The United States must begin to replenish this stock of support for America in the world. I would love to see the Bush administration take the lead, but its officials seem not to understand the problem. Even if they turned course, much of the world wouldn't believe them. Sadly, when President Bush eloquently evokes our values, the world seems to tune out. So this task falls instead to the American public. It's a job that involves traveling, sharing, living our values, encouraging our children to learn foreign languages and work and study abroad. In short, it means giving something back to the world.
Last I checked -- and perhaps I keep score differently than Mr. Ignatius -- we've already given back plenty (assuming we even owed the world anything in the first place). And I'm not even talking about World War II. Or the Korean War. Or how we took the lead in defending Europe and other countries from the red menace of the Cold War.
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Let's start a mere 10 years ago. Since that time the U.S. took the lead role in halting the slaughter in Bosnia and Kosovo (while UN peacekeepers dithered). Toppled the loathesome Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Assisted the "Rose Revolution" in Georgia (don't take my word for it, just ask the commies). Removed the murderous Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein from Iraq. Contributed to the advent of the "Orange Revolution" in Ukraine. Oh, and we've killed a boatload of terrorists who are the sworn enemies of the civilized world.
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That's just for starters. How many thousands of foreign students have we accepted to our universities, which are the best in the world? How many foreigners have we allowed to come to our shores to seek work and find their fortunes? How many refugees have we accepted who found escape in this country from their prior misery? (granted, all those things also have beneficial aspects for the U.S.)
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How many billions of dollars have we spend on foreign aid? How many billions do our consumers spend on foreign products to help prop up overseas economies (running a sizeable current account deficit in the process)? How many of our Peace Corps and other volunteers go abroad to assist other countries in their development?
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The price we have paid thus far is steep: Closing in on 2,500 killed in action freeing the oppressed, thousands more wounded, billions in spent treasure.
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But apparently in Ignatius's thinking all that doesn't count for much. Instead we should all be signing up for more foreign language classes, taking our vacations to France instead of Vegas and be packing more college kids off to the various university towns of Europe so they can go party and somehow soothe foreign nerves. Please.
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Update: Emailed Ignatius a copy of the column. Included this addendum:
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PS-Next time someone whines to you about Abu Ghraib (which he mentioned in his column) -- and I've heard the same criticism in dealing with foreigners -- ask them where they were when Saddam was doing 20 times worse? Wake up. Europe and the rest don't care about the Iraqi people. Their silence during Saddam's reign was deafening. They only took the streets once the US actually decided to do something about it. Abu Ghraib is simply a tool for criticizing the US -- don't mistake it for genuine compassion for the Iraqis.
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