[Marxism] The steadfast courage of future imperialist leaders

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

AN EDUCATION IN U.S. RELATIONS
By Humphrey Hawksley
BBC world affairs correspondent in Georgetown

US foreign policy has a global reach such as never before and at
Georgetown University - where many of today's students are tomorrow's
politicians - world issues must feature prominently on the syllabus.

We walked down the stairs of Ryan Hall, its vast entrance lobby lit up
by speckled light from stained glass windows, and out into a warm late
summer's day on the campus of Georgetown University, Washington.

I had sought out students from the School of Foreign Service, the
biggest institution in the world which trains people up in anything to
do with international affairs be it commerce, diplomacy or spying.
These were students at ease with their environment, living in an
exclusive suburb of the world's most political city.

Not far away, on the high ground - above the antique and art shops of
Wisconsin Avenue - are big houses, with sweeping driveways and lawns,
which have a presence like no exclusive neighbourhood anywhere else.

The wealth is not flaunted but elegantly stated, a natural extension of
a privileged class which not only has money and brains, but also
enormous power. Twenty or 30 years from now, some of the students I was
with will, in effect, be running the world.

It was a good day to come because Colin Powell was due to give a
lecture at the university, and after we had sat down on the grass, I
asked: "Is he a good secretary of state?"
. . .
And from the other side - more assertively - Mark, a bespectacled young
man in T-shirt, baggy shorts and sandals, said: "I believe he will look
back at the past four years as a failure."
. . .
And straight across, Ingrid Bruns, pushing her hair out her face
because of the wind, said softly: "Perhaps he should have resigned over
Iraq, and that would have been a message to the American people." To
which everyone solemnly nodded.
. . .
"How many of you are voting for Bush in this election?" I asked. Not
one hand went up.

"How many for Kerry?" All hands went up.
. . .
The first question to Colin Powell after his lecture was how he could
have kept doing his job when he disagreed so much with the policy.

Powell hesitated, answered carefully and concluded by saying: "The
president has never asked me to execute a decision which I found
difficult."

To which, the very people who had roundly condemned him on the campus
lawn, stood up and gave the secretary of state a rousing applause.

Full at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/
3680342.stm
or http://makeashorterlink.com/?K6CE15C59


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