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Date Posted: 22:43:08 09/06/02 Fri
Author: Perceptor II
Subject: What you said...
In reply to: FawnDoo 's message, "Responses to responses" on 13:59:14 09/06/02 Fri

You asked if the U.S. should try bring the U.N. on their side, not would. :-)

I found an interesting essay on Bush and post-9/11 America. Here's an excerpt:


Americans worship the concept of “change,” but America itself is a continental mass of inertia. Changing its direction is harder than it looks, and its direction right now — as at most times — is toward buck-making. Americans are busier than ever being busy. Dual wage-earner families and single-parent families are the norm. Waves of eager immigrants from Latin America and Asia are seeking a better life. Gen Y and Gen X types, pressed by a lagging “new” economy (and newly broke Boomers), are facing more obstacles than they expected. Which means that, once again, the Carville-ism applies: “It’s the Economy, Stupid.”

In international politics, it’s déjà vu all over again. On a recent trip to Europe, I found the same contempt for and questioning of Bush that I had found the summer before. “We’re still not convinced that he isn’t just a mad cowboy,” an editor in London told me-and he’s more sympathetic to the U.S. than most. After a few weeks of somewhat heartfelt concern for our well-being, Europeans once again view us with a toxic mixture of disdain and resentment (even as they try to ape our business methods and campaign strategies). For Bush’s part, he’s now busily trying to rally allies to our side in the faceoff with Saddam. But at the same time the administration continues to manifest deep (and in some cases warranted)suspicion of global diplomatic organizations. Before 9/11 it was the Kyoto Treaty. Now it’s the International Criminal Court.

As for the “mainstream” [American] media, it has long since ceased to search for Bush’s strengths as a leader — an exercise last fall that sometimes had the flavor of a patriotic public relations campaign. Now comes the predictable reaction. He proved after 9/11 that he had smarts and a sense of command; his foes can no longer plausibly argue that he’s stupid or incompetent. The new rap is that he is a prisoner of his advisers, a shuttlecock in a vicious game of badminton between the forces of light (Colin Powell) and of darkness (“the Neo-cons”).
In fact, Bush is a cautious, rather risk-averse leader, who won’t move until he has to — against Saddam or anyone else. When he does, he may marshal more evidence, and garner more support, than pundits expect. In any case it will be a memorable moment. For that is when post-9/11 politics will really begin.

The entire article can be seen here.

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