Investor's Business Daily, March 19th, 2007
Leadership: Presidential candidate John McCain says he'll make restoring America's flagging reputation overseas a "top priority" if he wins in 2008. But better to be disliked and right than loved and wrong, we say.
McCain's right when he says America's reputation has sagged noticeably in recent years, especially in Europe. As a recent Pew poll found, U.S. favorability ratings in four key European nations -- the U.K., France, Germany and Spain -- plunged from an average of 69% in 2000 to 39% last year.
But does it matter? Should all questions of U.S. policy be subordinated to the simple question of what's most popular with Europe? The answer, obviously, is no.
We shouldn't enact policies that contravene our national ideals simply to satisfy fast-changing European opinion. Such acquiescence only confuses friends and emboldens enemies.
Yet on the stump recently, McCain outlined a series of proposals to erase the "ugly American" stereotype -- the kinds of things that pander to Europe's intellectual elites but would leave the U.S. weaker against its enemies. McCain, for example, "would immediately close Guantanamo Bay, move all the prisoners to Fort Leavenworth and truly expedite the judicial proceedings in their cases."
Shuttering Guantanamo and holding circus-like public trials might please the Europeans, but it would make America less secure -- and let potential terrorists know we're not serious about stopping them.
McCain also said he'd "address the issue of change and greenhouse gas emissions" because, as he put it, "I know how important this is in Europe in particular."
Excuse us, but what about how important it is to America? Even if you agree global warming is a problem, the EU-led Kyoto Accord won't solve it. It would cost the U.S. trillions of dollars for little in return. But then, that's the point, isn't it?
As new OECD data show, real GDP growth in Europe averaged just 1.8% from 2001 through 2006 compared to 2.6% in the U.S. Such facts clarify Europe's real agenda: Browbeat the U.S. into accepting Kyoto, then tie it down with higher taxes, more rules and bigger spending. That'll make the U.S. economy as ponderous, non-innovative and inflation-prone as Europe's.
Some politicians seem to believe America, if we want to be truly loved, must become "more like Europe." Sorry, we think that's exactly backwards -- Europe needs to be more like us.
Its defense capability has shriveled to a level where it's doubtful those wealthy nations could defend themselves against an aggressive predator like a reinvigorated, nationalistic Russia or a nuclear, Islamofascist Iran.
This goes to the very heart of what leadership is -- doing what's right thing even if others think you're wrong.
Win the war in Iraq. Beat back the terrorist threat. Find new energy sources the world can use. Do those things, Mr. McCain, and Americans won't seem so "ugly" anymore. That's real leadership.
Copyright 2007 Investor's Business Daily, Inc.
