From: egl1@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Elizabeth G. Levy)
Subject: THE CLINTON DOCTRINE
Reply-To: egl1@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Elizabeth G. Levy)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 21:21:29 GMT

The Clinton Doctrine
	by A.M. Rosenthal
[copied w/o permission from the NYT, 10/6/92, p.A23]

The campaign of 1992, so long a desert of tedium and cynicism, has
finally produced what the country has needed for too many dry years --
a lucid, warm adult statement of principle about what the United
States can give to the world and gain from it.

Of the hundreds of campaign speeches, a talk by Governor Clinton in
Milwaukee on October 1 is likely to be remembered longest.  It was
meant for Americans but will be studied intently by the rest of the
world.

If he is elected, the speech will be recalled constantly during his
Presidency to see if under pressure mr. Clinton will be strong and
faithful to the philosophy he put forward that day.

If he loses, or as President should give way under test, then at least
the speech and its doctrine will be remembered as what democratic
leadership could have been.

Governor Clinton spoke of the critical importance to his country of
following a policy of democratic realism at home and abroad.  He did
not use the phrase, but it sums up the beliefs of those who, like Mr.
Clinton, understand the moral, political and economic strength of
political freedom.

Democratic realism is one of two competing, internationalist
philosophies in the West.  The other is realpolitik, which assumes
that all that really counts in the world is tangible power and the
ability to maneuver with it.

Realpoliticians believe democracy may be nice enough if you have it,
but to make democratic interests and values part of international
decisions ranges from irrelevence to dangerous sentimentality.

The difference between realpolitik and democratic realism can be the
difference between war and peace.

Governor Clinton has spelled out the root beliefs of democratic
realism and its value to Americans:

Democracies do not go to war with one another.  They do not sponser
international terrorism.  They do not threaten to destry other nations
with weapons of mass destruction.  Democracy abroad helps protect
economic and security interests at home.  Democracy makes for more
reliable diplomatic and environmental partners than dictatorships.

So, he said, the choice for America is not either/or, as many
politicians tell us.  Tending to our economy and backing democracy
abroad must go together -- the collapse of one could bring down the
other.

Once that needed no saying to Americans.  In the past half-century,
every President managed to deal with the country's economy and foreign
policy without whining that he could only handle one at a time.

But Mr. Bush tells us that having been a wild success abroad he now is
at last able to devote himself to the economy.  Mr. Bush's promise may
be unnerving.  But at least he is beginning to take a smidgen of the
responsiblity.  That is a good step in character development.

But, as Governor Clinton pointed out, the Bush foreign record is not
thrilling.  Time and again, Mr. Bush acted as if he thought the
interests of democrats against dictatorships were a plain nuisance.

When the Soviet Union was within a breath of death, he fought to help
Mikhail Gorbachev resuscitate it.  Mr. Clinton mentioned that and
other Bush-Baker triumphs.

Promises broken to Kurds.  Baltic independence snubbed.  Bosnia.
Vetoes of every Congressional bill to make Communist China pay any
economic price for its slave labor camps.

In the Mideast, Bush-Baker accomplished two of the grossest
stupidities in American history -- first arming Saddam Hussein, so he
had to be fought and defeated, then letting him stay in power.  Both
mistakes were against democratic interests, therefore against American
interests.

Initiating the Israeli-Arab peace talks could become a real Bush-Baker
accomplishment.  But Governor Clinton made an interesting point --
this Administration thinks of the Arab-Israeli conflict as one more
quarrel between two religions or nations, rather than a struggle
involving the survival of a democratic ally.

So could we hold the negotiation celebrations a moment or two?  Just
in case we get the chance to see what a second-term Bush would do
about Israel and its neighbors?

Democracy has always been America's "perfecting impulse," said Mr.
Clinton, and "now the cynical calculus of pure power politics does not
compute."  That is essentially democratic realism -- and essential
country values.
--
"Sounds interesting....  Sounds interesting...."
				-- Homer Simpson
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