The anxious American

By Libby

I don't put much stock in polls. I think they're too easily manipulated but this op-ed from the Chicago Tribune floats some numbers from Public Agenda and Foreign Affairs magazine that are worth a look.

70 percent favor withdrawal from Iraq, 82 percent are afraid that unfriendly nations will become nuclear powers, 65 percent want international cooperation to deal with global warming, 84 percent are deeply worried about the place of America in the world, 82 percent think it is a more dangerous world than it was, 68 percent think the world sees us negatively, and a large majority has negative opinions on military options.

These numbers are backed up by a recent Gallup survey.

That poll found that America is ready for a straightforward, no-nonsense leader who can ultimately unite the country, an honest man or woman of leadership strength, competence, integrity, sensitivity to public opinion and someone who would focus on domestic issues first.

I've been predicting since 05 that the neo-con's dream of a new world order would lose its luster and it appears the average Jake is finally waking up to see what a nightmare it's always been. The good news is that Americans are increasingly coming to the realization military might doesn't make right. The bad news is an "America first" mindset will not necessarily serve us better in the world arena.

Americans have rightly become tired of nation building and attempts to enforce democracy at gunpoint. However, isolationism is not an option when every economy depends on international trade. Foreign policy is important and the US, even as diminished as we have become under six years of grossly mismanaged leadership, has an important role to play in world affairs. We do need to redirect our priorties, and our tax dollars, to domestic concerns but we ignore the concerns of other nations at our own peril.