The Condoleezza Doctrine.

 
The President of the United States chose very well when he picked the first African-American National Security Adviser. Condoleezza Rice is not only qualified for the job she holds, but if one looks very closely one can see that she has brought a freshness of outlook to National Security policy. Ms. Rice has strongly advocated a sort of US self-awareness that was lacking in the post-Soviet era. She holds the view that we are now the world's primary power and our national security policy must morph to adapt to the new reality.

After decades of minimalist shifts in policy and an elaborate tight rope walk over diplomatic pitfalls, the US finds itself again upon solid ground and we are no longer forced to travel in a single direction traveling ever so slowly all the while. Now we must prioritize our national security issues, both long-term and short term.

It would not be an exaggeration to state that the President has surrounded himself with possibly the most experienced and pro-active group of policy makers of any Presidential administration. I personally believe that Condoleezza's views and discussions with the President are the very heart of the Bush doctrine. I believe she, not Cheney or Rumsfeld, has almost single-handedly shaped the post-Iraq US diplomatic efforts.

Ms. Rice has been snubbed by the media and to a large degree she has been snubbed by the African American community which could easily point with inestimable pride to Ms. Rice who at this very moment is one of the 5 most powerful women in the world. For the past four years she has been more powerful and influential than the Queen of England with only the tiniest fraction of her wealth. Even Senator Hillary Clinton, who clandestinely works a small Democrat shadow government in exile, cannot currently match her influence.

Many claim her experience in Soviet affairs is obsolete in today's world. Again, her influence is underestimated. The Putin-Bush relationship, which is tighter than Bush's relationships with German and French leaders, is due to the efforts of Ms. Rice. Her knowledge and understanding of Russian influence helped to push Bush and Putin together during Afghanistan and their friendship and mutual agreements have created a unique Russo-American pact which gets almost no press at all, but which has helped create a network of information sharing and clandestine mutual assistance simply unprecedented between our nations.

That is simply a remarkable accomplishment.

As Europe's left and right fight for their political goals, America is viewed as just another hungry cat at the milk bowl and the United States really has only the United Kingdom left on its dance card. When that dance is over, the US will be largely alone in a world of envious nuclear powers.

Playing out such a scenario, the US needs a new set of allies to offset the EU political bloc. To those who are observant, the Condoleezza Doctrine is already laying the necessary groundwork with the ever-sympathetic Colin Powell doing much of the legwork.

The US is actively positioning itself for the inevitable EU/US rift which is only presently symbolized by rabid anti-Bush sentiment. Again, here are two brilliant Americans whose accomplishments are completely ignored by the media.

Who would ever imagine that with George Bush's son as President we would really befriend the politicians who composed the former USSR? Indeed, I can foresee a day when the US and Russia are not just allies, but close allies. Already this is true in the war on terror, but I suspect that as China rapidly increases its technological stature over the next two decades, we will create a bond of great strength with Russia. India as well will be a likely future ally and the tri-alliance of these nations will have to curb a modernized and hungry China.

Ms. Rice will deserve credit for this unexpected accomplishment and indeed her expertise will help to balance the inevitable shifts in global power and curb foreign aggression in the future.

The bottom line is that Condoleezza Rice is ensuring US security for far more than just the 4 or 8 years she will hold her position. Her influence, ideas and impact will be much larger and clearly reverberate throughout the entire 21st century.