1. Increasingly it seems the Bush administration's foreign policy is running into trouble.
I don't think even the White House press secretary would disagree with this one. In private. The Democratic presidential hopefuls are getting braver. The fence sitting Republicans have hopped off Bush's coattails and are back in full straddle atop the fence. I am not saying that the Bush administration's foreign policies will fail (I truly hope they don't). But there is a perception that Bush has lost the blank check from the American people. That everything isn't going as planned. If this weren't true, why the full court press push to try to "sell" the war again?
2. The post-war picture in Iraq and Afghanistan is highly unstable.
Would you invest your 401(k) in a business in either of these countries right now? I wouldn't. But I hope to some day.
3. The road map to peace in the Middle East is in tatters.
Complete shambles. Has been for a long time.
4. There's growing unease over the possibility that North Korea and Iran are pursuing nuclear weapons.
This is true in every capital on Earth, I would bet.
5. Friends of the United States are not supportive.
I read this sentence to apply supportive to "the Bush administration's foreign policy". And "friends" to mean traditional US supporters and allies.
Besides England, Australia and Spain, who has really been with us on this one? Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, France, Jordan?
And the polititions who supported us (England, Spain, Australia) have suffered in their own countires for that support.
6. Overall, the policies of the United States are still very unpopular around the world.
Can you disagree with this? This has been true for as long as I can remember. Decades.
7. The Bush Doctrine, a preference for unilateral military action and a disdain for multinational diplomacy, is under scrutiny more than ever.
I think everyone, left and right, D and R, young and old, American and foreign would agree that the Bush Administration is under more scrutiny on its foreign policy. (And its domestic policy, and its fiscal policy.) Not that the Administration is necessarily wrong (there is much disagreement on _that_), but that it is being questioned and monitored more than at any time since 9/11.
If you don't think there is a Bush Doctine that has "a preference for unilateral military action and a disdain for multinational diplomacy", then this is a straw man you can't agree with. On the other hand, I have heard too many people in the administration and major supporters of the administration admit that this is, in fact, their policy. They think it _should_ be the policy. They are unapologetic about it. They revel in it. And I don't know that they are wrong in doing so. I haven't made up my mind on this one, yet. I think only the results will tip my hand on whether it was a good thing or not. I certainly (along with most Americans, I think) was sick of all the hand wringing and wishing things weren't so. I am glad we took a stand for our vision of the world. I just hope we create a more coherant foreign policy, where everyone can figure out before-hand where America will fall on a given issue, rather than basing our forieng policy on what is good for us (and our foriegn corporations) at this moment with no long term understanding of consequences.
?
Jerry Johnson
>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 10/20/03 01:42PM >>>
Yes, it only covers one side of the story. Sorry to drop a nice bomb like that and run, but I'm extremely busy at work today.
>Increasingly it seems the Bush administration's foreign
>policy is running into trouble. The post-war picture in Iraq and
>Afghanistan is highly unstable. The road map to peace in the
>Middle East is in tatters. There's growing unease over the
>possibility that North Korea and Iran are pursuing nuclear
>weapons. Friends of the United States are not supportive. Overall,
>the policies of the United States are still very unpopular around
>the world. The Bush Doctrine, a preference for unilateral military
>action and a disdain for multinational diplomacy, is under
>scrutiny more than ever."
>
>
>Jerry Johnson
>
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