Wow! What a switch!
"Cooperate"! How did this beautiful word get to be used by this administration? I thought the Bush administration worships competition. I believed that Bush is a bully who knows he is always right. I was positively convinced that Bush is convinced that he can prevail in the world regardless of what other world leaders think, say or do.
"Precious alliances"! Does this mean Bush is sorry for treating Schroeder and Chirac as wimps and imbeciles? Does Bush think now that the UN is important and is needed to maintain peace in the world? Does he now want to magnanimously hand over control of Iraq to the UN?
As someone who believes in the superiority of cooperation to competition, I would prefer to give Bush the benefit of the doubt. But I can't. Bush has shown his aggression too often.
It is obvious that Powell's speech, as well as the speech Bush is expected to deliver this Sunday, are part of a big show designed to get other countries in our "precious alliances" to "cooperate" with us by contributing troops and money so that the U.S. would not be saddled with the whole burden.
I wondered what is behind this maneuver. I got the answer from conservative David Brooks who said yesterday on the News Hour with Jim Lehrer that the administration will seek financial help from the World Bank. This would be easier to get if the project had the stamp of approval of the UN.
I am still wondering: Who will pay back the loan - U.S. or Iraq? If Iraq, what would be the imposed conditions?
Anyway, I see a ray of hope. It seems that Bush is at least partially convinced of the value of cooperation. He can see that others cooperating with him is a good thing. I hope for the day when he realizes that he cooperating with others is just as good. In fact, it would be better for him, for the U.S. and for the world.
