This is currently posted on the Secretary of State's website: an interview from THIS Tuesday 9/23/08.
QUESTION: How does a United States in the middle of a global financial crisis affect diplomatic efforts around the world and your efforts?SECRETARY RICE: Well, in fact, the United States is still the United States, and so we are here involved in everything from proliferation issues, to the Middle East, to concerns about Latin America. But I don't think that anyone should think that even though this is a very important and indeed serious financial crisis, that it has in any way diminished the ability of the United States to do our business diplomatically.
Everybody understands that this is a very specific, indeed once-in-a-lifetime - well, we certainly hope - circumstance. But people have confidence in the United States. As the President has said, this is a financial crisis, but the fundamentals of the U.S. economy are strong. Everyone understands our great ability to innovate, the productivity of our workers, the ability of the country to move quickly. And so I believe the United States' standing has not been really affected.
Woops! I guess Condi was hunkered down with Dick Cheney in an undisclosed location without any contact with the outside world for the past week. Clearly she's working from the OLD talking points.
The United States is, as Condi has just reminded us, the "one indispensable country." Therefore, the Wall Street meltdown has been politicized to prove how important it is that we American voters continue to submit to the leadership of the only party approved of by the world financial elite, the only political party that really understands what is going on and can handle the crisis, at the same time the only party that really understands national security and foreign affairs. Of course, that party is the Republican Party, and it is easy for that party to multi-task, since only it sees all the inter-connections, and can press the correct levers of power. Certainly, there is no other candidate than the Republican one who can come into the Oval Office and be ready to go on Day One! That's why Condi says what she does, Bush demands instant action on the bailout, and our next Great Leader McCaine is on television showing his leadership.
The real fundamentals of the economy, like banks, interest rates, currency, etc, are all screwed up. Worshiping the free market will not save us.