Why be the only superpower if you can't boss everyone around?

The United States has to rejoin the community of nations immediately. I don't quite understand what the xenophobic, isolationist Republicans want the U.S. to do. They support free trade, but oppose alliances. They support a "coalition of the willing" but appose the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Organization of American States and the United Nations. They support an international military force in Iraq, but only if it's under American command. They support sending troops to Iraq, but oppose our troops in Bosnia and Kosovo. And some of them have the gall to criticize Senator John Kerry. At least Kerry doesn't support both sides of the issue at the same time.

Anyway, I forgot to mention something when writing the National Missile Defense entry on Tuesday. In order to go ahead with NMD, President Bush pulled the U.S. out of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty we signed with the Soviet Union (Russia). One of the ABM treaty points prohibited the nations from deploying territories-wide missile defense, as this may lead to another arms race. When President Bush pulled America out of this important agreement with Russia in 2002, he said, "the U.S. must protect its homeland, its forces, and its friends and allies against the threats of missile attacks from rogue nations and terrorist groups."

I will not reargue the missile defense issue today. I mentioned it because it is one example of the Bush administration turning it's back on our allies, the international community, and the United Nations. The ABM treaty wasn't the only treaty signed by the United States that President Bush has pulled out of or urged the Senate not to ratify. Here is a partial list:

▪The Kyoto Treaty on Global Climate Change
▪The Biodiversity Treaty
▪The Forest Protection Treaty
▪The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
▪The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
▪The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
▪The Landmine Ban Treaty
▪The Biological Weapons Convention
▪The Chemical Weapons Convention
▪The International Criminal Court

President Bush needs to get off his high "Texan" horse and lead the United States back to the rest of the world. The issues we face as a nation cannot be fixed by us alone. We need the help of Russia, China, Canada, Germany, Japan, Great Brittan and yes, even France. Remember what a great philosopher said in the 1970’s, “I’d like to buy the world a Coke, and sing in harmony.”

On a personal note:
The 3rd Cent is one week old today. I hope it will continue spark passionate arguments and critical examinations of the beliefs we all hold. Go Vandals!