Weak America = Weakened Europe
Never since the US became the world’s predominant power during World War II has there been a decline in its international influence that compares with what we have witnessed under the Bush administration. Unfortunately, reestablishing trust among America’s traditional friends and respect among its rivals and opponents will require much more than a new face and accommodating rhetoric.
America’s power has been so overwhelming for so long that many think it has survived George W. Bush’s presidency unscathed. That this is untrue is demonstrated by those, from Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez to Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, who are exploiting America’s loss of standing and influence. This is no cause for schadenfreude . On the contrary, it is high time for friends of the United States, particularly in Europe, to realize that America’s weakness undermines their international influence as well.
America’s power has been so overwhelming for so long that many think it has survived George W. Bush’s presidency unscathed. That this is untrue is demonstrated by those, from Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez to Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, who are exploiting America’s loss of standing and influence. This is no cause for schadenfreude . On the contrary, it is high time for friends of the United States, particularly in Europe, to realize that America’s weakness undermines their international influence as well.