Kristol: "the United States of America is in retreat."

A tough conclusion from Mr. Kristol over at The Weekly Standard.

...And it's true the Europeans don't fear the Bush administration any more. Nor, unfortunately, do others. One might also note that, despite all the goodwill built up by our outreach to the capitals of Europe, President Bush seems much weaker today than he was in the bad old days of unilateralism and bellicosity, and so does the United States. But the State Department is popular, and at least we don't look like Neanderthals in the drawing rooms of Europe and Georgetown.

Condi and her colleagues may come home and say, privately, it ain't so. But it is so. Much of the U.S. government no longer believes in, and is no longer acting to enforce, the Bush Doctrine. "The United States of America understands and believes that Iran is not Iraq." That's a diplomatic way of saying that the United States of America is in retreat.

We argue and retreat... China acts, and quietly observes as American politicians and the media backs the U.S. down.

We have to stay strong folks. Iran has many good people in it, but it's leadership is very, very bad. They're next...air strikes most likely, to take out key nuclear and weapons facilities. Who else is going to step up...the U.N.? Not likely. Israel? With us planted firmly over their shoulder, maybe.

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