Mickey Mouse in the White House

By Dr. Vera Butler
Australian International Studies Association

Disney has finally made it: - The Mouse is in the Oval Office in Washington, master over the weal and woes of America - not quite legit, some would say, not quite democratic in the true sense of the word - but, nevertheless, the Mouse is in, by hook or by crook, smoothed over by oil dollars, the military-industrial complex, all of the fundamentalist Right. Now all the creature has to do is sit pretty and not squeak out of tune. National security advisor-in-waiting, Condoleeza Rice with impeccable anti-Communist credentials, may even teach the mouse to roar.

The world stands back in wonderment. "The Guardian" newspaper described the presidential election of November 7, 2000 as "a calamity without precedent," which has poisoned American democracy. Italy's "La Republica" put it more bluntly: "America finds itself with a president it did not elect." But who cares? Mickey Mouse is part of the American dream, a lovable mascot, sweeping problems under the table with a flush of its tail. Mickey Mouse embodies what Bush senior once called "the vision thing" - America standing tall.

Visions in politics are poor guides to action. The U.S. advisors, hand-picked by patter, and the proposed cabinet, resurrect memories of "Cold War" years. There is Dick Cheney, former Defense Secretary under George Bush senior, and Asia specialists Paul Wolgowitz, Richard Armitage, James Kelly and Doug Paal. Even more suggestive of a new hard line in U.S. foreign policy is the appointment of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), General (Retired) Colin Powell, of Desert Storm fame, as Foreign Secretary. Powell is not backward in stating his position: continued engagement in the Middle-East followed by the credo of the professional military: - "we will stand strong, we're not afraid of them we'll meet them, we'll match them we'll contend with them."

Who Are They?

The public statement of the Foreign Secretary has to be seen in the light of his strategy in the Gulf War. The "Powell Doctrine" of military engagement holds that force should be overwhelming, decisive and short. Military intervention should not be undertaken unless the outcome is guaranteed. The aim in using force needs to be precisely defined beforehand, and as soon as they are achieved, American forces should be quickly extracted, lest the Pentagon risks sliding into a quagmire - It sounds very much like the blueprint for American intervention in Panama, Grenada and Kosovo.

In their analysis of the Gulf War, Gordon and Trainer draw attention to the political consequences of Powell's pursuit of a military victory at the expense of-the long-term goal of removing Saddam Hussein from power:

The Powell doctrine contributed to the decision to bring the war to a premature close and the muddled ending and it left Washington without a means for influencing events in postwar Iran.

"Powell's all-or-nothing doctrine of decisive force not only is insufficient for many of the smoldering conflicts the United States faces a today where the military is called on not to win a decisive "victory" but to support diplomacy, protect peacekeepers (other nations' not the American's - Editor), or carry out humanitarian tasks, it also has its limitations when it comes to ending major "high intensity" wars."

There are growing apprehensions that the new US Administration will engineer a very drastic foreign policy change, from engagement and dialogue back to containment. With Russia on its knees and in complete disarray, among the communist adversaries of old, there remains only China and the minnows North Korea, Vietnam and Cuba. None of them has the power to challenge United States, either militarily or economically. However, we know that decay sets in from within. With Mickey Mouse in charge who needs enemies?

Perhaps the most scathing assessment of Mickey Mouse was given by Professor Colin Campbell of Georgetown University, Washington, DC: "He's a total, absolute opportunist who is utterly rudderless... and propped up entirely by his daddy's friends."

We are witnessing an American tragedy unfolding.

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