A Thoughtful Essay in Support of International Multilateralism

Foreign Affairs has a thought-provoking article on the erosion of U.S. legitimacy in foreign policy in the eyes of the world (particularly as a result of the Iraq invasion). While I don't believe the thesis is entirely accurate (it seems to go too far toward embracing multi-lateralism at the expense of preventing threats against the U.S. in event we have real evidence of an imminent military or terrorist threat; it is also somewhat unsatisfying when it comes to action in the event of a real threat (or in progress act) of genocide), it nonetheless makes a number of salient arguments against the go-it-aloneness of the Bush administration's foreign policy.

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20041101faessay83603-p40/robert-w-tucker-david-c-hendrickson/the-sources-of-american-legitimacy.html