The main reason is that Bush has made it abundantly clear to the world that even a superpower has limits in its ability to go it alone. We've lost the myth of our invincibility that has been in place since WWII. This war has cost us dearly and we frankly can't afford it. As a result, we've become impotent to tackle issues in Iran and N. Korea. The solution, of course, is to rebuild our relationships with our allies. We need a global community to solve the world's problems and we need to get out of the mentality that it is America's responsibility alone to be the world's cop.
Look at the consequences of Bush's policies. Putin openly flaunts his precious spies and consolidates power so that Russia now looks more like the USSR of the cold war. Iran holds Holocaust denial conferences and openly ignores the will of the UN when it comes to developing nuclear weapons. N.K. sets off a nuclear explosion and then has the gaul to demand incentives to get rid of the bomb that we know they'll never get rid of. The whole world is now constantly on guard against terrorists.
No, we do not live in a safer place and all of America's power to go it alone has not made us safer. Bush's diplomacy is at fault here. He doesn't know how to use diplomacy. The first and most important rule in diplomacy is walk softly but carry a big stick. Threats should be under the table and then in the public eye, we use the language of reconciliation.
For example, we openly say we want dialogue with Iran and say we want rapproachment to the press. And then under the table, we tell Ahmadinejad that he has 30 days to cease enrichment and allow open and full inspections, or we bomb his country to hell. If he comes out publicly and says we threatened his country, we deny it. If it comes to bombing his country, we do it and then explain why afterward, only after it's done. We don't broadcast to the world 6 months in advance that it is going to happen, like we did in Iraq, giving Saddam 6 months to hide all his bad stuff in Syria. But most importantly we do all of this under the umbrella of the UN. In the public eye, we have to been seen to work with the UN, but then under the table we can be the muscle.
Then when it comes to Iran's fomenting of terrorism in Iraq, let's take the war to Iran. Let's send our special ops deep into Iran and set off some bombs close to Ahmadinejad. If they accuse us, then we deny it, just like they deny funding Hizbollah in Lebanon and the insurgency in Iraq.
Bush is just not smart at all. The Muslims play a double game with him all the time and run circles around him in public relations. We need to be just as devious and underhanded as they are and give them as good as they get. In fact, we need to give them 10 times the pain they give to us. Let them know we'll go the whole way and when our interests are thwarted, they will pay big time. But never admit to anything publicly.
Bush is the man of "Bring it on" and "Wanted Dead or Alive", big talk and big bravado. I'd rather us be a country that has a humble face, but one hell of a punch behind the scenes and under the table.
Then you'd see respect from Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Putin, Kim Jong Il, and all the other bad actors out there, instead of them laughing at us as they do now. |
