Bush League Diplomacy by Craig R. Eisendrath, Melvin A. Goodman

Product Details

Synopsis

Not only was George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq "rash and senseless," the entire foreign policy approach of his administration "has undermined the foundations of American foreign policy, compromised the credibility of the White House, weakened the national security position of the United States, eroded civil liberties, and created greater chaos in the international arena." That's the conclusion of veteran U.S. diplomat Eisendrath and former CIA analyst Goodman (both now with the Center for International Policy) after they review the militaristic unilateralism of President Bush and the neoconservative clique driving foreign policy from the Pentagon, the Vice President's office, and a smattering of offices in the State Department. They criticize the conduct of Bush's wars, his disdain for international law, and his abrogation of arms control and other treaties, advocating for a return to the multilateral framework of international diplomacy developed by the United States in the wake of World War II. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Publishers Weekly

A former CIA official (Goodman) and ex-diplomat (Eisendrath) team up to examine how, in their opinion, the Bush administration has rolled back over half a century of foreign policy accomplishments. Current policy relies on bullying with military force, they argue, as it rejects the broad collaborative approach in effect from the founding of the U.N. to the first President Bush's coalition against Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War. Although Eisendrath and Goodman see some potential for change in recent administrative appointments, they emphatically urge that more direct action toward multilateralism must be taken to restore America's reputation abroad and counter the centralization of power in the presidency to prevent deterioration of the domestic situation. (Mar.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.