Bush and Powell Will Lose the Diplomatic Game

Thursday 30 January 2003

Bluntly stated, George W. Bush and Colin Powell will lose the diplomatic game with France and Germany.

Both men lack the necessary intellectual capacity; they are, in a word, outmatched by their European counterparts. In the end they must resort to violence. They have no other recourse.

Both Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schroeder are skilled consensus builders, masters in the art of diplomacy. They will easily outflank Messrs. Bush and Powell.

Bush and Powell display no fear of war whatsoever, but the rigors of diplomatic exchange are far more challenging. It is an arena that they should not even enter.

Colin Powell, as Secretary of State was doomed to failure from day one. This is a man who has lived his entire life with a gun in his hand. How can he be expected to reason with men of far greater intellect and wisdom? Colin Powell's cards are played out; all he has left is his "Powell Doctrine" of military annihilation.

George W. Bush, who spent his youth drinking rather than taking advantage of an opportunity for one of the greatest educations in the world, finds himself a boy amongst men diplomatically. Mr. Bush has relied his entire life on the advantage of privilege. He is poorly prepared to engage in a high level exchange where judgment and skill mean all.

What we are discussing is a skill game played by the best in the business. High diplomatic exchange is no place for rank amatures. Mr. Bush and Mr. Powell have no fear of Saddam Hussein, but they will not even attempt to stand erect in the court of negotiation.

Break out the body bags now if the last alternative to war is George W. Bush and Colin Powell succeeding diplomatically. They are not good enough.

- You can send comments to t r u t h o u t Editor Marc Ash at: ma@truthout.com

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