They can also blind you to the obvious. Sometimes, the French major has more insights into global trade than the economist. Perfect, timely answers are often unobtainable luxuries. One of the many unfortunate side effects of American Exceptionalism is the belief that democratic governance is easy and that democracy is a naturally occurring state of affairs. If you did not have enough evidence to refute this myth in your own roundtable discussions, we ve certainly seen the rebuttal to this is in the events of the last few days.
Foreign policy made by such a system reflects that system s unique and complex demands.
Policy built on democratic consensus and compromise will go further faster and last longer than one built on confrontation. In doing all this you must balance hope with caution. A moment ago we observed a moment of silence, commemorating the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 when the guns fell silent on the Western Front. More than ninety years ago, many in the west passionately embraced the belief that emerging technology, growing international economic interdependence, and the decaying of autocratic regimes all ensured peace and stability. But Passchendaele, and Flanders Field, and the Meuse all served as tragic rebuttals to that hope.