My OperaHow Bush will set his mark
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:18:52 PM
http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ask_this.view&askthisid=00338
"Do we really expect the Bushies to go quietly?"
Not really, Dan. But we're all happy he hasn't appointed himself emperor for life in either Iraq or the US (yet).
Anyway - as I've been harping on for a while, Europe has no foreign policy. Which means, very quickly, that what we do will be shaped by what the US will insist on doing. Or failing that, we will usually have to react to the context and narratives dreamt up in Washington when formulating anything at all. This has to stop, simply put.
But in the meantime, what the US does is important. For our engagement with the ISAF, when it comes to the Iran - Iraq problem, as well as Lebanon and Palestine problems - the US has an important role to play here. And it appears that Bush personally wants to invest some effort into ensuring his legacy in that region. And no doubt this will keep a lot of sycophantic co- workers at the State department busy.
So it's useful to look at how things work in Washington at the moment, if for no other reason than to urge people to worry more about the lack of a functioning UN, and how there is no real alternative to it.
Enjoy the column on the link, in any case.
"Do we really expect the Bushies to go quietly?"
Not really, Dan. But we're all happy he hasn't appointed himself emperor for life in either Iraq or the US (yet).
Anyway - as I've been harping on for a while, Europe has no foreign policy. Which means, very quickly, that what we do will be shaped by what the US will insist on doing. Or failing that, we will usually have to react to the context and narratives dreamt up in Washington when formulating anything at all. This has to stop, simply put.
But in the meantime, what the US does is important. For our engagement with the ISAF, when it comes to the Iran - Iraq problem, as well as Lebanon and Palestine problems - the US has an important role to play here. And it appears that Bush personally wants to invest some effort into ensuring his legacy in that region. And no doubt this will keep a lot of sycophantic co- workers at the State department busy.
So it's useful to look at how things work in Washington at the moment, if for no other reason than to urge people to worry more about the lack of a functioning UN, and how there is no real alternative to it.
Enjoy the column on the link, in any case.
