Send news tip to FOXNews.com

SUBMIT

Next President Should Have Healthy Disdain for What World Wants from America

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

he trouble begins… now! Does John's My Word make your blood boil? Click here to listen live to The John Gibson Show on FOX News Radio (weekdays, 6-9 p.m. ET). It's your chance to call in and argue with John!


While most of America sits on the sidelines and watches a small number of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire give a couple candidates the boost that may be required to actually win the White House, the world also sits on the sidelines and evidently waits while holding its breath.

Now we're hearing from the editor of Foreign Affairs magazine that the world wants America back. He writes:

"The demand is for an America… that comes up with innovative initiatives to tackle the great challenges of the day, such as climate change, nuclear proliferation and violent Islamist fundamentalism. …Naturally, the world also wants a superpower willing to foot the bill with a largess that no other nation can match."

Can you imagine the gall? Meet a list of world demands for American involvement, pay the huge bill as we always do, and then hope the world approves. Pardon me for not thinking this sounds very appealing.

Related

The world wanted us to save them from the Soviets. We did. The world wanted us to do something about Saddam. We did, and then the world decided we did a bad thing because we didn't ask their permission for each and every step in doing what needed to be done.

I think a pre-requisite in any candidate would be a healthy disdain for what the world wants. My perfect candidate would be polite but firm: We will take into account what the rest of you have to say, but you don't get the final word, even if you are threatening your disapproval and your condemnation.

As for paying, well, we pay for the defense of the free world. Has anybody in Europe, except for the British, paid anything in the way of defense for their own populations and borders? No. Has Canada bothered to pony up for its own defense? No.

To my dismay, all too many American candidates for president are saying they care about what the world thinks. I hope this is one of those cases where they are lying.

That's My Word.

Watch John Gibson weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on "The Big Story with John Gibson and Heather Nauert" and send your comments to: myword@foxnews.com

Read Your Word

See My Word Archive

• Hard-hitting and insightful, 'The Big Story' breaks down the day's top stories
ADVERTISEMENT

ONLY ON FOX

ADVERTISEMENT
Fox News Video

Advertise on Fox News Channel, FOXNews.com and FOX News Radio. Advertising Specifications (PDF). Jobs at FOX News Channel. Internships At Fox News (Deadline for summer applications: Feb. 29, 2008)

Terms of use. Privacy Statement. For FOXNews.com comments write to foxnewsonline@foxnews.com; For FOX News Channel comments write to yourcomments@foxnews.com

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. © 2008 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. All market data delayed 20 minutes.