For Condoleezza Rice, delivering a speech in a place like the Heritage Foundation is a real piece of cake. What is not is the current situation of the American foreign policy.
Mrs. Rice spoke about Iraq, mainly, but also of terrorism, Iran, Indonesia... making a point clear: America is an active member of the International community when it comes to promotion of democracy, and it's not alone, as the Coalition in Iraq is formed by 30 countries.
She doesn't give a chance, does she? Photo source: Reuters
The longest argument, and what the whole event was about, was the election on the 15th in Iraq. To be terribly honest it's a big challenge. Mrs. Rice said that soldiers would be treated as "heroes" when they returned to America. The same boys, only a generation later, that fought in Vietnam in the 60s and 70s,
Now, I'm troubled about the "heroes" adjective: ret. General Norman Schwarzkopf wrote his memories some years ago, and realised how "people returning from Vietnam were just ignored. It was an unpopular war and nobody wanted to hear about them". it's not a myth, it's true. Who will be a hero in a society that is small by small feeling the same about Iraq?
Certainly, the social division will happen, it's already happening, but what should last is that America is doing what it always does: encourage freedom and democracy abroad. It happened in 1918, it happened again in 1941. They thought they'll win again in 1964, and in 1991 they lead the way.
This is the American way for foreign politics, not getting back into isolation like in the 20s. For now, the Secretary of state is doing a better job than her predecessor. She's making her opinion count in Europe and elsewhere, and until America and its allies understand each other, there will be no "minor setbacks". Americans know it, and it's a topic, but in unity lies strength.
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