Zbigniew Brzezinski: Suicidal Statecraft

Former national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, wrote an article nearly three months ago that deserves a reprise. Although responding to specific speeches made by Bush in the early fall, his article serves as a reminder of what the United States faces in the year 2006. Here's what Brzezinski had to say in the first four paragraphs:

Sixty years ago, Arnold Toynbee concluded, in his monumental "A Study of History," that the ultimate cause of imperial collapse was "suicidal statecraft." Sadly for President George W. Bush's place in history but - much more important - ominously for America's future, it has lately seemed as if that adroit phrase might be applicable to the policies pursued by the United States since the cataclysm of 9/11.

Though there have been some hints lately that the administration may be beginning to reassess the goals, so far defined largely by slogans, of its unsuccessful military intervention in Iraq, Bush's speech of Oct. 6 was a throwback to the more demagogic formulations that he employed during the presidential campaign of 2004 to justify the war that he himself started.

That war, advocated by a narrow circle of decision makers for motives still not fully exposed, propagated publicly by demagogic rhetoric reliant on false assertions, has turned out to be much more costly in blood and money than anticipated.

It has precipitated worldwide criticism, while in the Middle East it has stamped the United States as the successor to British imperialism and as a partner of Israel in the military repression of the Arabs. Fair or not, that perception has become widespread in the world of Islam as a whole.

Though Brzezinwki has criticized Bush in other forums, these are still strong words for someone who in other years couched his words in a more nuanced style. The whole article is worth reading but I want to point to one more paragraph:

It should be a source of special concern for thoughtful Americans that even nations known for their traditional affection for America have become openly critical of American policy. As a result, large swathes of the world - be it East Asia, or Europe, or Latin America - have been quietly exploring ways of shaping closer regional associations tied less to the notions of trans-Pacific, or trans-Atlantic, or hemispheric cooperation with the United States. Geopolitical alienation from America could become a lasting and menacing reality.

Not only is the United States losing its leadership position in the world (which some conservatives dismiss as unimportant) but Bush's policies are increasingly putting the United States at risk and eroding relationships with other nations that only a few years ago we found valuable.

Near the end of the article, Brzezinski politely calls for a bipartisan effort to get our foreign policy back on track. While there may still be opportunities for bipartisan action (and we saw some mild bipartisan action on torture, as one example), I believe we are beyond the point of making minor corrections in Bush's foreign policy. We face the reality of a Republican Congress incapable as yet of discharging its full constitutional responsibililties. But we also face the reality of a broken and ineffectual foreign policy. This is the year that Bush must be held accountable. It is possible no other issue will matter as much this year.

And it's long past time for the media, and even some Republican members of Congress who still remember their oath to the US Constitution, to recognize that the usual public relations massage of the facts that so often comes from the White House is not a sign of superior statecraft and news management but a smokescreen that obscures, among other things, an obstinate refusal to make the changes necessary to restore the credibility of our nation. The economic and military power of the United States is not unlimited. There is much in this world that still requires diplomacy and negotiation but there will increasingly be a limit to what we can do unless the credibility of the United States is restored.