A Call from England...

My sister called from England yesterday afternoon, Bush. A Britisher of… well, let's say respectable years, who cares deeply about the world and we who live in it. She was angry. So angry that she had to call her brother in the United States that minute, to let me know how furious she was. The source of her anger? I hate to have to tell you, Bush, that it was none other than your good self. She had been watching an interview on British television, and was appalled by your cavalier dismissal of friendly reciprocity toward your friend Blair, who stood beside you faithfully in your war; as well as of any responsibility on the part of the US to serve anything or anyone but its own narrow interests.

I saw a couple of sound bites from that interview, Bush, and it was reported in this morning's Los Angeles Times. Quite frankly I can understand my sister's anger. Even allowing for possiblly quite reasonable disagreement on the content of your remarks, it was the tone that must have seemed so deeply offensive. You came across glib, arrogant, and dismissive of views other than your own. Your body language, as well as your tone of voice, suggested lofty contempt for other nations and their leaders, as though you alone were possessed of divine wisdom as to this planet and its future. At the same time, your limited command of the English language and your inability to articulate all but the most simplistic of ideas left you appearing half-baked, shallow, devoid of intellectual substance.

It worries me that this is the face that America presents to the world--but it worries me even more that it might the true face of America. No matter that nearly half the country's electorate voted against you, the truth is that more than half apparently voted to reelect you, with no earthly excuse, after the four years of your previous administration, for not knowing who you are or what you stand for. The rest of the world is not unjustified in judging us by those we elect to represent us. I don't wish to get personal about this, Bush, but at the moment that happens to be you. I'm just hoping against hope that you'll come up with something better than we've seen for far in your discussions with the G8 leaders this week.