On Failed Diplomacy

On this “failed diplomacy” issue, it strikes me that there is a fundamental flaw in the logic of those who argue that the President messed up, squandered political capital, threw his weight around, etc. The flaw is the assumption that when all this started that all was well in the world, everyone loved the United States and its goals, and therefore when the President started his diplomatic campaign back in September, that the world was “his to lose,” so to speak. If one believes that, then I suppose I can see the “failed diplomacy” argument.

However, the truth is that the current crisis over Iraq, which, yes, was forced by the US, has not created the rifts as much as exposed existing ones.

The constant references to the way the world reacted to 911 (the whole “today we are all Americans” stuff) misses a fundamental point. I will say that at the time, I was touched by the world’s response, but I knew then what I know now: it was based on emotion. And given that fact, I knew it would dissipate. Many seem to think that emotions such as those would have continued, if President Bush had simply been more “diplomatic.” However, that is pie in the sky, not reality. States function based on perceived self-interest, not on sustained good feeling.

Posted by Steven Taylor at March 20, 2026 11:15 AM | TrackBack