This is very much an exaggeration. Plenty of Americans were arrested along the Istanbul–Kathmandu trail 50 years ago for drug possession and spent some time in local jails, for example. And back then, if an American was arrested for drug infractions, he or she could expect as little sympathy from the local US consulate as today. Yes, for other sorts of crime, Americans might have been the beneficiaries of a very active consulate with some sway over local police and politicians, but Americans were hardly untouchable.
I think you're overstating things way beyond reality.
I mean we're the diseased and shameful ones here, so it's a bit different but still!
Which months ago was something even Hawaii was doing to American tourists, so I don't think it's particularly interesting to note.
Singapore arrested and caned the child of a US Ambassador in 1994. We didn't threaten to invade them. The US didn't use imprisoning or detaining travelers as a pretext for any war in the 20th century that I'm aware of.
The US did not lose respect in the world because we aren't winning enough wars, or somehow because of something Obama did (really?).
https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19940510&slug...
That sounds way less extreme than what the OP suggests. If the US didn't threaten invasion over the detention of a family member of their embassy, I doubt they would do much for some random citizen that ran afoul of law enforcement in another country.
But it sounds good and that feel-good-factor was what the parent comment was trying to evoke. I'd say they succeeded momentarily.
In an interview, Lee Kuan Yew said he felt very pained with Clinton's lack of dignity in interjecting himself into something as petty as a vandalism case, and as a face saving measure for Clinton reduced the penalty from 6 to 4 lashes.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/spare-the-rod-spoil-the-c_b_8...
I don't have the exact reference to this told from Lee's side much later, but the above story tells of Clinton's involvement.
What a strange way to try and pin what the Republicans did in 2011 and 2013 on Obama.
For context here is what actually happened... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_debt-ceiling_cri...
It's tradition at this point.
It was likely neither that good nor this bad. Moving away from such a mindset is the best way to get out of the vicious cycle.
That seems to be the backdrop of Asimov's Foundation series, about the fall of the Galactic Empire... which was itself modeled after "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire".
I was shocked that there was a general view was America had it coming - having to take a bit of their own medicine after behaving like an arrogant bully.
That was almost 20 years ago, before all the endless wars in the middle east.
The decline started way before that - something you could perhaps lay at Kissinger's and politicians of his ilks door.
This is a incredible exaggeration and it's shame it has been upvoted.
Afghanistan, Iraq and ?
The major theaters were decidedly over in a very short period. Unless you need winning to mean annihilate or getting everyone to agree on things, those were both won quickly.
Libya, Uganda,Syria, Yemen, Pakistan
A superpower creates a block of aligned countries
"the US doesn't command the same Kissinger grade soft power it used to". I don't see any evidence showing that to be the case.
You should go into journalism, you're very good at writing baseless/misleading hyperbole.