Thursday, July 27, 2006
Nick Gvosdev, Enemy of Freedom
That's right, I'm an enemy of freedom.
I believe in evolutionary change for sustainable societies, not hey-presto! sudden revolutions.
I believe that you have to set priorities in relationships with other states, especially when you don't have leverage. If the US wants to be a force for freedom, move to energy independence and cut back on wasteful consumer spending. Otherwise deal with the real world as it is.
I sympathize with activists but I don't pretend that they automatically speak for a majority of their people especially if they have no track record of winning elections.
I believe in paying attention to the priorities that others set for themselves and understand that their list of priorities may not always accord with mine.
Like former German ambassador to the US Issinger I am looking for long-term trend positive trend lines recognizing that there will be short-term problems along the way.
Criticism has to be part of a larger strategy and has to be weighed against other objectives to be coherent. Grandstanding never seems to work, especially when we are vulnerable to charges of double standards.
I believe common values help to cement interstate relations but that common interests is what forges relationships to begin with. I do not pretend that Finland, Indonesia, Australia and Bolivia have to share a common foreign policy outlook with each other or with the United States simply because of democratic forms of governance.
I do not believe that words speak louder than actions, or that intent is better than results.
All of this makes me an "enemy of freedom" to some, but this is why I am proud to call myself a realist.
I believe in evolutionary change for sustainable societies, not hey-presto! sudden revolutions.
I believe that you have to set priorities in relationships with other states, especially when you don't have leverage. If the US wants to be a force for freedom, move to energy independence and cut back on wasteful consumer spending. Otherwise deal with the real world as it is.
I sympathize with activists but I don't pretend that they automatically speak for a majority of their people especially if they have no track record of winning elections.
I believe in paying attention to the priorities that others set for themselves and understand that their list of priorities may not always accord with mine.
Like former German ambassador to the US Issinger I am looking for long-term trend positive trend lines recognizing that there will be short-term problems along the way.
Criticism has to be part of a larger strategy and has to be weighed against other objectives to be coherent. Grandstanding never seems to work, especially when we are vulnerable to charges of double standards.
I believe common values help to cement interstate relations but that common interests is what forges relationships to begin with. I do not pretend that Finland, Indonesia, Australia and Bolivia have to share a common foreign policy outlook with each other or with the United States simply because of democratic forms of governance.
I do not believe that words speak louder than actions, or that intent is better than results.
All of this makes me an "enemy of freedom" to some, but this is why I am proud to call myself a realist.
Comments:
<< Home
Don't forget to add, you are an enemy of freedom because you think that a party that only gets 10 percent of the vote doesn't speak for the majority of the society even if that 10 percent party is the pro-American one.
# posted by 
: 7:20 AM
: 7:20 AM
Hey, and also don't forget, you are an enemy of freedom because people would rather starve and live in chaos but have freedom of choice. Those ungrateful Russians don't realize how good they had it in 1996.
# posted by : 8:47 AM
: 8:47 AM
Nik, I enjoyed listening to your testimony at the Helsinki Commission hearing yesterday. You at least were providing some real data to back up your points which was helpful. I think that you perhaps should have been more forceful in responding to Brownback's question about recognizing the real lack of influence the US has to bring about major change without jeopardizing US interests. I think you should also have challenged more the rosy picture of Drugaya Rossia that was presented.
# posted by : 8:59 AM
: 8:59 AM
...I believe in paying attention to the priorities that others set for themselves and understand that their list of priorities may not always accord with mine.
Like former German ambassador to the US Issinger I am looking for long-term trend positive trend lines recognizing that there will be short-term problems along the way...
That sounds like a pretty good description of promoting freedom to me. Can you tell us exactly who disagrees with you?
Like former German ambassador to the US Issinger I am looking for long-term trend positive trend lines recognizing that there will be short-term problems along the way...
That sounds like a pretty good description of promoting freedom to me. Can you tell us exactly who disagrees with you?
A large part of both political establishments here in Washington that want to minimize the challenges and costs and think that democracies spring full fledged from the skulls of the gods.
Much of this debate now revolves around the selected cooperation approach, the idea we can pursue strategic issues with nasty regimes but preserve our honor intact by also working to promote regime change, as opposed to having to make judgment calls as to which regimes we can live with and which ones we can't.
Look at the debate Stephen Blank and I have in the pages of JINSA--Blank's critique was in the past issue and my response will be in the forthcoming one.
Post a Comment
Much of this debate now revolves around the selected cooperation approach, the idea we can pursue strategic issues with nasty regimes but preserve our honor intact by also working to promote regime change, as opposed to having to make judgment calls as to which regimes we can live with and which ones we can't.
Look at the debate Stephen Blank and I have in the pages of JINSA--Blank's critique was in the past issue and my response will be in the forthcoming one.
<< Home
