Lobbing one into the US debate, all the way from Santiago!

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to see, in the NY Times Op-Ed piece, a series of good foreign policy questions from various world leaders-- including Michelle Bachelet, the current president of Chile! An excellent series of questions that deal directly with the facts: that the USA remains a global superpower but has lost some of its leadership on issues of "justice" which include poverty, hunger, and human rights. (Implicit in the question is how our war in Iraq has damaged, at least in the mind of the president of Chile, America's standing on that stage.) Here's the quote.

Many developing countries — mine included — have made sacrifices to carry out tough economic reforms and have sought “trade and not aid.” To succeed, we need to compete on a level playing field with more developed economies. Is the United States ready to shoulder some of the burden by advocating the elimination or tempering of protectionism and subsidies? The United Nations by itself, with its faults and many achievements, does not lead. Nation-states do. American commitment and leadership is a must for effective multilateral cooperation. Will you demonstrate a renewed commitment to multilateralism and the rule of international law? Will you negotiate actively to agree on a post-Kyoto treaty on global warming and seek to join the United Nations Human Rights Council? Lastly, what would you do to regain the trust of your allies who would like to see the United States engaging in respectful dialogue and leading the way in the fight not merely against terrorism — which must be done — but also against world hunger, poverty, inequality and disease?

MICHELLE BACHELET, the president of Chile