I know you're probably sick of my reading assignments by now. But hey, we're here to filter out everything and find a few good things for you to read! And this is the best article I've seen yet on why the rest of the world thinks we're so arrogant... and why they're so afraid of us. It's this week's Newsweek cover story, written by Fareed Zakaria. He's a Newsweek columnist--and for the most part, a conservative. Yet his piece is the best I've seen on how the Bush administration managed to throw out 50 years of diplomacy in one fell swoop. Even W's father has to be aghast at what his son has done. While George Bush Sr. was well traveled and knew how the world worked, George Bush Jr. came into office with no foreign skills.
Notes Zakaria: "In its first year the administration withdrew from five international treaties—and did so as brusquely as it could. It reneged on virtually every diplomatic effort that the Clinton administration had engaged in, from North Korea to the Middle East, often overturning public statements from Colin Powell supporting these efforts. It developed a language and diplomatic style that seemed calculated to offend the world. Key figures in the administration rarely traveled, foreign visitors were treated to perfunctory office visits, and state dinners were unheard of. On an annual basis, George W. Bush has visited fewer foreign countries than any president in 40 years."
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