The subject of our foreign policy under the Bush administration is one that troubles me; it can be given credit for my interest in politics, my opposition to Republicans, and the reason I started blogging. The simple fact is that our policies are dangerously flawed, they damage our reputation and aid in the recruitment of terrorists; our number one threat.
That said, this is troubling, but an opportunity.
“So far, public thinking is a disquieting mix of high anxiety, growing uncertainty about current policy and virtually no consensus about what else the country might do“
For some time it was assumed that the average American either didn’t care about foreign policy or didn’t understand it. Even our MSM can’t develop a grasp of how problematic our policies are. For those in freeperville or in Faux land the perspective is that our foreign policy is productive and making great strides towards worldwide utopia. They think we are winning the WOT or GSAVE or whatever you call it (on another note the WH can’t seem to figure out which or what the slogan is).
However, the ignorance of the masses has broken,
Some 63 percent of Americans say the charge that the United States has been too quick to go to war is justified and three-quarters worry about losing trust abroad and about the growing hatred of the United States in Muslim countries, it said.
Consider me shocked! I can’t even get into a coherent debate about this subject in SC, but if this study is close to reality we have a problem in the WH and an issue to press in ’06 and ’08.
But what is our answer? Sherle Schwenninger wrote a great article for the nation called “Reconnecting to the World: A Foreign Policy for the Democrats” (may be behind a password) which is a start, I’ve written about our approach to the WOT (GSAVE) on dKos here. But with this new concern in the American public, now may be the time to start pushing for a counter plan to propose the people before the ’06 midterms and, IMO, we must have a full blown alternative for the voters in ’08. I think we should be discussing this now as the performance of Paul Hackett in a very conservative district (where I’m from) of Ohio indicates the moderates are looking to the left for answers while the Bush Admin. struggles to pick slogans, let alone fight our foes.
While the study made a point not to blame the Admin.
Dan Yankelovich, Public Agenda’s chairman, declined to describe the results as a reprimand of the Bush administration but said “there is definitely dissatisfaction … a feeling that we’re not on the right track.”
I say BS, the points that are salient are Iraq, U.S. relations with Muslim countries. Both fall right in the lap of the current Admin. Yankelovich continues by noting that Americans “are reaching a point where the public’s concerns will be too strong to be ignored.”
Finally!
The article ends with more trends that excite me and at the same time worry me with Bolton heading to the U.N.
Some 64 percent of respondents said the U.S. government should put more emphasis on using diplomatic and economic methods to fight terrorism and 72 percent said that showing more respect for the views and needs of other countries would enhance U.S. security.
Call me whatever you want, but we need to address this!!!