ABSTRACT

We began writing and researching this book, perturbed by the widespread critiques of the unilateral militarist manner in which the Bush administration has waged its war on terror since 9/11. Perhaps, another side to the story needs to be told. Indeed, somewhat ironically, when he was first running for the presidency of the United States in 2000, George W. Bush initially raised a glimmer of hope for a multilateral approach, talking of humility and being humble to win the respect of others. After all, he did seem to have a real grasp and self-conscious desire to avoid the ‘Ugly American’ syndrome. How completely contrary things have turned out, and of course this abiding perception of American unilateralism did not begin with the 9/11 attacks. Early in the Bush administration, the Kyoto Protocol on global warming was rejected, to howls of dismay and criticism from Europe particularly from then French Foreign Minister Lionel Jospin who suggested, ‘this is not an isolationist administration. . . . This is more like a unilateralist administration.’2