The hypocrisy of our Foreign Policy (2)

In the last six months, we have enumerated a series of alarming faux pas in our Foreign Policy, and encouraged Bush-Cheney-Rice-Negroponte to stay home, and be silent. We have already insulted enough countries, created enough enemies, and lost too many friends.

See our previous article for comments about Middle-East, Moral Obligation, Latin America, and Russia.
China: Last week, Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been talking about a program of officer exchanges and other confidence-building measures with China Army, with a possible “hotline” for emergency communication between Beijing and Washington.However, he said he continued to press China's generals for more transparency about the aims of their military buildup.
Gen. Pace said he immediately agreed to study the proposals put forward by Gen. Liang Guanglie, chief of the PLA's General Staff Department.Gen. Liang's proposals include sending Chinese cadets to the Army academy at West Point as well as participating in joint exercises and humanitarian and relief-at-sea operations “that might be able to build trust and confidence amongst our forces.”
Our military ties with Japan and commitment to protect Taiwan remain a major hurdle for an eventual "hot line".
Recently, Vice President Cheney and Secretary of State Rice, both with arrogance and ignorance, have warned China against building a too strong defense, following an 18% increase in Chinese military budget, heightened the sense of unease in Washington over China's 2.3 million-member armed forces.
According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the relative military expenditures (as percentage of GDP) of some major countries are:
Russia 4.3%
United States 3.9%
United Kingdom 2.2%
China (PRC) 1.8%
The military budget of China is increasing with two digits, but the economy is also increasing with two digits.
Total military expenditure:
USA: $518,100,000,000. (not including real costs for Iraq and Afghanistan)
China: $81,480,000,000.
Expenditures per citizen:
USA: $1,727. per citizen (300 million people)
China: $63. per citizen (1.3 billion people)
China is getting richer, and more powerful with interests in an increasing number of countries. Chinese Authorities want to protect their alliances, partners and interests, anywhere in Asia, Europe, Latin American, and soon, anywhere on the planet. We also have a huge military, with bases, all over the world, exactly for the same reasons.
The difference: China is getting richer, stronger and more powerful. We are getting poorer, weaker, with less allies.
By invading Iraq, we have convinced several countries, especially Iran, about the needs in building their own protection. We have also proven to the rest of the world that they can not trust us anymore.
For generations, a great majority of countries have been looking at us as a needed superpower. Now, because of our own ignominy, an increasing number of nations believe that domination of the world by one power is not a good idea. It is in the human nature that other forces rise up to counter-balance that. The power being challenged is as much a threat to others, than the power doing the challenging.In the last century, China has been losing a few wars**, but has been learning the Chinese way: patience and strategy. US provocations, insults, ultimatums, will not deter them. Au contraire.
** Wars of Opium : 1839-1842 and 1856-1860
Sino-Japanese wars : 1894-1895 and 1937-1945:

Respect must be Earned: a few excerpts from our article of September 22.
- we can not develop an "efficient foreign policy" if we do not inspire "trust and credibility"
- as Edward Gibbon pointed out in his "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", the Roman Empire began to crumble when its leaders forfeited the esteem of the citizenry.
- without honour, we have no value.
Again, we are asking our Congress: who is working in our Foreign Policy? Are they qualified for that job? Urgent matter. We require binding answers.
The Facilitator

The hypocrisy of our Foreign Policy (1)

In several articles, we have enumerated an alarming series of faux pas, insults, ignorance, in our Foreign Policy. The invasion of Iraq (which is not a war, nor a fight against terrorism) is simply a second reason to explain the increasing anti-American feelings in the rest of the world. As mentioned before, for the next two years, Bush-Cheney-Rice-Negroponte should stay home, and be silent. We do not have to worry anymore about the non-diplomat ambassador John Bolton.

Middle-East: We have lost our prestige and credibility. We are not a factor anymore. We have never been a honest dealer between Palestine and Israel.

Last week, Israeli Vice-Premier Shimon Peres told a panel investigating the government's handling of last year's war in Lebanon that Israel's decision to invade was a mistake, the military was unprepared and Israel's foe, the Hezbollah militia, did a better job than the Israelis of handling media coverage.

Again, Cheney via Bush-Rice was wrong. The whole world (minus 30% of Americans) knew the reasons why we waited one month before any intervention.

Shimon Peres was all against it from the beginning, but didn't say anything against the invasion, in case the disunity be leaked. He should have resigned, as Colin Powell should have done, when he found out he has been duped.

The numerous and meaningless trips of our Secretary of State demonstrate our inefficiency and incompetence in attacking the real problems, and establishing a final solution.

Let's take the recent comment of Ms Rice: "The Palestinian people have waited long enough to have a state of their own and the Israeli people have waited long enough to have the kind of security that will come from the establishment of a stable and democratic neighbour to live in peace with".

Imagine. What a great statement! Any decent person who has been reading the media for a few years, or studying Middle East politics could have said something more intelligent, more appropriate, more important, more profitable. Again, the real world is laughing at us.

Moral Obligation: More than 2 million Iraqis have fled their country, mostly living in Syria and Jordan. Another 2 million are refugees in their own nation, no where to go, and no shelter. United States, Britain and Australia, by invading Iraq, have now the moral obligation to ease the suffering of those who must pay the consequences of this historical, and fatal mistake. This will be more costly than the $700 billion, so far, insanely wasted.

Latin America: As explained in our March 14 article "Bush, much too late", it was a mistake to make a visit to five Latin American countries. The whole world (minus 30% of Americans) knew the reason: not to assist the poor people, but simply a childish response to Hugo Chavez influence.

China: see our next article
Russia: A few months ago, at the International Security Conference, the President Putin commented about a new Cold War, instigated by United States, this time an unstated cold war against China and Russia. According to the Russian President, a global power is often weakened by its pursuit of power.

The history reveals that a concentration of power, combined with a foreign policy based on military actions abroad, leads to the disintegration of the said nation. To many and many observers, the United States is already engaged in a perilous path.

We must stop our interference in the affairs of other countries, and stop lecturing the world. We have so much work to do at home. In the last five years, we have been shooting at almost everything that moves. By firing bird shots, we become a danger to our own friends: obviously, a Foreign Policy micromanaged by Dick Cheney.

Respect must be Earned: a few excerpts from our article of September 22.

- we can not develop an "efficient foreign policy" if we do not inspire "trust and credibility"

- as Edward Gibbon pointed out in his "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", the Roman Empire began to crumble when its leaders forfeited the esteem of the citizenry.

- without honour, we have no value.

Again, we are asking our Congress: who is working in our Foreign Policy? Are they qualified for that job? Urgent matter. We require binding answers.

The Facilitator

The non-diplomat John Bolton

In our article of November 8, "Our Foreign Policy: the latest, latest faux pas", we have explained why John Bolton, our Ambassador to United Nations, at the time, should be fired, along with a few other non-diplomat US representatives abroad.

The deplorable behaviour of John Bolton at the Jon Stewart Daily Show on Tuesday night, reveals, once more, the ignorance and arrogance of the White House, by imposing him as our representative to the UN.

A long time ago, a distinguished US Ambassador to Great Britain, Walter Hines Page, said: "The more I find out about diplomatic customs, and the more I hear of the little-big troubles of others, the more need I find to be careful about details of courtesy".
That was really the good old times, when we were respected in the world. See our article: Respect must be Earned. (Archive of September).
As explained by the philosopher, Henry James: "Nothing is more friction-making, than the complacency with which some people assume that what is good for them, must be good for, and should be imposed upon, everyone else". We have previously commented in the article "How to promote Democracy (1)", that democracy is not for everyone. (September Archive).
For a communication to take place, we need two people. For a communication to be effective, we need two listeners. Monologue is the language of the primitive-brained man who thinks he is the centre of the universe.
The art of diplomacy is being able to disagree, without being disagreeable, being able to express our position, but also, to understand the other's position, and, if possible, to reach a consensus on certain points, to the mutual benefits of both parties. But, whatever the difficulties and disagreements, always apply the Chinese doctrine of face-saving.
Names calling, insults, arrogance, ignorance, and superior attitude become the perfect recipe for failure, losing credibility, trust and friends.
An Ambassador is a spokesperson for the Government, in place, but also, a representative of 300 million people. The behaviour of an Ambassador contributes to positive or negative feelings into the host country.

An Ambassador is also a PR person. Public relations is about nine—tenths doing and one—tenth talking.
Xenophon, who was a Greek general and an historian of around 400 B.C., remarked sagely that it is far easier to march up a steep hill without fighting, than along a level road with enemies on each side. An environment made up of good friends is beyond price. As Lincoln put it: the best way to destroy enemies is to make them your friends.

It seems that Bush-Cheney-Bolton-Rice-Negroponte, did not read too much about our American history. Forget the rest of the world. It does not exist for them.

According to Arnold J. Toynbee (Study of History), the material of human nature within our civilization is the same as that with which the Stone Age men and women had to work. Our environment is different, but basically we are primitive people in a modern world.

Intelligent public relations must be built upon a solid foundation of knowledge. The person of culture must know both sides before he can judge or talk or act with wisdom. Needless to write about such importance for our Ambassadors (and our Leaders?).

Egocentric people, including certain political leaders, are convinced that the only sensible way to go through life is by getting their own way, getting the best of every bargain, getting ahead at the expense of other people, and/or other countries.
The self—centred person is an unpleasant personality, quite unfitted for public relations, and surely not a good reference to be Ambassador.

We hope members of Congress will, in the future, be more vigilant about our representation abroad. We should start right away by calling our non-diplomat ambassadors to Venezuela, Nicaragua, Canada (hey!), and a few others, as explained in the said article of November 8.

It was a disgrace to see Mr. Bolton interviewed by Jon Stewart. Mr. Bolton was not only impolite, pompous, but wrong about President Lincoln. How can we expect him to know something about other countries. Jon Stewart has been a much greater diplomat than Bolton.

Future nominations should be based on knowledge of the host country, manners, education, culture and savoir faire, not on friendship. If the President can not do his job properly, the Congress should have the guts to do it, in the interest of the nation.

The Facilitator

Bush, always too late

Our Dear President has the quality of being persistent: staying the course, lecturing us about something everybody understood before him, and being always too late to respond.

Too late to respond to 9/11; too late to learn about the history of Iraq; too late to listen to the right generals; too late to fire Rumsfeld; too late to understand a hurricane forecast; too late to get involved after Katrina; too late to realize our abdication to oil; too late to see that the roots of terrorists are harboured in Pakistan; too late to understand the importance in having strong relationship with the rest of the world; too late to avoid major mistakes in various nominations: John Bolton, Michael Brown, Michael Chertoff, a few Secretaries and judges; too late to understand that nominations to important functions, should be done on merits, qualities, not on friendship; too late to understand that we can not insult or ignore other countries, and then expect their cooperation; too late to understand the importance in having honest meetings with Iran and Syria; too late to understand not to bully North Korea; too late to get involved in Lebanon-Israel conflict; too late to have been a honest broker in Middle East; too late to fire Alberto Gonzales; too late to understand (if he ever does) how much damage his Vice President Cheney is doing to him and to the country; and many, many, many more examples.

And we will ignore all the things he still does not understand, besides Cheney:

1- we should stop promoting democracy abroad when we can not respect the great majority, at home;

2- we should stop lecturing others (Russia, China) about human rights when the real world can see our disastrous record;

3- our alarming two deficits (budget and trade); read our next article.

4- communist China is doing very well on economic and business development;

5- nobody is listening to us anymore, because we have lost all credibility;

6- China and Venezuela are establishing strong relationship in various and strategic parts of the world, while we are losing more and more allies, and creating more and more enemies.

7- global warming

8- legal and illegal immigration

9- Homeland Security not securing us

10- Super-Intelligence czar having wrong information about Castro' health, a real threat to America

11- we lost the war in Iraq the day we invaded the country

12- it has been a civil war for more than a year

13- the President himself did not support the troops, failing to provide the right equipment, the right plan, no plan and no support when they come home (injured or not)

14- most of the $700 billions have not been used for our soldiers nor for a better Iraq

15- how many more do we need to make our President understand that he is always too late. Surely not a comforting zone for feeling secure under our Commander-in-Chief.

As suggested in our previous two articles: "Much too late, Mr. Bush" and "Venezuela has a better image than US", our Dear Leader should have stayed home. For six years, the White House has completely ignored a market of 500 million people, at our own door.

The main purpose of our website "The Liaison", launched last September, is precisely to reach our Senators, members of Congress and staff at the White House, hoping they will see the light, and take concrete action, NOW.

As explained in our description, we have, and will continue to enumerate various suggestions and/or proposals to enhance our relationship with Latin America.

Mr. Bush should have stayed home, instead of making a mockery of us. His recent trip has just ignite more anti-American feelings, and show our ignorance, in-sincerity and dishonesty.

"We promise to deliver social justice to poor people in Latin America". First of all, what are the plans? Same as Iraq plan, or Katrina plan ??? Secondly, how about starting at home, and taking care of our own people sleeping in the streets, or the 40 millions who can not afford to be sick. How about the democratic Puerto Rico? How about our own soldiers coming back? Support the troops, should start at home.

Great material for Hugo Chavez.

Perhaps, for the White House, having our President carrying a few boxes of lettuce, will be used as a propaganda to show how much we care, and how much we assist the poor people of Latin America.

Sorry, Mr. Tony Snow, but the media in Latin America are not that stupid, to give you a credit for a few boxes of lettuce. Yes, yes, a ship, a few loans for houses....It is so small that Haliburton did not show any interest. A few peanuts versus the billions of Chavez.

But money is not everything. Even there, Chavez is doing a better job than us in his social and cultural approach.

By the way, who is who in our Foreign Policy Department? Are they qualified for that job? Time to fire a few people there, too. Is our Congress still sleeping?

The Facilitator.

Venezuela has a better image than US

A recent survey by BBCWS (British Broadcasting Corporation’s World Service) confirms the nature of several of our own articles, in the last five months, about the accumulation of faux pas in our disastrous Foreign Policy (see our Archive). More than 28,000 people have been interviewed.
After Israel and Iran, the United States has the most negative image /influence among 12 major nations. Canada and Japan, being the best.
Israel has been viewed negatively by 56% and positively by 17%; Iran, second highest negative ranking with 54% and 18%; United States, third, 51% citing it as a bad influence, and 30% as a good influence on the world, just before North Korea, 48% and 19%
Canada was the most positive country with 54% approval rating and only 14% as a negative attitude. Japan, second best, France, third.
Britain, China and India were viewed more positively than negatively. Opinion on Venezuela was evenly split, while Russia had more negative than positive responses.
As a whole, European Union received a 53% positive attitude and 19% negative.

In several of our articles, we have identifief an alarming accumulation of faux pas in our Foreign Policy. We should stop lecturing the world, and stop promoting democracy abroad, when our leaders do not respect the great majority, at home.

Bush, Cheney, Rice, should stop visiting other countries, especially with surprise visits. When they go abroad, they insult their hosts, and mostly talk to the 29% of Americans (including 65% of Republicans) who believe the White House is doing a great job.

The Real World does not think so. Even Venezuela has a better image than us. The best Bush-Cheney-Rice-Negroponte & Co, can do for the next two years: stay home, do not talk, do not make any decisions. Please, for the future our children, don't touch anything.

The Facilitator

Much too late, Mr. Bush

Latin America, a macro Katrina. Another major mistake by the White House: having ignored a market of 500 million people, for six years. Now, our Dear President decides to pay a visit to Latin America (Brazil, Urugay, Columbia, Nicaragua). He should stay home, because he will create more damages than good, and show his ignorance and incompetence, once more.

Even, before leaving, Bush & Co. has already insulted the Latino people.

1) "Brothers and Sisters to the South, who have seen little improvement in their daily lives".

Is Bush talking about the American people?

2) "The ties between US and Latin America has helped advance peace and prosperity" Is Bush disconnected with reality? Is he aware that in the last three years, nine leftist governments have been elected in Latin America? And those were real elections, with all votes counted. A real democracy at work. Perhaps, Bush-Cheney-Rice should go back to school...in Latin America. How about Venezuela with Chavez as teacher?

Are we still wasting a few hundred millions for ex-Cubans in Miami for a low-class propaganda about promoting democracy in Cuba? Did we waste $700 billion in Iraq for promoting democracy?

3) "Brazil is a leftist-center government strong on social issues, with whom we can work"

How about Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia.

4) Once more, the White House is having a problem to be sincere, honest, and clairvoyant. They are just trying to use Brazil as a counterweight to Chavez. Being so ignorant about the real world, Bush & Co does not realize that everyone can easily perceive the hypocrisy of our leaders.

5) John Negroponte, deputy Secretary of State, complete the accumulation of "faux pas" in our Foreign Policy, and insults to host countries. "The President will accentuate the positive to compensate the shortcomings of Venezuela, and kind of unhelpful role it has played in certain countries."

Extremely poor judgment and lack of "savoir faire". Just a confirmation that we have no policy at all, just a childish response to Chavez. By the way, what are the positives we put forward in the last six years? Again, we dare to lecture others.

Is Negroponte the same ex-czar of our Intelligence who used a budget of several billion dollars to predict the death of Castro, within a few weeks, several months ago?

How can we be so intelligent with an Intelligence who was wrong in Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, elections in Palestine and Nicaragua, and still does not understand the double face of Pakistan?

Please, Mr. Bush, stay home. Mr. Cheney, stay home. Ms Rice, stay home. Mr. Negroponte, please, do not talk. All of you, have destroyed 50 years of US goodwill. Stop promoting democracy abroad, when you do not respect, nor listen to, the great majority at home. Please stay home, do not talk, for the next two years. You are just making of mockery of us, with the real world.

By the way, who is working in our Foreign Policy department?

The Facilitator

We need a candidate with wisdom

Congratulations to Lincoln D. Chafee for his co-ed contribution to New York Times on March 1st. A very interesting and revealing article about an event which will, unfortunately, penalize us for generations to come.

As we mentioned a few times in previous articles, we are realizing how our Senate and Congress have missed the boat in protecting our image abroad, and defending our interests in the Real World. The goodwill we have built since WW2 is now gone forever, and our children will pay a heavy price.
According to Mr. Chafee, there was a third alternative to Senators in October 2002. Senator James Jeffords, Vermont, was right by talking about the extreme importance of that vote.
Only 24 Senators voted for the Amendment proposed by Carl Levin, Michigan, (no rush to war, and no “go it alone"), especially without the Arab States.
As explained by Mr. Chafee, the other 75 Senators simply ignored the possible negative consequences to our friendly nations in the region, including Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey. They also ignored the warning of King Abdullah of Jordan that a miscalculation in Iraq would throw the whole area into turmoil.
Mr. Chafee forgot to mention a major important factor: our closest allies, Canada, France, Germany, (the Old Europe according to an incompetent and irresponsible ex-Secretary) also warned us against an invasion of Iraq. Of course, we did not listen.
It happens that Canada, France, Germany, and others were smarter than us, wiser than us. We must admit that they can not afford to waste $700 billion, create more enemies, kill half a million people, and force the evacuation of a million more.
We fully agree with Mr. Chafee that Senators who voted against the Levin Amendment should be accountable, and remembered by those who will write our future history.
Not only we lost the war, but we lost our credibility, and prestige with the rest of the world. We are no more a social factor, and economic force in Middle East, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Other nations will not trust us as a deal maker or honest peace broker.

Those Senators who can not admit their mistakes are no better than the present White House Staff. The few who recognize their poor judgment, have a lot to do for convincing us that they are wiser, and less ignorant about the world.

The world has changed, and is getting stronger. We are weaker, and will not be welcomed as before. We need a President who has enough wisdom to understand that, and be able to re-establish a willing, long lasting relationship with strategic countries.

Ignorance, insults, intimidations and arrogance will not do it. "Sorry, Cheney-Bolton and Co. You did enough damage already". It will take a generation, or more, to recover, if we ever succeed to. The whole White House staff should also be held accountable.

Anyone in the Congress with enough guts and stomach to initiate a required public hearing?

The Facilitator