obviously muslims would be i would be someone you look at absolutely those are the folks who are the radical muslims are the people that are committing these crimes throwing the p.c. flight walk out the window looks like g.o.p. presidential hopefuls aren't afraid to get their hands dirty if it means winning the party's nomination so with twelve debates down and countless more to go i'll take a look at the boulder is better republican mentality and the outlandish comments coming from the right. from start to finish just as quickly as a nuclear disarmament treaty with signs russia and the us are back on that the fact that neither side seems to be backing down so in this child's natural for missiles

are we at a stalemate. with the feeling that we're not exceptional even the world so let's admit i was saying goes it's a long fall from the top and then looks like the american ego may be taking the plunge and only half of americans believing the u.s. is still on top well take a look at some of the motives behind this mentality. good evening it is november twenty third eight pm in washington d.c. i'm christine for watching our team. well started this hour talking about the two thousand and twelve election and about the g.o.p. candidates well they are realizing fast the world is getting smaller and that understanding the relationship between the u.s. and china and iran and yes herman cain even is back to stand is important there are

new questions about what has been done well regarding national security and foreign policy and also about what should be done in the future eight candidates last night squared off just down the street from our studios here in washington and our g. correspondent liz wahl takes a look at the policies and the politics of those who hope to be this country's next commander in chief when it comes to foreign policy but they asked me who is the president of. the biggest bands you know i don't know do you know g.o.p. candidates appear to be stumped now with the president he put us in libya he is now putting innocent africa we already were stretched too thin any put our special operations forces in our region you go just well michele bachmann forgot libya is in africa cain is at a loss of words when asked about the situation there president obama supported the zero grounds crew closer to zero four.

i don't know what we're talking about the same thing. what any president is going to hire lawyers who will focus on particular things but you want somebody who can challenge those advisors. stupid or stupid or destructive foreign policy was front and center during the g.o.p. debate here in washington d.c. aside from ron paul the republican presidential candidates of blood consider going to war with iraq we are fighting a war against radical islam and what radical islam is telling all the radical islamist leaders are saying is that just wait america out syria is a partner with iran in exporting terrorism all across that part of the world and and around the globe the meal ticket for the republican party is who can out heart the other person who can play in

a more grandiose way to the military industrial complex that's the ticket more controversial statements from the g.o.p. on the interrogation of terrorist suspects this is one thing we know about barack obama he is essentially handed over our interrogation of terrorists to the a.c.l.u. to racial profiling obviously muslims would be would be someone you'd look at absolutely those are the folks who are the radical muslims are the people that are committing these crimes as we've got by and large as well as younger males bold statements made by candidates determined to be the next commander in chief but with serious implications for the nation and the world if elected they will of course try to steer the country further to the right further in the direction of militarism taking away any possibility of a reduction in military budget ramping up sort of racism against people of color in immigrant communities and some say obama's best chances of getting reelected are his g.o.p. rivals while it's

a sore point where her incumbents get. we elected when i don't i meant as above seven per cent with some of these extreme statements out of beristain performances by the republican candidates some say they could be obama's chances in the white house and washington r t all right so the debate last night spent a lot of time discussing national security issues like for patriot act immigration and the t.s.a. but several issues were overlooked the eurozone crisis an important world topics like china north korea and iraq were barely mentioned to speak more about this earlier i spoke to michael hughes foreign policy strategist at new world strategies coalition he wrote about this after the last foreign policy debate his article was called the g.o.p. field unveils disturbing foreign policy platforms so i asked him for a little detail about what he found so disturbing. what. i thought we heard.

reiterated. time of going. back and you know a lot of. you know. what you're. going to. i want to talk about china now you know on one hand you have candidates like mitt romney criticizing china criticizing its undervalued currency some of the other candidates talk about china as a job stealer and some talk tough about wanting to impose trade restrictions on china but the fact is that romney for example is a businessman as are many people in this country and trade restrictions put on china could hurt business here i want to get your take michael got what these candidates seem to be flip flopping a lot on the issue of china and what they want to say and what they want to do. yes

ronnie in. the war on china in. john kerry again tonight. china i agree we have to protect our interests he confrontational way that romney wants. huntsman was an ambassador to china romney. on our economy much damage on her small business and then. he's been dragging them in front of the. world trade organization and hawing about a minute currency manipulation and. i know during the last debate you. as i said you you were disturbed at the last foreign policy debate and i wanted to see something you wrote and get you to react he said some displayed maniacal cunning all others exposed world views so naive and embellish they make pale and foreign policy foibles seem kissinger esque talk about what you mean i mean you're saying that sarah palin actually seems like she knows what she's talking about compared to some of these people. well.

you know it's pretty scary and i mean herman cheney been know. much about libya and you know china had nuclear weapons which do you think it's probably. china has had nuclear weapons since perhaps back in the one nine hundred sixty s. i think that to get their feeling could see russia from her backyard what i set out to you i mean you mentioned a few things but i think it's important to know and certainly wolf blitzer at the beginning of the debate pointed out these debates are seen around the world i think a lot of people kind of watching this and you know from other countries there i think it could be argued it could be some cause for concern based on some of the things that's in these candidates but i want to play. something that was said last night by rick santorum this is regarding what he thinks the t.s.a.

should be responsible for doing at the airport and whistle profiling the folks who are most likely to be committing these crimes if you look at i mean obviously it was people obviously muslims would be would be someone you'd look at absolutely does are the folks who are the radical muslims or the people that are committing these crimes all right to talk about this i mean santorum right there saying you know i want to be a president and i also will make sure that muslims are racially profiled how does this play internationally. i think it plays for ninety percent of males in kandahar the united states is there to destroy islam after watching this one to the one that up. you know it probably spiked nine. very do very smart. race ethnic baiting and for good in the event they would cherish about. the guy and christian christian well. that way.

speaking of christian profiling i know you wrote a little bit about what sort of the evangelical perspective is in terms of war and how some of these candidates seem to use sort of god as their reason for the need to go to war talk a little bit about that sure and you know i think it's a parent's fear is me do you want to use god as an action security advisor and as i say in one way or i think god. policy record based on what you know based on. you and i think the american voters are going to be they're going to want a president that we just got an addition that was. executed i reckon urgent action i think that i think that is a point of concern. i'm going to make you know. some of this from the questions from you or me. certainly was an interesting debate last night i think it really

did paint a more clearer picture than we've seen so far about the views of some of these candidates michael hughes foreign policy strategist new world strategies coalition . well the g.o.p. candidates take turns talking foreign policy theory and what they would or would not do u.s. russia relations are hanging in a very delicate balance at the moment the u.s. anti missile defense system has been a sticking point between the two countries for quite a long time but just today we heard some very strong words from russian president dmitry medvedev aimed at the u.s. he warned what could happen if the u.s. continues to move forward with missile defense plans along russia's border. russia will deploy a contemporary strike systems in the west themselves in order to fire damage from the u.s. missile systems would include a new known system deployment of the is going to miss interest in the coming year and region will be one. if the situation develops and i'm thinking be going to russia will reserve the right to seize further steps to reduce elimination and arms

control. believe between strategic offensive and defensive weapons reasons good image for russia and its rules in the strategic arms reduction treaty. also russia says it will pull out of the start treaty signed back in april of two thousand and ten and stop nuclear disarmament if the u.s. continues to deploy its missile defense shield in europe so what's this all about all the answer that i spoke to asia times correspondent pepe escobar i asked him to give me his the latest announcement or so thick. forget about reset there was a p.r. coup and the russian leadership has just understood over the best few months that it was a p.r. coup if everything is interlinked what happened in libya what nato were splitting for syria the nato plan to dominate the mediterranean these what used to be some interceptors in czech republic they're now in roumania twenty four interceptors in a huge

a radar station in turkey the american version it's that directed against iran which is completely absurd every jew political analyst knows this is directed against russia and this is not the obama administration this is a pentagon program it's part of this so-called full spectrum dominance which is the official pentacle go gotten since at least two thousand and suit so they should have a mechanism to discuss this as adults in the made to russia council they're going to meet each two weeks so let's see after two weeks if they really can discuss this because the russians are correct they know this is a canister russian territory it will be the same as russia stelling missile defense system in cuba all over again below example all over again you know it doesn't make sense at all a one of the biggest present coming out of russia and from other countries is the fact that you know on the u.s. already has a missile shield in many other countries and afghanistan. israel has plenty as well

so why does the u.s. need to have this mitchell so shelled in europe and particularly our long russia's border i think i think for me one of the biggest criticisms very clear way you say how some any of these things are connected and i want to talk about several other geopolitical issues while i have you here on let's talk about syria and how moscow and beijing have warned about the use of any military action how i won't be acceptable in syria what do you think is the main. interest in western countries on syrian human rights and why moscow and china are on fire the opposing faction. look good here ok kate there are human rights of was in syria of course is a very dreadful police state that's not in question what's in question are the messages you cloyd but europeans and the americans to bring down the assad government it's certainly bia two point zero it's the same thing in effect if you

go back to the beginning of this month's evil dalgard the u.s. ambassador to nato he said explicitly the rule met what is the route map for syria basically is to recognize the opposition the syrian national council which is already a goal in effect a few minutes with the french r.c. they're going to do exactly that try to create the impression that assad is going to go for a human assoc or in homes or in hama syria get a fault for it just see in the arab league which now the base is this a single group so really they're all and they're that's both but like that they're not going to get it they need some kind of consensus that when this means russia and china are ready pull and they say don't read and stops in syria and that the other russia that says a lot like libya as you point out well they have you hear

a lot of people predicting a lot of you know predicting a you know what if if something does happen with syria you know what what's next well iran is next i want to talk to you about iran and a renewed talk about increasing thanks and on iran i know without secretary of state clinton speaking about this much of this of course the fall out from the release of the report from the international atomic energy agency i want to get your thoughts have and this is a area that you've covered and you know a lot about your concerns about the u.s. reaction here regarding iran look the i.a.e.a. report was burned correct. please buy some of the basket you're political analyst and we can find it anywhere including seymour hersh's who writes for the new yorker of course our friend gareth porter who writes for i.p.s. we try to be sure comes on our side is well look it's bogus it was a monologue yukiya amano to japanese which are we he leaks cable ready said already prove that he is basically a yes man for us designs at the i.a.e.a.

and people who work at the spectre's themselves and physicists they say this is school completely absurd a yeah they be diverted towards a political role and we are a technical a buddy which is completely absurd ok so the piece that i wrote recently for the asia times is basically if you want to get to tehran you have to go through the muscles and that's the plan no it is because everybody knows that the us is not going to launch a war against iraq in the two new electoral year number two israel cannot do it by themselves and your budget restrictions against it and those people the pentagon are against this war so the only way would be ok let's strike the mosque was first to stop the lies the regime which to study lies as well as well wish to stop the lies to speak their own damascus axis and then we think about iraq's probably after the presidential elections and he if you're watching if you watch the foreign policy depletes of the republicans yesterday and you saw all those eight wattle say

what they're going to do the first thing they're going to do is war against iran it's beginning of two thousand and twelve advantage then trying all right let's get the facts straight and i think jon huntsman things to be a little wary of that as well. yes we got our own our foreign policy when i won with you right here on r t a times correspondent pepe escobar all right a lot take a look now at the mood around the country right now and it is the day before thanksgiving in part of course traveling to spend time with their families so many of those people will often be at the shopping mall that we've heard from retailers how funding has changed and. terms of the way people view the country and its ideals i want to show you the results of a new report released from the pew research center this is part of their global attitudes project when asked the question our people are not perfect but other our culture is superior to others there is a change the way people of answered you see there in two thousand and two sixty percent of people agreed with that statement but in two thousand and seven just fifty five percent agree and now it's a plus than fifty percent just forty nine percent of people agree so in other words

when it comes to the idea of american exceptionalism things are changing our seahorse on a theatre going to want to talk to folks about this just regular people to get some of their thoughts on what this might mean. since exceptionalism traditionally to be boost to american people and pride in the u.s. with these days something is off this meter survey for the first time in years that feeling is in decline less than half of americans at forty nine percent are holding on to believing in their country's exceptionalism let's go find out what's going on here are you. are you feeling exceptional today what. do you think american exceptionalism is alive and kicking. is anybody feeling exceptional are today. no you're not do you think the u.s. is exceptional well. i think we all of us are good why don't work goes on the.

overall movies overall how do you think the country is doing these days terrible are you feeling exceptionally. well i have a job do you think the us is exceptional. here why. you get a lot of trouble why should we feel exceptional we're not exceptional we never were exceptional let's admit exceptionalism stems from strength and home and abroad a booming economy allowed americans to proudly carry themselves and let politicians lecture other countries but with an economy turned upside down and foreign respect when doing could this be what's causing the women can feel about the state of affairs for people getting the blues. what's going on. too many people right to work and i think the general spreads. to the small since the reagan era the poor in this country has lowered

intellectually considerably. didn't have any growth. extended period of time so many people run employ. many there's a lot of laws that should be in place but what solutions do american see to their country's woes let's see what people say about how do we fix this this is a serious problem. get in here so they can all work he was like. we need to support things that are made in the u.s. stuff doesn't go overseas social action. you know the. world many analysts are saying people spirits are not going to be lifted any time soon americans are preparing for things to get worse before they get better. all right so things are going to get worse before they get better something we've

heard before but what's this change of heart all about we think this is an important question and i want to dig a little deeper into it and to put it into the context of you know what's happening right now both on our shores and off from occupy wall street on the streets all over cities across america to a new revolution in egypt well a little earlier i was joined by author and historian william engdahl from frankfurt germany i started off by asking him about this notion that american exceptionalism may be on the decline. well i think americans are feeling more and more depressed economically so the hardly feeling like they're the leading nation of the world. the united states is in a situation i've said this in my books comparable to that of the british empire before the first world war the decline has begun years back perhaps twenty five thirty years back but it proceeded very slowly because it was artificially covered

over through money from asia and other places and now with the financial crisis and the collapse of the home mortgage market americans are finding themselves and middle class americans are finding themselves in a desperate situation america's role in the world is not the pillar of democracy and freedom that it was once seen to be it's regarded as the the brute force that comes in and bombs countries like libya or those things in asia or all around the world that are not exactly the kind of things that people expect from the united states so i think that since the exceptionalism doesn't seem to be working i think it's also safe to say you know with the internet with this twenty four hour cable news that people living in the united states of america have just more of an understanding of what life is like outside of america i think a lot of people have been looking at what's going on in egypt with a sort of second on prising there's increasing talk of the u.s.

relationship with countries like iran and syria i want to talk to you about how all that relates to occupy wall street. and the movement the sort of revolution that's actually happening on our own shores what is your take of the occupy wall street movement as you've seen it over the last two plus months. i think the focus of the occupy wall street movement is a very very important one because for the first time since the financial crisis broke out in two thousand and seven the attention is being put the spotlight is being put on the source of the problem the fact that wall street banks seven or six giant banks banks whose whose balance sheet is larger than the gross domestic product of most countries of the world these six or seven banks goldman sachs citibank j.p. morgan chase etc bank of america are literally taking over the policy of the united states of america the senate the congress and the white house and that's got to be reversed so i think in that sense no matter who from the white house is trying to

create a little tea groups within the occupy wall street and what police provocateurs have been sent in there to get a bad name i think the focus is very very important to the protest movement and i supported entirely from that's regard i think it's interesting to just sort of the increased talk about subjects like income inequality you know a corrupt system that favors the wealthy and powerful an order to keep them wealthy and powerful what about you know i think it's important as you say just changing the conversation and changing the dialogue but what comes next what do americans need to do those who consider themselves you know in the ninety nine percent i guess you could say what do they need to do to bring about actual change. well this is the question we have a presidential election year coming up in two thousand and twelve and up until now it's been tweedle dee and tweedle dum the same wall street money goes in whether

it's a democrat or republican and it's you know it's like a horse race where the game is fixed before you get out of the game so i think if the population of the country wants to wants to really have change it's got to be grassroots it's not going to happen if it's done by something like the tea party where you have money from the cock foundation and different groups like this who have a. very specific agenda and they use the the frustration of the population and spirit and very definite directions that their special interests so it's got to be a grassroots based thing it's got to have an economic agenda which it doesn't yet have and one one that addresses the fundamental problems of the out of control federal debt the out of control private household debt of the country and the fact that the economic policy of the last thirty years has let the industrial base of america go into the scrap heap and allowed outsourced by large multinational

corporations to asia and elsewhere that has simply destroyed the the productive work base of the traditional american economy that has to be brought back through real infrastructure not not when build projects but real infrastructure building rebuilding the highway system or the water system is and disrepair the bridges of the country the electric grid these are these are things for the basic infrastructure of the country that that could provide jobs and really get the country back on its feet high and if you think that you. and the upcoming election i know just last night we had another g.o.p. debate there seem to be just about one a week here in the united states i want to talk about on your concerns based on some changes that happened over the last. i'm talking about the citizens united and supreme court case that basically allows corporations to give. in and do so in an undisclosed way and also i mean we just see every single day dozens of super pacs

popping up you know on both sides of the aisle how do you think this will shift both the direction of the elections and the power of whoever is in office in twenty . well in reality written a book on this called gobs of money wall street in the american century in reality the united states over the past thirty years with the deregulation of the big banks wall street banks. by the congress and by the white house tim geithner and larry summers to talk. for the actual officials of the obama administration actually read the legislation. that opened the floodgates for the banks to do this criminal enterprise called. decision that they didn't do with the insurance companies like g.e. the credit rating agencies so that's going to be rolled back. and we

have to get back to. basics focus on the real economy. we can leave it at that i know you have a sore throat today totally understandable with the. winter is coming i guess you could say william angle joining us. here. thanks so much appreciate having you so that is going to do it for now but for more on the stories we covered the dot com slash usa check out our you tube page you got our to america you can also follow me on twitter at christine the big picture with tom hartman is coming up at the half hour and tonight he'll have a panel of liberal and conservative commentators breaking down last night's g.o.p. debate. you know how sometimes you see a story and it seems so for life you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else and you.