To the Point

Two Superpowers?: US Government and World Opinion

The United States has the strongest military and the greatest global reach in all history. Yet, in the streets of cities all over the world, millions of people have decided it-s worth their time to protest American policy. Though President Bush says such demonstrations are no more important to policy-making than focus groups, Bush-s aides do use focus groups, and the President has gone to the UN Security Council before making war on Iraq. Is the democratic US a different kind of empire from Rome, Britain or the Soviet Union? Is it subject to limitation by world public opinion? We get several perspectives, from foreign policy scholars and journalists from Harvard-s Kennedy School of Government, the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Review and the New York Times whose Patrick Tyler wrote a recent article about the newest superpower, world opinion. Making News: UK to Table Iraq Resolution in UN Security Council President Bush said today that the US will work with the Security Council -to make it clear that the demands of the world and the United Nations will be enforced.- Meantime, at the Council, Great Britain introduced a new resolution declaring Iraq in material breach of UN demands. Reuters- Evelyn Leopold says the latest resolution sets the stage for war. Reporter's Notebook: Has Political Fire Gone out of Contemporary Music? Despite predictions, last night-s Grammy Awards did not become a forum for anti-war protest. Though Bonnie Raitt and Limp Bizkit-s Fred Durst both referred to possible war in Iraq, Simon and Garfunkle said they played their Sounds of Silence not because of politics but because it had been their first big hit. Brent Staples, who has written for Downbeat and other music publications, attributes the change to the affect of media conglomeration.