Owen Harris writes, “the US and the American people are experiencing a crisis of confidence” and “anti-Americanism is at all times high”. The first issues from the US’s involvement in the war of Iraq and due to the initial serious tactical errors committed by it in the aftermath of the fall of the Saddam regime and on the up till now irresolution of the war. In my opinion this “crisis of confidence” is momentary and is precisely related to the unresolved war. And the signs are favorable. As Americans have corrected their mistakes and are implementing a new strategy under their capable commander General Petraeus they seem to be winning the war—as I always believed that they would—and according from reports on the ground are “crippling al Qaeda”. Hence, the restoration of “respect and credibility” to the US depends on the defeat of the insurgency in Iraq.

The second issue, anti-Americanism is not new. It was always there although in a milder form—it goes with the trappings of being the sole superpower—and it was exacerbated as a result of the “mishandling” of the war and the bad publicity of the liberal media against the Bush administration.

To be respected and credible a superpower must implement its foreign policy with wisdom and resolve and undeviatingly from the main threat it faces. The US has not lost the capacity to do so. Once the powerful blast of the trumpets of US power flatten the walls of Jericho, the Iraqi insurgency, the benign hegemony of America will continue to play its historical role as the axis of world order.

http://kotzabasis3.wordpress.com

Would not say that America has been conducting its foreign policies with true democratic wisdom, Themosticles, but somewhat similar to Mother Britannia, with wisdom mostly only in strategic power and placement - in many ways similar to the Roman Empire.

Would you call it democratic for the US to allow little Israel to protect iself with a brace of nuclear-tipped long-range rockets, now equipped with deep bunker-busters?

Would you say it was the democratic way to protect the newer Israelis from Palestine Arabs the Palestinian Jews had been living mostly at peace with for more than 1500 years?

Would you say it was sensibly democratic of America to allow Israel to bomb Iraqi rocket installations back in the 1980s as it has bombed Syrian installations just lately, and looks like it will be the first to bomb the Iranian installations when so-call needed?

Do you really think that if as you say it looks like the US will soon be granting perpetual peace to Iraq, that Cheney with have his oil reps totally move out?

And it is for those reasons above, that Putin is now playing Bismark's Realpolitik, knowing that many of us Westerners are partly favouring his friendliness with Iran hoping it will stop an attack on Iran by Cheney and Bush which could bring on WW3, particularly with Russia now playing war-games with China.

What has caused all this, Themistocles, is America playing the same old elitist colonial game as Britannia played, but of course more in secret, yet obvious with its sea and air-power and its nuclear capabilities - now called missile diplomacy rather than the old British gunboat diplomacy.

Further with its neo-free-market WTO promises all about the abolishment of global subsidies, the US not only protects its industries more than any other WTO member, but also has encouraged Western marketeers to successfully get away with only paying for products ten times less at the farm gate, than finally sold over the shop counter.

Finally, could say that Condy Rice always acting in place of a true UN rep doesn't strike as decently democratic, either.

Desperate Bush forgives Saddam’s Sunnis.

General Petraeus orders his subordinates to offer amnesty, money and local political power to Sunni tribal guerillas who agree to cease their resistence to the American occupation. Most are ex-members and sympathisers of Saddam’s Baath Party.
Prime Minister Malik, and his Iraqi Shi-ite establishment have become increasingly perturbed as Petraeus pushes ahead. Deals are now being struck with Sunni groups in Baghdad and Sunni majorities in surrounding areas. The New York Times has also reported that American troops called in helicopter gunships preventing Shiite soldiers from rounding up Sunni attackers.