What Will The Neighbors Think?

Over the weekend at Balkinization, Scott Horton posted remarks he delivered on May 26th at the 4th Annual Conference on Counter-Terrorism in Florence, Italy. Horton addresses the importance of reputation for America, and in his typical fashion, lays out a thought provoking argument that unifies the lines between the historical and the present.

I find it difficult to offer commentary on such a piece, for fear of diminishing it, so will simply post an excerpt and encourage you to read it:

...We should mince no words about it. After 9/11,America enjoyed the sympathy and support of the world. In less than sixyears, this powerful asset has been frittered away. But it doesn’t stopthere. In its place, a great wave of hatred is building. And thatpresents a great peril to us, not just to reputation, but to oursecurity.

These developments are the foreseeable consequence ofthe Bush administration’s policies. What is the antidote to them? I seein our recent past an excellent model which very effectively addressesthese issues. The model I look to is Dwight David Eisenhower’s. Acareer soldier and battlefield tactician, Eisenhower knew what can andcannot be achieved on the battlefield. He knew that conquering acountry is insufficient to governing or transforming it. He upheld thevalues of the Party of Lincoln – a party which has, to our great loss,all but disappeared from the stage in America. A party which laid thesame stress on a commitment to justice that our Founding Fathers did.

Eisenhowersaid “Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness,consideration, and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn ofeternal peace.” He was committed to caution in wielding our nation’sgreat military power, and careful deliberation and hesitancy beforeintervening with violence in the affairs of other countries. But heintervened and committed forces abroad when he judged this necessarybecause other courses had been exhausted or would be fruitless. Mostimportantly, he recognized that the reputation of America as a countrycommitted to justice was a tool potentially more powerful than any bombor missile system...

In addition to posting at Balkinization, Professor Horton also blogs at Harper's.  

Comments

[granny]

LOVE the headline!