Humble Pie

The Powell-inspired decision to invoke UN help will be seen as a major turning point in US and world history. America tried to go it alone as the playground bully. Thankfully, it has failed.

When he first came to power, Bush Jnr. trashed the Kyoto Treaty, walked away from Clinton's commitment to the International Criminal Court (one of the most noble and potentially revolutionary institutions ever conceived) and instead began plotting ways of drilling in the Alaskan wilderness. Like Harrison Ford in Air Force One (I am sure the film inspired El Busho's neo-con advisers), he announced that the USA would go after the bad guys wherever they were... as long as there were lots of potential oil contracts in the region.

Bush alienated the USA from the rest of the world. With typical blind arrogance, he assumed that did not matter. For a while, perhaps, it did not. But now it does.

As the Boston Globe reports:

''The president is belatedly doing the right thing,'' said Brookings Institution analyst Susan Rice. ''It is perfectly predictable that we would need the help and participation of others. But the price we're going to have to pay has increased substantially over what it might have been six or eight months ago. And it's impossible to quantify.''

''This is pragmatism winning out over unilateralism,'' said Max Boot, national security expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. ''All this name-calling and one-upmanship really pales in comparison to the larger goal, which is reviving Iraq. I think we have to do what it takes to get that done. My sense is that the president is leaning more toward that mind-set as well.''

Ha! Surely, my good sir, you jest? The bully has been humbled and lies spread-eagled on the playground bitumen in the hot midday sun. As others gather around to jeer him, he tells them to focus - like him - on the next election??? Hilarious.

True to form, the Washington Post has an entertaining description of how Colin Powell sensationally trumped Rumsfeld to get the go-ahead for a new UN resolution. But even Powell is warning overseas critics that this is not the time "to fight the old battles.'' Does that mean the hot chips in the Oval Office will again be called French Fries?

Fo an insight into the flood of relief that is greeting the US about-face, check out the latest stories at Information Clearing House.

By the way, the USA recently enjoyed a Labour Day long weekend. Why isn't anyone calling it the "Loyalty Day" long weekend. Don't the peasants read El Busho's proclamations?