Last Sunday I had a chance to address a panel that included United States Congressmen Michael Capuano and Barney Frank. Capuano’s district includes the Boston campus of NU, meaning he represents most of our students. The event took place at Newton City Hall, and was organized by the Council for a Livable World peace organization. I was thrilled at the opportunity to ask the Congressmen to combat anti-Americanism overseas. The following is the full text of my speech:
“In my 23 years of life, I have never seen my country in such bad diplomatic standing as it is now. The current administration has dug us into a unilateralist hole, and today I ask Mr. Frank and Mr. Capuano, for the sake of my generation, to help dig us out.
It’s clear that Bush and his advisors have turned their back on cooperation. Though I will not go down the list of abrogated treaties, reckless statements and misguided philosophies by which this administration has shaped its image abroad, we all know that anti-Americanism looms larger under Bush than ever before.
This is particularly disturbing because my generation was raised to believe that the world we would inherit would be characterized by multilateral cooperation rather than war, that it would one day be shaped more by multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, and less by nation states. We were raised to believe that multiculturalism and interdependence are phenomenona that are to be welcomed with open arms, and that chauvinism and ethnocentrism are to be avoided. We were taught to view the creation of wealth in terms of the global economy, and not just the American economy. To put it bluntly, we feel betrayed by Bush and what his presidency has stood for. Everything he has done internationally has been a step away from what we were told to count on.
In the wake of all this damage, the truth is that members of the Bush administration are no longer credible abroad. As they attempt to gain support in building a sustainable peace for Iraq, they simply won’t be trusted. While Colin Powell may continue to be a respected member of the international community, the messages he carries are now greeted with extraordinary skepticism because everyone knows that Bush is running the show. Out of this sad reality comes an important question: Should Democrats in Congress stand by and wait for a new, more credible administration to take power?
My answer is no. You must remain active in the interim and start exercising damage control. You cannot let American diplomacy live and die under Bush’s command. I call on you, as members of the Massachusetts House delegation, to form a Congressional envoy, and make a diplomatic mission to Europe as soon as possible. We need someone to go over there to truly and diligently listen to their concerns. We need someone to go over there and tell European politicians, businessmen and citizens alike that the Bush administration does not speak for all of us. They need to know that a new generation of Americans is right around the corner, and it is more committed to international cooperation and diplomacy than any other before it.
If Congress does not act soon, it may be too late to repair the damage. If we continue to be seen as warmongers, polluters, and above all, arrogant by much of the world for the next two years, international firms may consciously decide not to do business with my generation of Americans. This could mean that we will never return to the economic strength that we tasted in the 1990s.
For the sake of my future I will ask again: Please get on an airplane and start making the rounds in Europe. The Bush administration has failed at diplomacy. It’s time that, you, Congress, use your bully pulpits and give it a shot for the good of our nation.”
Representative Capuano was warm to my suggestions, lambasting republicans that do not share the same commitment to internationalism. “Dick Armey, the former House majority leader,” he said, “has proudly stated on many occasions that he doesn’t own a passport!” He went on to explain that he (Capuano) had made a trip to Europe last fall with several members of Congress, and that he agrees that Congress should remain active on the international scene. It is important to note, however, that he also chastised the far left. “What we need now is less idealism and more realism.” He was directing this statement toward Green Party advocates, whom he said were partially responsible for Bush’s election.
Our Congressman’s advocacy of “reality” is an important point. The only way that Americans can clean up our image abroad is to get more Democrats in Congress as well as one in the White House. If the far left continues to waste their votes on the Greens, we’ll get more jokers like Armey in Congress, and four more years of Bush in the White House. If peace advocates really want to make a difference in our foreign policy, they will realize that the Democrats are not just the lesser of two evils, but that they are the only viable alternative to Bush’s reckless disregard for world public opinion.
I applaud the Council for a Livable World for organizing the meeting, and I applaud the Congressmen for showing up. Usually ordinary citizens need to contribute large sums of money if they want to directly speak to their national representatives. The American people should demand more of these types of events from our elected officials. After all, we pay their salaries.
To those of us who are concerned that the United States government has become the single most hated entity in the world, the Democrats, despite their faults, are all we’ve got.
– Comments for Joe Goldberg may be sent to [email protected]
