John LeBoutillier
Monday, March 10, 2003

Three years ago – during the 2000 presidential campaign – then-Gov. George W. Bush very clearly articulated the conservative Republican position on foreign policy. In an era of Clinton's massive and widespread military deployments – from Africa to Southeast Asia – the GOP position was against the use of our soldiers as 'nation builders.'

Candidate G.W. Bush correctly criticized Clinton's troop deployments. Furthermore, Mr. Bush claimed he would have a "humble foreign policy."

This was said in the context of Clinton butting into the Middle East – especially Israel's elections – and pushing them around. The Republican answer was one of less involvement.

Now – a mere three years later – President George Bush is seen around the world as the most arrogant, bullying U.S. president ever. Humility has been replaced by a strutting arrogance perfectly personified by Bush's 'John Wayne walk' and his "my way or the highway" proclamations.

Quite simply stated, the world today hates George Bush. They see in him the personification of the 2003 version of the "Ugly American" – loud, rude, pushy, a know-it-all who doesn't really know as much as he thinks.

How else to explain the overwhelming disapproval of our Iraq policy in almost every nation everywhere – North, South and Central America, Europe, Asia, Africa and even the Middle East, where Saddam's neighbors have been attacked by him?

Bush has taken a post-9/11 world that was in total sympathy with the United States and supported our Afghan campaign 100 percent and totally frittered that support away.

Instead of the certain-to-succeed Teddy Roosevelt formula of "Speak softly and carry a big stick," Bush has gone the other way: Boast, brag, dare and generally talk this thing to death. He has shown that his personal pique toward some world leaders and a giant chip on his shoulder are influencing American policy – a big no-no.

In the process he has seen the state of the American economy decline due to war fear and his own poll ratings decline, too. His re-elect number is down to a weak 42 percent. Consumer confidence is way down and unemployment is way up.

This is certainly the most mishandled foreign affairs event since Vietnam.

Prediction: We will not get 9 votes in the United Nations Security Council – and we will go to war anyway. We will defeat and vanquish Saddam. Bush's' ratings – for a time – will improve, as his father's did in 1991. Perhaps the economy will rebound – for a while – too.

But the way we ran roughshod over our allies will engender bad feeling worldwide. Other problems will soon loom – particularly North Korea – and the very leaders Bush has gone out of his way to diss will be looking for payback.

What a mess.

And it all could have easily been avoided.

A "humble" foreign policy?

U.S. troops not used as 'nation builders'?

Looks like those campaign pledges – like so many others – go on the ash heap of broken pledges.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

George W. Bush

Saddam Hussein/Iraq

War on Terrorism

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