The Waning of American Influence

Kevin Drum made the following observation in a post on Sunday:

I wonder how long it will take America to recover from George Bush's uniquely blinkered and self-righteous brand of ineptitude? In the past five years he's demonstrated to the world that we don't know how to win a modern guerrilla war. He's demonstrated that we don't understand even the basics of waging a propaganda war. He's demonstrated that other countries don't need to pay any attention to our threats. He's demonstrated that we're good at talking tough and sending troops into battle, but otherwise clueless about using the levers of statecraft in the service of our own interests. If he had set out to willfully and deliberately expose our weaknesses to the world and undermine our strengths, he couldn't have done more to cripple America's power and influence in the world. Beneath the bluster, he's done more to weaken our national security than any president since World War II.

I couldn't agree more. Bush has spoken loudly and carried a small and unintimidating stick. His policies have punctured the mystique of American power at a moment in history when we could least afford to lose it. We are more hated throughout the world than we have ever been. But perhaps even worse, we are less respected and less feared than at any time in recent history. And as a result, our ability to shape and influence world events has been significantly diminished.

That, I suspect, will be the primary legacy of Bush's presidency.

A note to readers: I apologize for the lack of substantive blogging lately. The last couple of weeks have been particularly hectic for me, for a number of reasons, mostly work-related. I hope to have time to write some longer posts soon. Thanks for being patient.