re: Bush's cards
It is always better to deter an enemy than, by showing weakness, to encourage him to take the field.
Isn't that what soft power is all about?
Bush has showed his cards and is losing them one after the other because he wanted to use hard power.
I remember Dan Spires not agreeing ar all about this, but it looks very much like the number one power in the world has made the wrong move.
Raoul