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Article: Searching for Mr. Wilson.(foreign policy of George W. Bush)
- Article from:
- U.S. News & World Report
- Article date:
- December 27, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 All rights reserved. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Now, as George W. Bush's first term is ending and his second is about to begin, is a good time to examine his foreign policy under the lens of scholar Walter Russell Mead's splendid 2001 book, Special Providence. Mead describes four "contrasting, competing voices and values" that have contributed to American foreign policy over the years, each named after a major statesman. How well is Bush doing on each?
Start with the Jacksonian tradition, which, Mead writes, "represents a deeply embedded, widely spread populist and popular culture of honor, independence, courage and military pride among the American people." His bold response to September 11, his decisions to ...