Musings 159--The world watches, the world learns...

In the last decade, Americans were thought of as the greatest people on the planet. Most everybody liked us, and some even loved us. If you went abroad, you were treated with genuine respect. Today, it is not so. Why has things changed so much under the decade of Bush jr.?

Well, it could be that Bush jr. is the only President to break treaties since World War II. In the year 2002--that is exactly one year after 9-11 in 2001--Bush jr. served notice on the Russians that we would not stand by our 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. (See Link) By doing this, our American president showed the world that we will not have to honor our agreements.

Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, Bush jr. has become the only president to nullify an international treaty. (See Link 2) So what is the big deal? Well, it could be that other countries have drawn the conclusion that if the U. S. doesn't like something, then we break a treaty or simply ignore it. If the U. S. can do that; then, so can they.

The Clinton Administration signed the Kyoto Protocol with the hopes of lowering carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. Bush jr. refused to have congress ratify the agreement because it is "unfair and ineffective" and would "cause serious harm to the U. S. economy." The world watched, and the world learned.

Bush jr. would not allow the U. S. to participate in the International Land Mine treaty. He also does not want the U. S. to be represented at part of the International Criminal Court. Again, the world watches and learns.

The Bushies hate the United Nations, but will use it to further their agenda. Since the U. N. would not go along with a war in Iraqi, the Bushies decided to go it alone. Again, they showed that if something doesn't go their way, then, do it anyway. With a coalition of the willing--a bunch of suck-up countries with nothing much to lose by currying favor with the U. S.--the war to take over Iraqi began. It is still going on and even the suck-ups are now pulling out. Once again, the rest of the world watches and learns.

So with this is mind, I wonder when Bush jr. and his merry bunch will learn from their mistakes? Probably never, and the world watches and learns that too.