George Bush .. The ugly American.

[AGKK_Karateka]

IMO the Bush administration appears to be playing a high risk geo-political game for very high stakes.

 

It appears to me that the current US attitude to international relations has effectively weakened most, if not all multinational organisations like the UN (not especially a popular institution with US voters) and alliances like Nato, or relations with partners like the EU, Russia, China, etc.

 

I think that the unilateral position (we have the might therefore we are right) taken by the Bush administration can be seen by non-aligned countries as an ugly aspect of US foreign policy and a dangerous precident for the use of force regardless of the UN or "world opinion".

 

Since 1945 the international community, with the USA playing the leading pivotal role, has been built up a stable framework to address world issues. This framework is by no means perfect or effective but better than a world with many "go it alone" unilateral wannabe world powers.

 

Talk of post-Saddam transitional US military regimes (without the fig leaf of UN involvement) in iraq have echoes of 19th Century "unofficial empire". Tied aid from a donar country can be seen as an effective instrument of control again grist to the mill for neo-imperialist alarmists.

 

Post 911 nearly all (99.999%) of the world opinion was firmly on the side of the Bush administration. The war on terror had most nations on this planet signing up to work (and fight) alongside the US. In the 18-months since then in the run up to war with Iraq, so many bridges have been burnt and goodwill soured.

 

The use of non-diplomatic straight talk "You are with us or against us" messages on Iraq has lead to only a few allies of the US commiting anything more than lip service to the whole endeavour. BTW elections in UK and Australia may see a strong anti-war voter backlash if the war drags on and does not go according to plan.

 

 

 

A good question for the future would be when/if US goes "isolationist" i.e. walks away from direct involvement in world affairs (cutting aid, etc) and with no multinational forum with any strength what then? A new crop of despots and dictators and greater injustice?

 

The USA is a world power without equal, but one that is no longer talking quietly and carrying a big stick. The next US administration post-Bush and post-Iraq war will have alot of reconstructive diplomatic work to do in what may well be a "multi-polar" world.

 

Thats my two cents...