Bush as new, ugly American
In the face of global resentment, U.S. diplomats around the world have the tough and thankless task of trying to present George W. Bush's unprovoked order to invade Iraq as a justifiable act.
The attack on Iraq, launched on March 20, is one step forward in Bush's plan to depose Saddam Hussein, but carries America two steps back as a member nation of the world. Those two backward steps amount to a double bashing in how the world looks at America in terms of tolerance and respect. For instance, America's draconian immigration rules and the arbitrary profiling of resident Muslims, including bona fide U.S. citizens, are not universal examples of tolerance.
On respect, no nation, not even closest ally Britain, has sung the praises of Washington's unilateralist stance on issues that fly against the face of universal will. U.S. rejection of the Kyoto protocol to protect the world from global warming, and of the international criminal court to prosecute people accused of crimes against humanity, are but two examples.
The White House order for the invasion of Iraq, something that hundreds of thousands of nationals across America have protested against, only diminishes the esteem the world has for the U.S. As the holder of a Harvard MBA, Bush should have rationally calculated the costs and benefits of each decision he made. If he insists on going through with his plan after knowing the costs can outweigh the benefits, the price America will have to pay may be too great for any American to bear: Worldwide, Americans could be unwelcome and unsafe, even at home.
If he sorely wants international support for his actions, Bush should first switch from his unilateral mind-set to a universal world view. However, if he continues to insist, without reasonable compromise, that America's interests override all of what the world community aspires to, Bush will only portray himself as a new, ugly American.
Never has the job of U.S. embassies to explain the action and enhance the image of their chief executive been as unmercifully daunting as it is today.
WARIEF BASORIE Depok, West Java