Ethical Realism - Report

I finished reading this book last week, but I wanted to process it a little before I expound on it. I highly recommend this book to every American citizen and especially to those holding or running for national office. There is some evidence that at least Bill Richardson and possibly Joe Biden understand the principles involved. The book is aimed squarely at foreign policy, but the principles work quite well for domestic issues and even on a personal level.

The key virtues of Ethical Realism: First and foremost, Prudence. A virtue badly missing in our internal and international policies. The Bush administration has been like Captain Janeway on the ill-fated series, Star Trek Voyager - lunging from one extreme to another and surviving primarily on unbelievable luck - surviving, but just barely. No sense of restraint, careful observation, and the steady, measured approach that are the hallmarks of courage.

Other key virtues: Humility, Study, Responsibility, and Patriotism. All quite missing in the current administration. These are the virtues that made the great moments in American history great - and that were conspicuously missing in our many darker moments. The authors point to several American Presidents who exhibited these virtues. They prominently mention Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower, but their highest praise is reserved for Harry Truman.

While Truman and Eisenhower clearly despised each other, they followed and established the Cold War policies that kept our world from turning into a glowing radioactive ash heap. The authors argue that the current situation requires not another Cold War, but the kind of keen observation, revolutionary thinking, and frightfully subtle and hard-nosed diplomacy that made the Cold War successful. (The authors do make it clear they agreed with Eisenhower that the Cold War became too militaristic - their praise is primarily for the diplomatic and economic strategy).

Like Communism, radical Theocracy (in this case Islamic), thrives best in chaos. Therefore, creating wealth, stability, and popularizing scientific education is the best antidote. The authors present a number of very hard-nosed strategies to bring that about. The most interesting to me was their argument that the USA should insist that Europe take ownership of the Israli/Palestinian conflict. The USA can facilitate negotiations, but it will take extensive reparations to both the Jewish and Palestinian people - and this is owed to both by Europe.

According to the authors, Europe owes the Jewish people for centuries of displacement and terror - and the Palestinians for taking half their land to create a Jewish state in partial repayment of that debt. The authors argue that Israel and Palestine should be carved out of the Middle East and made part of the European Union - both as partial repayment of Europe’s debt and to take the countries out of the Middle East political system.

Another key diplomatic point would be for the USA to encourage Russia to host talks between the USA and Iran - to create the Moscow accords (giving Russia prestige and improving American/Russian relations). At all costs we must avoid a war with Iran. Iran is our natural ally in the Middle East. If only we can keep moderate pressure on the increasingly unpopular Iranian government, the people of Iran can gradually take control of their government and craft a moderate, democratic, Islamic state that would fit more closely with the attitudes of the average Iranian. The only thing that will make the Iranian government popular again would be an attack by a western power - particularly by the USA.

Very good book - highly recommended. I could say a lot more but I would just about have to write the entire thing out. This is the best foreign policy book I have read in a very long time.

rbs