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