Why foreign policy fails

If you really want to understand why the Bush administration was so unpopular in Latin America, look no further than José Cárdenas at Foreign Policy's Shadow Government blog.

The administration has its work cut out for it in trying to create momentum in the service of the shared interests we still do have with a number of countries in the Americas. But that will not be created in visits to Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, and other precincts currently infatuated with the anti-American fad. Instead, it will come with continuing to work with like-minded governments unabashed about identifying with our vision for the hemisphere of prosperity for all through free peoples and free markets. 

The basic idea is this: you should only work with governments that agree with you 100 percent, and any government that is not 100 percent with you should be labeled as "anti-American" and insulted as much as possible.  When that inevitably backfires, blame them.