America 's enemies may rejoice , but the rest of the world is mystified , writes Frida Ghitis . How can the most powerful country become tangled in a crisis of its own making ? She says it discourages the champions of democracy around the world , encourages them . In recent days -- while Syria burned , Iran maneuvered and Europe wondered if the United States will send the global economy back into recession -- U.S. government officials were busy making plans for a shutdown : deciding what offices will be open , what employees would write on their e-mail autoreplies during the shutdown . Ghitis : American is wasting resources on shutdown , rather than focusing on long - term strategy .
America 's enemies may rejoice , but the rest of the world is mystified , writes Frida Ghitis . How can the most powerful country become tangled in a crisis of its own making ? She says it discourages the champions of democracy around the world , encourages them . Ghitis : American is wasting resources on shutdown , rather than focusing on long - term strategy .