Hi Fernando,

IMHO, this article hit the nail(s) on the head.

Tracy

>Thanks Tom,
>
>Some excerpts from http://www.msnbc.com/news/885222.asp?vts=031720030655&cp1=1, I find interesting:
>
>>"It developed a language and diplomatic style that seemed calculated to offend the world. (President Bush has placed a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt in the White House. TR’s most famous words of advice are worth recalling: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”)"
>
>>"Nowhere has this appearance of diplomatic hypocrisy been more striking than on Iraq"
>
>>"The notion is that the United States needs to intimidate countries with its power and assertiveness, always threatening, always denouncing, never showing weakness. Donald Rumsfeld often quotes a line from Al Capone: “You will get more with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone.”" (For me this is terrorism!)
>
>>"In principle, American power is not simply good for America; it is good for the world. Most of the problems the world faces today—from terrorism to AIDS to nuclear proliferation—will be solved not with less U.S. engagement but with more."
>
>>"There are many specific ways for the United States to rebuild its relations with the world. It can match its military buildup with diplomatic efforts that demonstrate its interest and engagement in the world’s problems. It can stop oversubsidizing American steelworkers, farmers and textile-mill owners, and open its borders to goods from poorer countries. "