Bob Phillips said:
Agreed, the Americans have done many good things, but their leaders
(FDR excepted) rarely have. . . .
Figures someone from the UK would have a warm spot for FDR. Some over here
might recall his treat to add 6 more justicies to the Supreme Court in order
to bludgeon the existing justices to blink their eyes about the New Deal.
And then there were the Japanese internment camps.
All US presidents have had their warts.
. . . And it is not prevailing anti-Americanism to complain
about a country that tries to force it's resolution on the UN,
and when that body says no, states that the UN is irrelevant and
is avoiding the issue . . .
Agreed. If the US is going to act unilaterally, it shouldn't screw around
with the UN. Note that this is *not* a statement that the US should act
unilaterally or not, just an opinion that fig leaves are ridiculous.
. . . Bush is even trying to tell the EU who they should admit
now (that human rights paragon, Turkey).
....
If recent human rights record is the sine qua non, how did Germany become a
charter member? Perhaps some more enlightened persons believed that having
it in the club was better than having it outside?
Aside from the UK, Turkey has been the US's steadiest ally in Europe since
1945. Much of that no doubt due to the proverbial 'the enemy of my enemy is
my friend' and the USSR sharing a common border. But they went to Korea, and
that still counts for one hell of a lot over here.
. . . Previous administrations can take the credit for the birth of
Al-Qaeeda (Regan, Bush Snr.), Clinton can take credit for making
them a potent force, and this Bush administration has given them an
international platform.
Possibly, and there are times the current administration could be termed
obtuse, but there are historical forces at work as well. Not the least of
which the absolutely wonderful job done by a certain former colonial power
in preparing the Arab world for self-government and drawing its national
boundaries with such wisdom and foresight.
There are those who could claim with more than a kernel of truth that the US
is still just cleaning up the mess left by that other country which I'm just
too polite to name.