Read about it
here and
here.
28 June 2004
We write this letter as a group of young Americans – Democrats, Republicans andIndependents – who have been given the opportunity to live and study abroad. Our perspective and concerns are rooted in the experience of living abroad at a time when itis increasingly difficult to explain the policies of our government to people who have traditionally been our most steadfast allies. We wish to express our deeply felt concernsabout the ways in which the Bush administration’s approach to foreign policy is affecting our nation’s standing around the world. George Bush promised a humble foreign policy;some of us took him at his word and supported him in 2000. The Bush administration’s approach has been anything but humble. The last three years have demonstrated awidening gulf between the tone of President Bush’s campaign promises and the tone of his administration.
During the past three years we have witnessed a dramatic change in attitudes towardthe United States. After September 11, many of us experienced an enormous outpouring of sympathy and support for the US in response to that tragedy. Less thanthree years later, our nation’s reputation in the world is at a historic low. After September 11, our friends and allies stood firmly beside us; today, they are increasinglyskeptical of our intentions and fearful about the consequences of our country's actions. Here in the United Kingdom, we witnessed an unprecedented one million citizensgathering in London to protest the Bush adminstration’s policies.
Conversations with other students from around the world inevitably turn to criticisms ofour government’s policies: a failure to listen to and work with other countries; misrepresentations of intelligence; pursuing war before other alternatives have beenexhausted; evading of the Geneva Conventions, and torture and violations of human rights. We can debate these criticisms but we nevertheless find it increasingly difficultto defend America against accusations that our country has misused its power. We witness daily how decisions that reinforce a perception of American arrogance areundermining rather than strengthening America’s security goals and the safety of our citizens at home and abroad.
The United States cannot address the challenges of terrorism or solve other globalproblems by itself. Our country was given an exceptional opportunity after September 11 to marshal the support of the world and strengthen international organizations, butinstead the actions of the Bush administration have been divisive and polarizing. The damage is not irreparable, as there is still a great deal of admiration and respect for ournation. However, a fundamental change must be made to the way our nation is led if we hope to restore the United States’ global standing and make our nation and theworld safer.