There are some arguments I just can't win.  One such argument is the issue of American stature in the global community.  I think it is demonstrable that our global stature is raised when we use our power for humanitarian purposes, rather than simply to gain economic interest, and my indefensible belief if that it is important that our stature is thus raised.

I have only one example to use, since the U.S. has only under one president in its history used its military solely (apparently) on humanitarian grounds: former president Clinton.  In particular with our recent attack on Belgrade, it became clear that that the world community believed that the U.S. had no economic or security interest in Yugoslavia, and therefore acted on purely humanitarian grounds.  What is also clear is that we suddenly gained a great deal of stature across the globe.  Our baby boomer 'hippy' president tried to stop needless bloodshed, and the rest of the world cheered.  Our critics were silenced - not by arguments or words or de-funding or repression, but by a perceived selfless act on the world stage.

But when I make such an argument to Americans, I always lose.  The reason I lose is because American stature in the world is too amorphous a gain.  Who cares what the world thinks of us? - they say.  What do we gain from that?

The answer, my friends, is right before our very eyes.

When GWB took office, the world held its breath.  How much would it really matter if the old guard, the cold war politicians, regained power in the U.S.?  The answer came more quickly than anyone would have thought.  GWB and his administration immediately took back billions offered to third-world countries for humanitarian help.  Then it took a needlessly hard-line, remarkably insulting stance with Russia (which I predicted in the last Bonesyard would have large consequences), and then pulled out of our one agreement with the rest of the world, which was that we needed to reduce greenhouse gasses to protect the globe from environmental catastrophe.

The rest of the world, except places like Israel, quickly pulled in the welcome mat.  Well, no big deal, right, fellow Americans?

Wrong.  Now we have a problem with China.  We have this problem, dear readers, because after we pissed on Russia and withdrew aid for this fledgling democracy, our cold-war leaders knew that the Russians' only hope of economic recovery lay in an alliance with China, which wants their old nukes, and more importantly their nuclear technology and space technology (remember that Russia is a 'third-world' country which beat us into space).  So our wise leaders stepped up spying activity in China to try to catch them in the act.  This obviously pissed off China, which tried to shoo our planes from their borders, just as we would have done.  Oh, no, wait - we would have simply blown them out of the sky...

But now that we have this trouble, where are the other countries?  They're at home, not about to come out and support the U.S.  Had we not needlessly insulted Russia and the rest of Europe in a few short months, we would have everybody including Russia making public statements condemning the Chinese actions right now.  The Chinese would be isolated, and in a very different position.

Instead, they know it is once again the U.S. against the world, and they've therefore got a lot of cards to play.  And Bush and the old guard seem stuck in the old mode, as though they don't have the intelligence to play any game other than 'cold war'.

This is a problem borne solely and specifically by the actions of the U.S. under the new direction of GWB.  We are right now back in a cold war, as people will soon begin to realize.  The world is indeed against us again, but I am not afraid of the rest of the world.  I am afraid - again - of our own government.

And around it goes...
 

April 4, 2001