OPORTO, Portugal (Reuters) - U.S. Democrats want to rebuild the United States’ relationships with the rest of the world and treat allies with respect, party chairman Howard Dean told European socialist leaders on Friday.

Many European governments have been angered by Republican President George W. Bush’s war in Iraq and what is regarded as his failure to work with allies in international affairs.

“It is time for the United States to renew our relationships around the world,” Dean said, triggering applause. “It is time we treat our allies with respect and honesty.

I don’t have a lot of time today (a voice gig, recovering from food poisoning, the usual…), but this strikes terror in my heart. It’s exactly the wrong direction for America. Do we really want to go back to the bad old days of our allies feeling like our real, equal partners in the world’s struggles? Have we forgotten that if we treat them with respect, they will no longer respect us. Or at least, they won’t fear us. As much.

In the Bush era, allies are kept in line with the 3 M’s (not to be confused with the maker of fine sticky paper products): Money, Muscle, and Mockery. If we stop buying loyalty, forcing loyalty, and making fun of the disloyal (Freedom Fries and weasel jokes for all!), what will we have to ensure friendship and cooperation? The free world isn’t cheap, you know, and if we start showing our nicer side to nations that aren’t completely down the shitter, if we start behaving like friends in non-condescending situations, if we stop acting like other nations can’t be “great” because that threatens the whole “greatest” thing that we work so hard on… well, then the whole ball of wax might fall apart. Er… more so.