U S A needs the WorldIn these presidential elections
]In these presidential elections, more than ever before, issues of foreign policy have come to the foreground. The Bushmen never tire of speaking of the "Kerry Test" and they shamelessly insinuate that John Kerry proposes to hand over a "veto" on American foreign policy to the rest of the world. It is quite obviousthat John Kerry was referring to the creation of a broad concensus in the international community which would help in sustaining the policy. This is exactly what Kissenger, the Merrernich of the 20 th century, advocates in his book Diplomacy. Unilateralism in foreign policy is not only costly, but also damaging to the international standing of the only superpower in this world. There is a famous story iin the Aesop's fables which shows that even a lion,the king of the forest, needed the help of a humble mouse to escape from a trap of the hunter,a lesson well worth remembering. Bush and the Bushmen seem to regard unilateralism as a virtue but it is overextending the U S resources and its military. With nearly 150,000 men in Iraq where are the reserves for any major action in any other theatre of action such as North Korea. It is a sobering thought.
With less than three weeksleft for the election the electorate mustponder over the dangers of an overextended military and as
a sullen civil population which is just licking its wounds. Now the UK has been asked to help out. There are only 7650 British troops in southern Iraq and the British have lost less than 100 men in Iraq. With friends like this surely it is time to reconsider unilateralism as foreign policy.
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