Interference in other nations’ domestic affairs has been a policy of the United States for many years. Every day, there’s one more instance of the United States dictating the policies of another nation, whether it comes in the form of overthrowing governments in South America, spreading propaganda via Radio Free Europe, or the continued globalization of American corporations that practically own most of our government.

Certainly, not all our actions interfering in other countries’ affairs are deplorable. But, as a general rule, they are likely to create resentment from the countries within which we are involving ourselves. This week, courtesy of Hasyim Muzadi, head of Nahdlatul Ulama, a major Indonesian Muslim organization, that resentment is being vocalized. Muzadi accused the United States in engaging in propaganda tricks, including the creation of an alleged plot to assassinate Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri, revealed through CIA documents in Time magazine.

This comes on the coattails of Germany’s refusal to provide evidence to the United States related to the incidents of Sept. 11, unless the evidence was not to be used to seek a death sentence against Zacarias Moussaoui.

Yes, you read that right. Germany, one of our closest allies, is refusing to join in our holy crusade against terrorism just because of a little thing we call the death penalty.

What happened? I thought we were running this planet. Ever since the Cold War ended, we’ve been running as unopposed as a Republican at Bob Jones University. So why are we still planting so-called propaganda and why are we putting up with Germany’s refusal on human rights?

It is this question that has probably led George W. Bush to propose a new first-strike policy for America. After all, who wants to wait for evidence to trickle in if it means we don’t get to kill the terrorists who have killed thousands of Americans? Bush’s report of this policy includes statements suggesting that America will work with allies when possible, but will act alone if needed.

There’s only one problem.

We won’t have any allies.

Already, other nations’ tolerance of us is on the wane. Certainly there was a wave of sympathy after Sept. 11, but sympathy comes with a time limit, one that gets decreased every time we ask for the United Nations to give us blanket permission to do whatever we wanted to do anyway.

Our first-strike policies might begin soon. An AP report said Bush stated on Thursday that the United States would act alone against Iraq even if he fails to get U.N. backing. Of course, there are a few major problems with that.

First, our allies don’t seem to like us so much. NATO is of virtually no importance in a post-containment world, and the rise of the European Union has left Europe with a new protector, one who is more aware of European interests.

Secondly, Bush’s assurance that the United States will act even if the U.N. doesn’t find cause to invade Iraq is grossly in violation of every tenet of democracy and human decency.

Granted, the U.N. refusing to do something against Iraq is ludicrous considering Saddam Hussein’s history towards weapons inspectors. The more rational explanation would be that the U.N. just wants to make us stop off to right some wrongs that don’t involve oil first.

Nonetheless, Bush has made a promise to let Congress decide, just as his father wisely did in 1990. Congress just barely approved the use of force then, but with an election coming so soon on the heels of such a vote, it is almost a certainty that they will rubber-stamp Bush’s agenda.

But Bush’s promise must stand. As ridiculous as Congress would be in this situation, essentially showing them to be a mere puppet of the ballot box, even that puppetry of hundreds is better than one dictatorial puppet master pulling all the strings.

Right now, the United States is the world’s rectal exam. At least in doing things by the democratic route, we might recruit a few other countries to buy back into the Buddies With America program. Maybe even countries less dictatorial than our questionable allies of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Like the exam, we may be functional to them, but if they could get along successfully without us, they definitely would.

For a long time, America has been the drunken abusive in its marriage with the world. Perhaps in this time of weakness and frustration, we can find our compromise and not simply become the bully that covert operations and secret first-strike policies have already made us.

Tim

Kearns

is a senior in political science from Bellevue, Neb.