Different Approach to Diplomacy
As a political observer of many years, I have to say I find it refreshing to see the critics of our new President seemingly genuinely shocked at his approach to international relations. While their attacks are pretty much standard operating procedure for modern politics it is fun to see the seeming trouble they have comprehending his approach to diplomacy. I often wonder if they thought he was kidding during the campaign when he said he was going to open a dialogue with leaders the previous administration wouldn’t talk to and who have even said bad things about America and our leaders past and present.
It seems to some that the idea of talking with your enemies gives them legitimacy of some sort as if not talking to them somehow lessens their legitimacy as world leaders. The level of arrogance attached to those sentiments seems beyond comprehension to most with any sense of modesty. For anyone with a good sense of history it is also a bit tough to stomach listening to. There is an old expression about a pot and a kettle that comes to mind when it comes to American leaders talking about other leaders as thugs and terrorists.
If one has in fact read the history books not written to be overly biased towards America there is an argument to be made that America committed the largest two acts of terrorism in the history of mankind. On August 6th and August 9th of 1945 the United States detonated the only nuclear weapons ever unleashed on a populated area in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan killing by the most conservative estimates over 100,000 civilians. This was done for the sole stated purpose of influencing the actions of the Japanese leadership through fear which is the definition of a terrorist act. No other single act in the history of mankind has so suddenly and violently resulted in a loss of life on the scale of either of those bombs. The combined American death toll of 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is less than one tenth of the total of the lives lost in mere seconds when our leaders ordered those bombs dropped on civilian populations in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the span of three days in 1945 America became the most feared nation on Earth because of the awesome destructive power of our weapons and proven willingness to use them.
Turn the clock forward almost 65 years and we now have a President who wants to open dialogues with other world leaders in an effort to put aside some of the enmity of the past and begin to forge a new future with cooperation instead of fear at its heart. Instead of hailing this as a new era of hope his critics call him weak and foolish and try to tear down even the idea of peaceful coexistence in the world as a foolish notion. These are the same men who hail the dropping of the atomic bombs as good things and something that Americans should be proud of. How seriously can you actually take their criticism given the track record of their philosophy?
Perhaps it is time we put the cold warrior dinosaurs in the museum and stopped doing things the old way. The old way led to 9/11. The old way led to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq where thousands of innocents have died simply for living in the wrong place. The old way keeps Palestinians as second class citizens in the land of their birth. Maybe the old way isn’t so good.
President Obama has offered us a new vision of hope. If the world is willing to entertain the idea of peace this may be the time we tell our children and grandchildren about when America finally made up for the wrongs of the past and became a true leader for good in the world. We say we want to be the leaders of the world but to what end? Do we want to lead by peaceful means or by fear? Do we want the world to be one of hope or constant uncertainty? Talking to the people who disagree with you is the first step to finding consensus. If you never talk there can never be cooperation or peace. I say to those who would dismiss the President’s approach we’ve tried it your way and it didn’t work out so well so how about we try something new.
Troy Wilson-Ripsom - Staff Writer | Give your feedback on this article. | Click icon to Digg this article
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