Rude, Crude and Socially Unacceptable

It seems that BushCo just can't help themselves. Is there such a thing as being congenitally rude?

The administration continued its apparent policy of pissing off anyone and everyone they can yesterday when the Pentagon announced that countries who didn't or won't send troops or lots of cash to Iraq are ineligible to bid on reconstruction contracts there. Even the Wall Street Journal, normally prostrate before aWol have had to admit that this is not the best move:

The Bush administration says it wants help in Iraq, but somehow it can't stop infuriating the countries that could shoulder more of the load.

To add insult to injury, the same day that the bidding policy was announced, Shrubby-boy was on the phone to some of the same countries his administration had just told to go pound sand asking for them to cancel the debts owed them by Iraq.

Apparently the leaders of these countries, Russia, France, Germany and Canada, among others were none too pleased about the situation.

President Bush heard the complaints first hand when he called the leaders of France, Germany and Russia to ask them to forgive Iraq's official debt. Speaking privately, officials said that the timing and tone was disastrous and certain to make it much harder to pry troops, aid or debt-forgiveness out of furious allies. But they said that the president had decided that the policy would stand.

Foreign leaders were not the only ones steamed by the decision, apparently plenty of Washington insiders were incensed as well.

This administration has hurt the US in so many ways. Their fiscal insanity has resulted in long term deficits that will take generations to pay down - if they can ever be completely paid off. Their divisive social policies have further opened the divide between the rich and the poor. An unprovoked war has forever stained the relatively unsullied history of our foreign policy and threatened to stretch our great military beyond the breaking point. The bullying way that they have ridden roughshod over our allies and international treaties and norms has fostered an anti-Americanism that threatens to linger long after Bush is a forgotten, doddering old man and that will endanger us at home and abroad for decades if not generations.

Whoever replaces him will have his work cut out for him. We can only hope that the replacement happens next year when the damage can more easily be repaired and before too many more Americans are killed or maimed in an unjust and illegal pre-emptive war.