guilty "robber-barons of Wall Street and official that robbed the Global Community." All U.S. Industries must be regulated, otherwise it is business as usual(No sense of Global Corporate Responsibility). President-elect Obama, his cabinet, Congress, all American, and all of the U.S. Allies must all "Labor Together as One." By the "Grace of God The Global Community and Global Economy will do fine." Happy New Year 2009!

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Owen Sharpe, Hong Kong wrote:

December 18, 2008 2:56

There's no doubt Mr Obama has a lot on his plate. Let's assume his first acts of foreign policy are as he signalled. The world will be encouraged. It is also encouraged by the sensible strong economic measures he has signalled.But these measure are traditional and already shown to be weak. Zero percent interest is not much incentive if you certainly have to pay the money back. Uncertainty prevails; people quake in their boots.Mr Obama has the tools. He just needs to go on the front foot with the economy. He needs to reassure us; "yes we can". The tools are not yet rusty. "Yes we can". The skilled people want to work. "Yes we can"I'm outside the US and he has huge credibility with us out here. We'll start to spend again. We'll make a plan to invest again. We'll borrow to invest again. "Yes we will".When I write it it seems pie in the sky. But if he says it we'll follow, six billion of us, beginning small, but we will. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Show us you're not afraid.PollyannaNew Zealand

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montabella wrote:

December 1, 2008 0:26

President-elect Obama has created an impressive team of financial and political heavyweights to help him guide the US & our allies (if you will) through the challenges ahead. His inclusion of former Democratic rivals (Sen. Clinton and Governor Richardson) and notable Republicans (Sen. McCain, Robert Gates, former Gen. Powell) indicate that he believes the collective interest of the country is above politics.

President-elect Obama's approach provides a welcome change from the unilateral, cowboy diplomacy we've suffered through the last eight years. Once again, as in 1960, "the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans." Best wishes for a strong, bright, long-lasting flame of hope.

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k.p.fabian wrote:

November 26, 2008 5:48

Obama should first settle with Iran before withdrawing from Iraq. Iran stopped its project for nuclear weapons once it was clear that Iraq had no WMD.In any case, Iran should be flooed with IAEA inspectors.

On Afghanistan Obama should rethink his annopunced policy.Afghasnistan does not need more boots. Talking to Taliban might prove useful

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mucho_mrgc wrote:

November 26, 2008 3:53

C - is for Chances being opened in full view.H - is for Highlights being emphasized largely.A - is for Articulateness being shared lengthly.N - is for Nutrients being shared again and again.G - is for God - fearing innately to aspire for greatness.E - is for Expectations realistically drawn.-------------

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w6d wrote:

November 24, 2008 16:04

Down the side of main-street there were and still had some shadow alley to be cautious.Been proud of this US, keep your respect in thought then which those new dawn will ease your burden.Do not lured by the words of here, hope.. always come from one's broad bosom.很中肯

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Breton oyster wrote:

November 22, 2008 22:17

Can the 25 dead French soldiers in Afghanistan be seen as a disgrace, a lack of involvement from one among many others European country?

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tastyjoe wrote:

November 22, 2008 3:54

I voted for Barack in 2004 for Senate, and since then I have been happy with just about everything he has done and said. However, I can not downplay our current situation. Who could have predicted these events when he started his presidential run so long ago? We're facing unbelievably huge challenges and I am nervous in general. I think Barack will remain calm and continue to work steadily, but everyone will have to pitch in to fix this. Everyone- lefties and those on the right will have to pull up their sleeves and most likely take a punch. Are we all willing to do that? There is a lot at stake(有很多危险,利害关系). Great article.

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elvia wrote:

November 22, 2008 3:30

It is a good opportunity to testify him taking office in such a compilicated situation.

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Darden Cavalcade wrote:

November 21, 2008 20:19

2009 almost certainly will be a terrible year for hundreds of millions of people...reduced standards of living, unemployment, worsened diets, illness, and hardship. And while we can point to government corruption and incompetence for a lot of these problems, the truth is what it always has been. Most of our troubles will be the result of our personal choices.

Barack Obama can say "yes". He can say "no". It will make little difference to most of us.

We must remember the couplet from 'Goldsmith'..."How little, of all that human hearts endure, that part which kings or laws can cause or cure." (Samuel Johnson)

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johnlock wrote:

November 21, 2008 16:52

Well to quote some old American writer of many stories - The publication of my death is greatly exaggerated. America's economy and technology machine will continue to lead the world in standard of living, per ca pita income, wealth, GDP, and productivity of our workers.

Just as the formation of the EU and the Euro was to replace America and the dollar as the safe haven in bad times. The EU has fallen on hard times and the euro is going down. Europe's energy problems are huge and they do not have the resources to reduct the burden on the industrial base and the citizens.

America will become energy independent in the next five to ten years and will eneter the Second industrial revolution in America. Energy production will lead the next industrial boom and the current down trends will be reversed by the energy boom.

(老米的五年计划,能源推动经济,能源独立)

So Europe and Asia, our death has been greatly exaggerated.

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siddsa wrote:

November 21, 2008 16:23

Though by largely an optimistic article .And it does treats Mr.Obama with a guise of Iron Gloves inside which were the velvety hands(天鹅般柔软的手　这个有意思).I do hope Mr. Obama does enough to earn his spurs.But what fails me is conflicting stand of economist over the issues it has stood for so long. Example green activists.And moreover important geo political strategy wasn't given enough importance in the article.Russia...?God Speed 2009

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shahbaz51 wrote:

November 21, 2008 6:23

One thing that surely requires a change is US policy vis-a-vis(面对面的) Pakistan. The Predator attacks must stop because they have killed a lot of innocent women and children. How is this justifiable? The homes and families destroyed will never be rebuilt and the scars thus left will only intensify anti-Americanism(反美情绪). These actions make the Pakistani Govt appear like a bunch of clowns(一群小丑). Mr Zardari appears to be as much of an American agent as Musharraf was. Nobody in Pakistan at the popular level believes that this war on terror is our war. It started as an American war and has engulfed many peoples around the world. There are many fallacies that even the American think tanks continue to believe in, like the role of the ISI in Afghanistan and the security, or the lack of it, of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. Pakistan is doing NATO's dirty work on the cheap and doesn't even get credit for it. The so-called allies not only don't re-imburse Pakistan for the services rendered, but also dissuade other countries and IFIs from helping Pakistan out of its economic difficulties. Mr Bush has inflicted enough pain on the people of Pakistan but the cruelty of it all is that even as a lame-duck he is not relenting. The destruction wrought on American people by storms and fires is unavoidable but the same on helpless Pakistani citizens is!

巴基斯坦人的不满情绪

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