Norm,
American policy makers are "reactive", not proactive when it comes to issues of foreign policy.
Remember that these are the same people who sent our troops into Somalia with insufficient combat power. We've also seen a 12 month deployment to Bosnia maintained with an open ended termination date.
But most of all Norm, we've seen a gov't that was very slow to grasp the severity of the Year 2000 issue and is now SCRAMBLING to fix what they can before this immovable deadline arrives. The ramifications of Year 2000 will drastically impact our thoughts and lives over the next 18 months and beyond, yet we see little comment from our gov't unless coerced to truth by legislative summons.
No Norm, I believe that much of our foreign policy is created out of our lack of forward thinking and unwillingness to enforce and protect our interests. Some people might call it bungling and I truly would not be able to agree.
You see Norm, unless you are willing to excercise power in support of your national interests, whether they be through financial, political(covert/overt), or military means, then others will call your bluff. Iraq is a beautiful example of this wherein the US continues to be played by a two-bit Arab dictator with a penchant for VX nerve gas.
American politics require an emphasis on the immediate. Don't go to war too long, feed us "the Full Monica" over "ChinaGate", and god forbid that you would interrupt Seinfeld with a Presidential speech of consequence. No Norm, intricate foreign policies require a sense of patience and determination that exist only in semi-authoritarian states unconcerned by public opinion and lobbyists.
Call me a cynic...
Btw, a prime example of how the Iranians can "jerk" the US around is exemplified in the 444 day Hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran.
Regards,
Ron |
