I finally figured out what the Bush team is trying to do. After the end of the cold war, there was great optimism that there could be a "New World Order", which I had always taken to mean the building of a world concensus on solving global problems. During the first gulf war, I was greatly encouraged by the sight of Russian troops (even if only in token numbers) alongside American troops. I was stunned, not so much by Sept 11th as by the Bush response, which was to immediately begin to alienate the rest of the world. For a long time, I have been unable to understand what Bush was trying to do. Finally, last week, I figured it out. We have taken a giant step back. Bush has abandoned the promise of creating a New World Order and instead he is trying to establish an Old World Order: Bush wants a Pax Americana: peace at the end of a gun barrel.
When Fukuyama wrote about the End_of_History, he meant that we have passed out of regular cycles of history, which included the rise of civilizations which would come to dominate affairs for generations and then fall. He believed (as I understand it) that we would see liberal democracy as the end-point of political evolution. Bush has turned his back on this vision. Instead, he seems himself as the agent of God. Armed with irresistable power, he will bring the world to heel and compel democracy as the Gift of God to Humanity. Maybe in 50 years, we'll look back at this as a stroke of genius, but I doubt it. I think this will go down as one of the great debacles in history -- the missed opportunity of a millenium. I sure hope I'm wrong.