January/February 2010

Lately, finally, Westphalian rules have been enjoying a vogue. Does the Obama administration care what states do inside their borders? Not really, given the importance it accords the world’s cooperation. Ought not the sight of demonstrators—liberals, democrats—being gunned down in their own streets give us pause when it comes to “engaging” regimes whose respect we crave? Not necessarily. The utility of diplomacy, after all, lies in its capacity to influence, to prod another to see the error of his ways, to encourage him to modify his future behavior. So has the new “realism” worked? Absolutely not. ... Read More