Tuesday, March 18, 2003

Win Bagdad. Lose the world. What a deal!

New Krugman. He makes a valuable point:
The members of the Bush team don't seem bothered by the enormous ill will they have generated in the rest of the world. They seem to believe that other countries will change their minds once they see cheering Iraqis welcome our troops, or that our bombs will shock and awe the whole world (not just the Iraqis) or that what the world thinks doesn't matter. They're wrong on all counts. Victory in Iraq won't end the world's distrust of the United States because the Bush administration has made it clear, over and over again, that it doesn't play by the rules. Remember: this administration told Europe to take a hike on global warming, told Russia to take a hike on missile defense, told developing countries to take a hike on trade in lifesaving pharmaceuticals, told Mexico to take a hike on immigration, mortally insulted the Turks and pulled out of the International Criminal Court — all in just two years.
The doubts of some Americans may be washed away by a quick victory in Iraq (for a while). But the doubts of the rest of the world will not. They have already learned not to trust George W. Bush. When will the rest of America?

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