Some misguided advice from the Washington Post

This Washington Post editorial argues that the Bush administration should seek to repair its international relations now that the war is over, instead of punishing countries that opposed the war. In my view, the position the U.S. should take on a particular issue with a particular opponent of the war depends on the issue and opponent. As a general matter, however, I don’t understand how the U.S. can treat countries that tried to obstruct us in Iraq as if nothing happened. It seems to be lost on the Post that the more other countries are able to oppose our interests with impugnity, the more likely they are to continue doing so. Perhaps, though, the Post’s editorial is less about the U.S. getting back into the good graces of its allies and former allies than it is about the Post getting back into the good graces of the many readers it alienated by supporting the war.