Readers can supply other examples where foreign leaders took extreme measures to get Washington's attention. The peace treaty restored the Sinai to Egypt precisely what Sadat sought. The United States, of course, has to respond to these foreign threats. Yet the inability of the U.S. to coherently organize and master preventive diplomacy encourages foreign governments to generate and inflate new dangers. Unfortunately, when such threats are taken at face value by Washington and the media, the frequent result is over-reaction by policy makers.
Exaggerated dangers lead to exaggerated responses.
As long as Americans value the separation of powers, celebrate the political clout of the private sector's votes and money, and treasure a free press, the problem of getting the government's attention will remain.