Diplomacy Lessons: Realism for an Unloved Superpower

Description

John Brady Kiesling, a twenty-year veteran of the foreign service, publicly resigned his position as political counselor of the U.S. Embassy in Athens in February 2003 to protest the Bush administration's impending invasion of Iraq. He believed that the security, economic, and moral costs of this war, including the blackening of America's image abroad, would far outweigh any benefit to the American people. In Diplomacy Lessons, Kiesling reminds readers that U.S. power does not rest on military might alone and that anger at America has real consequences for U.S. national interests. The security and prosperity of the American people depend on efficient cooperation with foreigners on a range of issues, not only terrorism and nuclear nonproliferation but also trade policy, environmental protection, and even public health. The policy decisions of America's foreign partners are driven by domestic politics, just as they are in the United States, and effective U.S. diplomacy requires understanding these political realities. An unloved superpower faces significant costs, both economic and strategic, in the pursuit of its interests. Kiesling calls for a return to realist policy making that recognizes the limits of U.S. power and uses thoughtful diplomacy to legitimize our security requirements in the eyes of our international partners. This book is, at heart, an argument for how to best achieve America's goals abroad. Kiesling's passionate critique of current U.S. foreign policy and his prescriptions for restoring American influence and legitimacy will interest anyone concerned about the future of U.S. and world affairs.

JOHN BRADY KIESLING was a U.S. Foreign Service officer for twenty years, serving in Israel, Morocco, Armenia, Washington, and Greece. His 2003 resignation letter was published widely, including by the New York Times and the Washington Post. Since resigning, he has been a visiting lecturer at Princeton University and a columnist and speaker on U.S. foreign policy. He lives in Greece.

"DIPLOMACY LESSONS is a riveting account of American diplomacy at the end of the twentieth and beginning of the twenty-first century. John Brady Kiesling's stimulating and inspirational observations are an important contribution to the history of our times."--Amb. Joseph Wilson, former ambassador under Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and author of THE POLITICS OF TRUTH