Willful Foreign Policy Malfeasance

Greetings fellow concerned citizens. I am new here, having been graciously invited to join by Blue Girl in a Red State. I am a bit new at this, so I will try not to screw it up.

Josh Marshall at TPM cited an article in Ha'aretz detailing how the United States has forbidden Israel to engage Syria in talks regarding normalization of relations. Not actual normalization understand you; just talks.


"The United States demanded that Israel desist from even exploratory contacts with Syria, of the sort that would test whether Damascus is serious in its declared intentions to hold peace talks with Israel.

In meetings with Israeli officials recently, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was forceful in expressing Washington's view on the matter. ...

When Israeli officials asked Secretary Rice about the possibility of exploring the seriousness of Syria in its calls for peace talks, her response was unequivocal: Don't even think about it."


If there was any question about the obstreperousness of the Bush Administration as to meaningful foreign policy, that should be laid to rest. I am fairly pragmatic, and understand full well that the depths of ignorance can always be plumbed further by our politicians, especially the Bushies, but every now and then I am still stunned. Not only do our leaders refuse to engage in meaningful diplomacy, the opportunities for which often appear to be served to them on a silver platter, but they also strong arm other countries to refuse to make peace as well. This is no longer mere incompetence, this is willful and wanton refusal to act in the best interests of the United States and the world as it relates to the United States. Yet, we have become so anesthetized to poor leadership that this will undoubtedly not even register a blip on the outrage scale nationally.

I want my country back; thing is, time is fleeting. Demand is already being formented for the end to the Iraq war and for better domestic poicies; concurrent with those priorities, however, must be a demand for immediate enlightenment of diplomatic policy not just in the middle east, but across the globe. The 06 elections were a turning point, and it appears that prospects are good that we can build on that successfully in 08, both as to Congress and the Executive. I have, however, a deep concern that the damage that has been done over the last six years, and that looks to continue until January 2009, can become so pervasive, so deep, that the upward arc of the United States will be irretrievably altered for the worse. History teaches that all great civilizations have a zenith; let us work together to insure that we have not yet reached ours.