I've never liked Newt Gingrich, but I always respected his intelligence -- until I realized that he's absolutely lost his marbles. I suppose a telling sign is that he is trying to be a 2008 Presidential candidate -- that should have tipped me off. But this notion that framing the war on terror, the occupation of Iraq, and the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas and Israel and Hizbollah as World War III is not only a stretch (at least we hope so) but just plain silly in terms of a political strategy.
But let's take Newt at his word -- World War III is upon us. The once great nation of the United States of America was in days past, a beacon of freedom and high moral clarity. The United States was the most (certainly not truest) altruistic superpower in the world. Where is the United States today?
We don't have a leg to stand on. Not only do we have a credibility vacuum in the global scheme of things, but now we've got a leader who appears to be a buffoon to the entire rest of the world. We've got a man who has proudly proclaimed his intention of exporting Democracy to one of the most troubled areas, but by force and through some of the most breathtaking incompetence ever imagine. The Iraq democracy has become a sad joke to the rest of the world. The very notion of which is sufficient to publicly ridicule Bush -- the "man with vision" (as Russia's Putin did in front of a chuckling audience of world leaders and representatives). We've got a man who uses diplomatic presence to talk about roast pig, a man who (as leader of what used to be the world's most influential nation) is now saying that "they" need to talk to Syria and get Hizbollah to "stop this sh*t". Bush is from Texas and a plain speaking man. The fact that he used the word sh*t is entirely trivial and unimportant. More important is that he is abbrogating the traditional role of the U.S. President to broker (if not peace) a cessation of hostilities between Israel and her many enemies. Bush is clearly not up to the task, and as such, talks about an external "they" as having the means and diplomatic channels to effect such a change. Bush is content to play second fiddle to Kofi Annan of the United Nations.
Dr. Annan has always pursued diplomacy as is wont of his position. But for the first time in many, many years, we are seeing a second rate President of the United States, who not only doesn't appear to care too terribly much about what is happening in the world, but seems at all unable to do anything about it -- unable to function in his traditional role.
Bush is, was, always has been a PR man. In my opinion, that is what his presidency is all about. Real issues, reality, and the integration of American policy within the global community are simply beyond his abilities and competence. And sadly, for the United States, he's been given two terms. Well, five years later, it's plain to see to all but the most die-hard fans of Bush, that this Administration has actually created a climate of conflict and aggression in many parts of the world. The Cowboy Diplomacy, as it has been described, has been an utter and incontrovertible failure. The world is not safer -- not because of September 11, but because of the Bush Adminstration's ineffective and misguided response to September 11. The war on Terror isn't about defeating terrorists. It's about profiting by propping up the military-industrial-energy alliance to the detriment of America's influence abroad, and especially the the troops who are nothing more than necessary sacrifices in the pursuit of profit.
Bush's foreign policy ineptness is coming home to roost. America is not only far less influential than it has been in the last fifty years, it is also becoming a laughing stock because of the embarassing buffoon who is the current "leader of the free world." God help America. It's appearing more and more that America is absolutely devoid of leadership.
