The world is still waiting.

A few weeks ago, in July, I wrote a post entitled, The price of thumbing your nose at the world-- they won't be there when you need them.

The post itself was written in the context of the Bush administration realizing that they had very little to bargain with in finding a resolution to the then-ongoing Israeli-Hezbollah conflict. It focused on how the Bush administration's cavalier attitude towards other countries and world opinion had caught up with them, as they had virtually no international support left.

And it is in the news again this week as the administration seeks-- and has a harder time finding-- help in situations such as Iran.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- When President Bush addresses world leaders at the United Nations this week, he will have fewer options and lower expectations on almost every major foreign policy front than a year ago.

The United States is relying more readily on international institutions and alliances for help in Iran, Lebanon, North Korea, Sudan and elsewhere. Yet, according to analysts, the Bush administration has less room to maneuver.

Bush and his foreign policy advisers have tried with some success to dispel the caricature of Bush abroad as a Texas cowboy riding alone and herding the U.S. into an unpopular war in Iraq.

But the war, now in its fourth year, devours resources and energy for other global objectives and feeds mistrust about U.S. intentions, experts say.

"I'm not sure they have changed their minds about to what extent to proceed unilaterally and how much to use military force so much as they have run out of options," said Richard Stoll, a political science professor at Rice University who studies foreign policy and national security.

What this proves is that a rigid and doctrinaire President can expect less support internationally when the chips are down.

They've seen how Bush operates. And don't expect them to do any favors.