In the New, New World

Despite a lot of wishful thinking during the campaign, the outside world didn’t get a voice in the American election, unless you count Osama bin Laden’s videotape. Had foreigners voted, it’s a near certainty that George W. Bush would not have been returned for a second term. In international polls, many non-Americans say they dislike Bush’s Iraq policy or the way that he has handled allies of the U.S.

For many governments, howeverespecially those in Asiaa second Bush term has its merits. He is a known quantity. His focus on the war on terror has forced nations like Pakistan and the Philippines to confront demons they have long tried to pretend didn’t exist. Bush was, in effect, endorsed by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who has supported the war in Iraq and whose willingness to shoulder a greater security burden in Asia suits the U.S. fine. Leaders in the region saw a protectionist in John Kerry: they heard that grave quaver whenever he pronounced the word outsourcing, a term that to Asians just means the livelihoods to which they are entitled. They feared that Kerry would adopt policies that would interrupt the region’s astonishing economic development and burgeoning prosperity.

As it continues to accumulate wealth, so Asia’s role on the world stage is bound to grow. Japan will soon be joined by China and India as economic giants, with the richesshould they choose to spend them this wayto build great armies and seek regional political power. For 50 years, the U.S. has been the essential balance wheel in Asia, helping its friends, keeping power distributedas Asians might sayharmoniously. In the future, that task will be even more vital than it has been in the past. The choice of a U.S. President, even a re-elected one, sends ripples around the world that beget new ripples everywhere they strike. Asians will be watching to see if the second Bush Administration understands what powersometimes unintentionalit has and how much Asians want that power to be used for the benefit of all.