| There are different ways of looking at
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| | the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
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| the state of the world. Accordingly when
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| | In the classic idealist-realist debate,
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| it comes to international affairs,
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| | neither side normally accords the other
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| leaders propose differing foreign
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| | much space. In his new analysis, however,
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| policies to make and preserve peace for
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| | Kissinger notes that "in relations
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| their nations. The two most common
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| | between the United States and Western
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| approach of ideas are idealism and
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| | Europe and within the Western Hemisphere,
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| realism, and their offspring,
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| | America's historic ideals have
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| neoliberalism and neorealism, are
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| | considerable applicability. Here the
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| illustrated by two former Harvard
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| | idealist version of peace based on
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| professors and leaders in U.S.
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| | democracy and economic progress
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| government, Henry Kissinger and Robert
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| | demonstrates its relevance." He also
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| McNamara. As secretary of defense in the
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| | notes that the current complexity of the
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| Kennedy and Johnson administrations,
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| | international system "renders much of the
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| McNamara was in the forefront of
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| | traditional American debate about the
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| America's involvement in Vietnam. By
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| | nature of international politics somewhat
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| 1966, however, he was beginning to
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| | irrelevant. Whether it is values or
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| question America's role, and in his later
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| | power, ideology or raison d'état that
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| years he has repudiated the support he
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| | are the key determinants of foreign
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| gave to the war effort, believing that
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| | policy, in fact depends on the historical
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| the disastrous conflict escalated largely
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| | stage in which the international system
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| as the result of misperception on both
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| | finds itself." THE CENTRAL ISSUE At the
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| sides. In other words, in his opinion,
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| | root of the idealist-realist debate is a
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| America need not have intervened in the
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| | truth that never goes away and that
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| way that she did. If he could turn back
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| | neither side ignores--they just approach
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| the clock, he would seek peace on
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| | it from different perspectives: Human
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| different terms. He would not make the
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| | nature is the fly in the ointment.
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| costly commitment to bloodshed that
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| | Realists hold an essentially pessimistic
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| occurred on all sides. He would find the
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| | view of human nature. Idealists share a
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| opening to promote a moral commitment to
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| | belief in its essential goodness. Henry
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| end the war quickly. Today McNamara,
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| | Kissinger would say that's exactly why
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| having been president of the World Bank
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| | idealistic notions of peace through
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| in the interim, is devoted to the cause
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| | morality will fail. You just can't expect
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| of reducing the risk of conflict, killing
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| | humans, and therefore the nations they
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| and catastrophe in the 21st century. His
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| | represent, to be anything but
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| new book, coauthored with international
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| | self-interested. The idealist Robert
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| relations professor James Blight, is
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| | McNamara would say that without imposing
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| titled Wilson's Ghost in reference to the
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| | a moral curb on human nature we will see
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| prescriptions for peace of America's
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| | more people killed in the 21st century
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| First World War president. Woodrow Wilson
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| | than in the overwhelmingly violent 20th,
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| was an idealist who believed that moral
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| | when multiple millions died in war, most
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| issues should dominate in policy making.
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| | of them civilians. So we must pursue
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| Essentially it was the president's
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| | prescriptions for peace based on the
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| efforts at peacemaking that provided the
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| | morality of avoiding such catastrophic
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| way out for Germany in a peace without
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| | wars. If human nature is the problem, how
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| victory. Wilson's subsequent tireless
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| | to deal with it is the issue. The history
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| work aimed at establishing the League of
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| | of society's attempts to do so does not
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| Nations inspires McNamara and Blight; in
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| | give much cause for hope. We must admit
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| it they see the only way ahead to a
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| | that no method of taming human nature has
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| peaceful future for a planet still living
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| | yet been found. According to one source,
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| in the nuclear shadow. Like Blight,
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| | in the past 6,000 years humanity has
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| Kissinger also has a background in
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| | experienced only 300 years of global
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| political science. In the 1960s he was a
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| | peace. Albert Einstein famously said that
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| professor of government at Harvard. Best
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| | it is easier to denature plutonium than
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| known for his years as Richard Nixon's
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| | to change human nature. Could it be that
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| assistant for National Security Affairs
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| | we are seeking an answer that cannot come
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| and subsequently as secretary of state,
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| | from the human level? Can human nature be
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| he was inevitably also embroiled in the
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| | curbed from our own resources? What
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| Vietnam War. At first a hard-liner in the
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| | exactly is human nature, and what is its
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| prosecution of the war, he went on to win
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| | origin? THE TRUTH ABOUT US In religion
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| the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize along with
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| | and the Bible, a relevant question can be
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| North Vietnamese negotiator Le Duc Tho
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| | answered from the New Testament: "Do you
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| (who refused the award) in recognition of
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| | know where your fights and arguments come
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| the cease-fire agreement they reached.
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| | from?" The answer in the apostle James's
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| Nevertheless, Kissinger is a realist in
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| | words: "They come from the selfish
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| the tradition of another U.S. president,
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| | desires that war within you. You want
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| Theodore Roosevelt (see "Mentors of
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| | things, but you do not have them. So you
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| Modern Men"). PRAGMATICS AND PRINCIPLES
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| | are ready to kill and are jealous of
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| In their efforts to ensure security for
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| | other people, but you still cannot get
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| all society, realists pursue policy
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| | what you want. So you argue and fight"
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| options based on the ebb and flow of
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| | (James 4:1-2, New Century Version). Here
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| power within the international system of
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| | human nature is shown to be essentially
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| nations. In his new book, Does America
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| | selfish. Though it is sometimes able to
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| Need a Foreign Policy? Kissinger says
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| | do good for unrelated others, it is
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| it's vitally important that, as the only
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| | identified with the protection,
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| superpower, America decide on its
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| | preservation and extension of the self
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| interests and also on where it should and
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| | and its immediate world. Whatever is
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| should not intervene. This is an approach
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| | needed to accomplish these ends motivates
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| driven by pragmatics first and foremost.
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| | humans from infancy on. We might say that
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| For Kissinger, it's not so much a
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| | at birth human beings are in a neutral
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| question of universal moral and ethical
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| | condition, demonstrating neither good nor
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| principles; it is primarily a question of
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| | evil desires. While the newborn feebly
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| taking care of America's national
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| | seeks out food to survive, and has some
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| interests in a world compromised by human
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| | drive to do so, it is ill-equipped to
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| nature's inherent pursuit of power.
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| | challenge anyone for that food or to
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| Idealism, on the other hand, believes
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| | share it. The aggressive and possessive
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| that mutual interest creates a natural
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| | impulse comes with time. A growing
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| harmony between nations. Its proponents
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| | selfishness develops as we mature.
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| support the development of international
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| | Through socialization we may learn to
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| structures and organizations to limit any
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| | control this selfishness, but it almost
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| nation-state's irresponsible quest for
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| | always reappears, given certain
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| power. In neoliberal fashion, the
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| | circumstances. The Western world has had
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| idealist McNamara adds that the world is
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| | the benefit of the Judeo-Christian
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| more interdependent than the old European
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| | tradition, which teaches what human
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| world of independent nation-states.
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| | nature is and how it can be changed.
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| Modern idealists point to the Internet,
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| | Jesus of Nazareth had this to say about
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| the mass media, the shared environment,
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| | our basic state of mind: "From within,
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| and globalized trade and investment as
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| | out of the heart of men, proceed evil
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| evidence of a different and more
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| | thoughts, adulteries, fornications,
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| integrated world--a world anxious to
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| | murders, thefts, covetousness,
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| promote peace by nonmilitary means. The
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| | wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil
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| power politician acknowledges these
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| | eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All
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| contemporary realities but does not
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| | these evil things come from within and
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| believe they are the fundamental keys to
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| | defile a man" (Mark 7:21-23). From this
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| peace. For the idealist, on the other
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| | biblical perspective, the achievable
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| hand, it's not just about national
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| | ideal is that nations put down their
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| interest and "power-balancing" between
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| | weapons of war while at the same time
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| nations. McNamara points to the ability
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| | learning new ways of thinking. This
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| of nations to cooperate at times for
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| | prescription for peace is found in
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| their mutual benefit. This, he believes,
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| | another prophetic passage from the book
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| proves that peace can be achieved without
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| | of Isaiah--words that are carved into the
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| war. Only as a last resort does the
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| | base of the familiar statue outside the
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| idealist use force, and even then, in
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| | UN building in New York: "He shall judge
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| most cases, it is by multilateral
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| | between the nations, and rebuke many
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| agreement in the international sphere.
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| | people; they shall beat their swords into
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| CAUSES FOR CONCERN McNamara's fears of
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| | plowshares, and their spears into pruning
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| the future arise from the catastrophic
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| | hooks; nation shall not lift up sword
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| loss of life that occurred in the century
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| | against nation, neither shall they learn
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| just past. Wilson's Ghost calls up the
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| | war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4). It is a
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| specter of the moralist president in the
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| | confirmation of the philosophy and ideas
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| role of prophet. Following the war in
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| | of Woodrow Wilson that the successor to
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| 1919, Wilson said: "Liberalism must be
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| | his League of Nations accepted the gift
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| more liberal than ever before, it must
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| | of a statue with the biblical
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| even be radical, if civilization is to
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| | prescription for peace. It is an ideal
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| escape the typhoon. . . . I do not
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| | that recognizes the realist's fears and
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| hesitate to say that the war we have just
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| | puts them to rest. TRANSFORM OR CONFORM
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| been through, though it was shot through
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| | The only way through the impasse created
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| with terror of every kind, is not to be
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| | by human nature is by means of a change
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| compared with the war we would have to
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| | of heart. The change of heart religion
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| face the next time." Wilson's words were
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| | and the Bible specifies is a fundamental
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| eerily prescient. The succeeding 1939-45
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| | transformation of mind and attitude set
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| world conflict and its atomic conclusion
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| | in motion by an outside source. Previous
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| massively eclipsed the First World War,
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| | to his change of heart, the apostle Paul
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| unfathomable as it was in its carnage.
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| | was by his own admission "a blasphemer
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| The international wars that followed only
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| | and a persecutor and a violent man" (1
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| served to demonstrate the apparently
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| | Timothy 1:13, New International Version).
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| uncontrollable human capacity for
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| | He came to see that even with religious
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| technological development in delivering
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| | zeal as his motivation, he was of the
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| death. The threat of nuclear holocaust
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| | wrong spirit. It is with the deepest
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| looms large in McNamara's 21st-century
| |
| | conviction that he writes, "To be
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| scenario. Accordingly he believes that
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| | carnally minded is death, but to be
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| two imperatives, moral and multilateral,
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| | spiritually minded is life and peace"
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| must guide U.S. foreign and defense
| |
| | (Romans 8:6). That spiritual mind, he
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| policy in this century. The moral
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| | says, comes only from the influence of
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| imperative requires that the U.S.
| |
| | God at work in humans through His Holy
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| government establish as a major goal of
| |
| | Spirit. It is made available in part for
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| foreign policy "the avoidance in this
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| | the conquering of human nature's downward
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| century of the carnage--160 million
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| | pull. He encourages us: "Be transformed
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| dead--caused by conflict in the 20th
| |
| | by the renewing of your mind, that you
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| century." The corresponding multilateral
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| | may prove what is that good and
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| imperative requires that the United
| |
| | acceptable and perfect will of God"
|
| States recognize that it "must provide
| |
| | (Romans 12:2). That renewal comes only
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| leadership to achieve the objective of
| |
| | from the Spirit of God. Are these
|
| reduced carnage but, in doing so, it will
| |
| | philosophy and ideas of idealism and
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| not apply its economic, political, or
| |
| | realism the pathway to peace? In fact,
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| military power unilaterally, other than
| |
| | neither is. Peace will become the way of
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| in the unlikely circumstances of a
| |
| | the nations only when Isaiah's prophecy
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| defense of the continental United States,
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| | of the cessation of weapons manufacture
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| Hawaii, and Alaska." Further, he believes
| |
| | and of war itself comes to pass. In the
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| that foreign policies across the globe
| |
| | meantime, lasting peace can come
|
| should adopt the same moral imperative,
| |
| | individually from within when the Spirit
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| as is currently the case in the aftermath
| |
| | of God is active within.
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| of the September 11 terrorist attacks on
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| |
|
