Reply #5: The bridges are burnt already. . .

[Brian_Expat]

. . . this is something that the average American not living abroad does NOT understand.

This is not a situation where you just change administrations and everything's all hunky-dory after a year of reaching out. These bridges are burnt and dead thanks to Bush and his administration. It will take 40 years to undo the damage, and much of the damage will never be undone.

Now that the US has turned on Europe, the European strategy has fundamentally altered. Rather than rely on the USA as a source of strength and support, the EU has decided the solution is to grow stronger itself and reach out to Russia and China, isolating the US further. That policy is now underway and will be the new policy, the door is closed to America forever.

This is the key point -- Bush has permanently destroyed the US's standing in the rest of the world. Permanently. Nothing can be done to win back the trust of Europe and Asia other than get rid of the neocons and rebuild credibility over DECADES.

That means, in short, no bailout for Iraq, even if Clinton and Albright and Carter and our brightest minds get back into the game. This is our problem and our problem along, and lots of the world, furious at the USA, is rooting for a US failure -- and will do nothing to help and might even do spiteful things to hurt us in that effort. All because Bush did similar things to them.