in Foreign policy, International Situations, Professor's Classroom 730 Words

Diplomacy Is A Must!

Since 1904 a major tool of the US foreign policy has been what has become to be known as ‘gunboat diplomacy’…..

Good old TR gave us this idea……

Gunboat diplomacy is an aggressive foreign policy applied with the use of highly-visible displays of military—usually naval—power to imply a threat of warfare as a means of forcing cooperation. The term is typically equated with the “Big Stick” ideology of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and the globetrotting voyage of his “Great White Fleet” in 1909.

The concept of gunboat diplomacy emerged during the late nineteenth-century period of imperialism, when the Western powers—the United States and Europe—competed to establish colonial trading empires in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Whenever conventional diplomacy failed, fleets of the larger nations’ warships would suddenly appear maneuvering off the coasts of the smaller, uncooperative countries. In many cases, the veiled threat of these “peaceful” shows of military force was enough to bring about capitulation without bloodshed.

The fleet of “Black Ships” commanded by U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry is a classic example of this early period of gunboat diplomacy. In July 1853, Perry sailed his fleet of four solid black warships into Japan’s Tokyo Bay. Without a navy of its own, Japan quickly agreed to open its ports to trade with the West for the first time in over 200 years.

https://www.thoughtco.com/gunboat-diplomacy-4774988

The US has been in one war after another….both big and little…..since those days.

War sucks needed funds out of the treasury and for what?

What we need now is diplomacy not war.

Diplomacy?

Diplomacy has probably existed for as long as civilisation has. The easiest way to understand it is to start by seeing it as a system of structured communication between two or more parties. Records of regular contact via envoys travelling between neighbouring civilisations date back at least 2500 years. They lacked many of the characteristics and commonalities of modern diplomacy such as embassies, international law and professional diplomatic services. Yet, it should be underlined that political communities, however they may have been organised, have usually found ways to communicate during peacetime, and have established a wide range of practices for doing so. The benefits are clear when you consider that diplomacy can promote exchanges that enhance trade, culture, wealth and knowledge.

For those looking for a quick definition, diplomacy can be defined as a process between actors (diplomats, usually representing a state) who exist within a system (international relations) and engage in private and public dialogue (diplomacy) to pursue their objectives in a peaceful manner.

Diplomacy is not foreign policy and must be distinguished from it. It may be helpful to perceive diplomacy as part of foreign policy. When a nation-state makes foreign policy it does so for its own national interests. And, these interests are shaped by a wide range of factors. In basic terms, a state’s foreign policy has two key ingredients; its actions and its strategies for achieving its goals. The interaction one state has with another is considered the act of its foreign policy. This act typically takes place via interactions between government personnel through diplomacy. To interact without diplomacy would typically limit a state’s foreign policy actions to conflict (usually war, but also via economic sanctions) or espionage. In that sense, diplomacy is an essential tool required to operate successfully in today’s international system.

“Clearly what is needed is diplomacy and negotiations on contested matters,” linguist and historian Noam Chomsky tells Truthout, “and real cooperation on such crucial issues as global warming, arms control, future pandemics — all very severe crises that know no borders. Whether Biden’s hawkish foreign policy team will have the wisdom to move in these directions is, for now, at best unclear — at worst, frightening. Absent significant popular pressures, prospects do not look good.”

I have been watching Biden’s turn in foreign policy and so far I have seen NOTHING that would lead to a more peaceful existence for the people of this planet.

The time is now….but DC turns its back on the possibility for a peaceful world…..and the reason is cash.

It is more about filling re-election coffers with money more than the benefits to humanity.

All I am saying is give peace a chance (thanx to John Lennon)….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

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116 thoughts on “Diplomacy Is A Must!”

  1. John Lennon said “peace” and not “piece”? ? No wonder that line never worked for me as a pickup! 🙂

    Reply

    2. Peace as a weapon of political or religious rhetoric: employed as a passive noun. Peace which represents a bond of trust between “brothers”: a verb expression of actions taken.

      Reply

      2. Peace do ya make with friends and family or do ya make peace with enemies whom you detest and despise? Peace requires trust, and an enemy who a person abhors, no trust exists between these two antagonists. Therefore the anti-Vietnam war song by Lennon: “All we are saying, is give peace a chance”. Clearly that song employs peace as a noun rather than a verb. The song people liked to sing, but it accomplished nothing in terms of peace, Nixon illegally bombed Cambodia which caused the Pol Pot war crimes committed against the Cambodian people.

      3. This is my point…..the US seldom lives u[ to any declaration of peace…..peace to these and others is more than jingoism meaning very little…..chuq

      5. The Indian nations made “peace” with Congress and Washington. Peace did not stop the massacre at ‘Wounded Knee’.

      7. No weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq by US forces. Did Bush invade Iraq, immediately following 9/11, for a desire of peace or a hunger for imperialism and US domination of the OPEC ‘petro-dollar’ monopoly, established after the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

        Saddam had backed out of the agreement which Nixon established with OPEC countries. Bush invaded Iraq and forced Iraq to once again agree to only sell its natural gas and oil resources – sold only in US dollar currency.

  2. Conclusion of the Symposium on Jewish Beliefs
    mosckerr Uncategorized April 19, 2021 1 Minute

    by Gil Student

    “”””””Over the past twenty years, voices emerging from and associated with the movement that calls itself “Open Orthodoxy” have attempted to change Jewish practices and beliefs to be more consistent with contemporary secular practices and beliefs. Many leaders have responded by denying the merit of these attempts. While correct, these responses deserve more depth and breadth, explaining why these proposals are wrong. The Torah Musings Symposium on Jewish Beliefs clarifies the nature and sources of Jewish belief, thereby providing the backup needed to respond to proposals for change.

    Prior Torah Musings symposia have discussed Open Orthodoxy in general and the Masorah (tradition) that prevents Orthodox Judaism from going down the path of radical change. The symposium on Jewish Belief picks up where those two symposia left off and addresses the limits of Jewish beliefs, two core beliefs under attack, namely the Torah’s text and traditional family structure.”””””””

    Assimilated American and European Jewry, alas these Yidden have lost their way. Assimilation qualifies as the 1st face of avoda zara based upon the לאו דוקא commandment: after the ways of Egypt and Canaan, do not follow.

    Assimilated Yidden lack the skills to separate and distinguish Mussar from Theology. The latter imposes a strong belief system/defined Creeds of belief upon its “believers”. Mussar by sharp contrast exists as native born ideas which sprout and grow within the hearts of individuals. Mussar compares to a heavy stone that falls upon a persons’ foot. That person does not immediately thereafter shout out: “I believe a stone just fell upon my foot!”

    Religious Creeds of theological belief by contrast, their religious questions concerning the Gods, they all stand upon the יסוד known as the Ego of “I believe …”. T’NaCH prophets all command, one and every prophet, mussar. No Torah prophet commands religious Creeds of theological belief, imposed upon the faithful of that particular religion. The attempt made by the New Testament authors to foist a bogus: Jesus fulfilled the words of the prophets, this technique attempts to establish theology: a wolf dressed in sheep skins, upon Torah mussar based prophecy.

    Reply

      1. Consider what you just wrote. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia consider the Koran as their national Constitution. Courts make liberal or conservative interpretation of the intent of the Framer of the Constitution. Court rulings what do they qualify as: religious or political?

      3. The US Supreme Court continually asks the question: “What was the intent of the Framers?” of the current US Constitution. Clearly, this question of intent qualifies as a political question. The Constitution of the US, by definition exists as a political and not a religious debate.

        The Framers of the US Constitution followed the Republic model established by the ancient Torah Constitution, commonly referred to as the 1st Jewish Commonwealth in Judea. The 12 Tribes swore an oath alliance with the other Tribes, and thereby forged the 1st Republic. The Written Torah functioned as the written Constitution of that Republic!

        So when did the Torah switch from a political discussion unto a religious discussion? During the Middle Ages when Jewish refugee populations living in European countries could not discuss Torah as a political idea but the Church limited its dogma of ‘Free Will’, strictly and only to religious discussions.

  3. I watched John Kerry on his visit to China, trying to get them to stop using so much coal. From the number one oil producing country in the world, and the third biggest user of coal behind China and India, I was amazed he managed to keep a straight face. My dad had an expression that would be useful for Kerry.
    “Do as I tell you, not do as I do”.
    Best wishes, Pete.

    Reply

      2. Exactly so!!!! The type of ”peace” you would never trust employs the rhetoric term “peace” as a noun, and not a verb. A man marries a woman, he does so in the name of peace. But if he comes from a family where the father beats up and humiliates the wife and children, such promises of “peace” promised by the groom compare to the vile signature of John Kerry – full of shit.

      1. The so called 2 State Solution, dividing a country into 2 hostile states in the name of peace brings war in its wake, not peace. The British divided India from Pakistan. Wars followed that division not peace. A fool hopes for a different result by repeating a failed experiment.

        EU, US, Russian imperialist interests cry out for a 2 State division of the Jewish State. All these peace loving countries have troops in Civil War torn Syria, Libya, and Iraq.

      2. If the treaties had been honored there would be a more peaceful region…..the Pakistan India thing has the fault of the British..just as was the ME situation today. The solution has not been tried so saying it will not work is a moot point chuq

      3. If the treaties had been honored … and that’s the rub, treaties exists to serve national interests, when those interests change the treaty aint worth used toilet paper.

      4. The greed for land and resources makes most treaties null and the desire to exert dominance over another chuq

      5. Therefore the selling argument of: “”Peace in our Days” that Chamberlain declared after Britain and Nazi Germany carved up the Czech state in 1938. That 2 state solution: just more bull shit political rhetoric propaganda wherein the State lies to the People.

      7. Examples of 2 state solutions imposed by barbaric imperialist empires, like the division of the Czech state by Britain and Germany, only a fool repeated a failed experiment with the hope of attaining different results.

      8. And there is why they did not work…..few want to live up to agreements….only a fool wants to live in a constant fear without trying to change attitudes. chuq

      9. Every foreign imposed division of a country results in Civil War. Yugoslavia serves as a powerful example.

      10. Hatred plays a bigger role than some belief in foreign intervention….it applies today as well….most of which is some form of bigotry in the Balkans. Nowhere will this change until the preaching of inferiority is allowed to continue……and these days so form of racial superiority exists so nothing will change no amount of the trying to justify or question. chuq

      11. The Balkan Muslim and Xtian populations have two completely different sets of cultural traditions and customs. Therefore Yugoslavia broke up after the death of Tito.

      17. Please explain how Costa Rica supports your premise: ”You can have stability but it requires a common desire”

      18. Costa Rica has little to no dissension….it has no need for an army for it is on good terms with its neighbors and it does little to suppress and the population is very diverse. chuq

      19. The Costa Rican Civil War was the bloodiest event in 20th-century Costa Rican history. It lasted for 44 days (from 12 March to 24 April 1948), during which approximately 2,000 people are believed to have died. On 1 March 1948, the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, dominated by pro-government representatives, voted to annul the results of the presidential elections of 8 February, alleging that the triumph of opposition candidate Otilio Ulate over the ruling party’s Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia had been achieved by fraud.

        This triggered an armed uprising led by José Figueres Ferrer, a businessman who had not participated in the elections, against the government of President Teodoro Picado. The official Costa Rican army was small and ill equipped, and most of the resistance against the insurgents came from the militias of the Communist People’s Vanguard Party, which was part of the governing coalition in the Legislative Assembly and had voted to annul the presidential elections. The rebels commanded by Figueres rapidly defeated the government forces and their Communist allies, forcing President Picado to step down and leave the country along with former president Calderón Guardia.

      20. Thanx for the history lesson….but after that event the army was disbanded in 1949……at least they know how to fix the crap that people spread. chuq

      21. Still, what does a disbanded army have to do with our thesis of: You can have stability but it requires a common desire. Costa Rica has not disbanded its police forces.

      22. I am talking about international stability…..they are at ‘peace’ with their neighbors…..a police force is needed….not an army that will do the bidding of petty despots to retain power. or spread some ignorant revisionism in the name of well whatever. chuq

      23. Domestic Policy has higher priority of importance than does Foreign Policy. Allies conduct diplomacy in order to maintain and strengthen the countries of the oath alliance. Herein the Torah defines as JUSTICE. Conflicting interests with complicated bnai brit alliances requires JUSTICE.

      24. Sorry it is 0320 and I need some rest before I start my daily chores….hope we can continue this at later time chuq

      25. Post Shoah, where European sub-human inferior race barbarians murdered 75% of all European Jewry in less than 4 years, this trauma to the soul of the Jewish people does not evaporate in a generation or two. Jews we rule our ancestral homelands, whereas the church of Europe has gone into exile awaiting the 2nd Coming of Jesus the son of Zeus. HaHaHa

      26. The word ‘rule’ goes to the heart of all these events……that is the words of a despot….not go for all people. chuq

      29. Rule implies some form of Order. During times of anarchy and chaos — in those dark days comes “all forms of oppression”.

      30. anarchy and chaos are excuses for oppression when people do not agree with the ruler…governing is a better way….rule implies force of “laws’ made for one part of society but not the rest. chuq

      31. “Governing is a better way” … The rule of law by definition establishes some kind of Order. The Courts impose their legal decisions by the force of the police.

      33. Social contract – a philosophy favored by Rousseau in the 18th Century. Middle East society does not follow the culture or customs of the West European Shoah Barbarians.

      34. And Locke and Voltaire…..the Middle East was on a good tact (I am talking about social issues not religious or otherwise) in the 70s and 80s…..meddling by westerns screwed that up. chuq

      35. The societies and cultures of the Middle East have never “signed on” to the Western European political concept of Rousseau’s Social Contract.

      44. When a country allows morons with guns to walk around intimidating and acting then it is not a republic it is a country of worthless spineless cowards…..this allows idiots to commit these crimes…..any nation that allows this is not a democracy. chuq

      45. Just as cars do not cause accidents so too and how much more so guns do not murder. The social fabric of society today: Americans – this includes the corrupt abomination in Washington – Americans do not differentiate between our people from foreigners. Illegal aliens have no protection by the Bill of Rights. The 1st ten Amendments apply strictly and only to US citizens.

      46. That is an old BS excuse…..person decided to pull the trigger makes the gun the toll of that decision. Thanx I am well aware of civics…..chuq

      47. President Jackson ignored Chief Justice Marshal who ruled it illegal to forcibly transfer Indian populations in Florida to Oklahoma. That population transfer goes by the name: Trail of Tears. The came the Oklahoma gold rush, and the treaty which promised Oklahoma lands given to the Indians for as long as the stars shine in the heavens – it too ceased to have any value, comparable to soiled toilet paper.

        Treaties don’t mean shit.

      48. All treaties with the NAs was never intended to succeed….so greed and typical religious BS and some form of superiority was the rule chuq

      49. The failed treaties which i have employed as examples in support of my logical arguments, one and all — political decisions. The Church has stood on its back foot since the American and French revolutions separated Church from State.

      50. That is where religion belongs….in the house of worship…nowhere does it belong in the decision making of all people. Nothing about religion is good for humanity. chuq

    2. Yet the ICC – an arrogant European court assumes they possess a moral mandate to condemn the Jewish State for war crimes … in the face of over 2000 years not a single European court ever once tried the Church for war crimes committed against humanity.

      The Deicide Gospels have a story to tell, all 4 Books speak of Courtroom injustice. An instruction whose meaning, it would at least imply, judges all generations baptized, which judges the Courts in all generations on the scales of Courtroom injustice. The Deicide Gospels story tells how through courtroom injustice Man murdered God. Herein defines Judgment Day for all Courts of Law in Xtian countries.

      Reply

      1. If a nation commits crimes like destroying crops, stealing land and silly arrests then the ICC should step in because a country says it is moral does not make it so. chuq

      2. In the early 1920s Britain separated Trans-Jordan from the Palestine mandated territories at the Jordan river. In 1948 every member state of the UN condemned as illegal the Jordanian “theft” of Palestine mandated territories which the king of Jordan labelled with the name — West Bank.

        You make an unsupported claim “stealing land”. In 1947 Jews accepted the UN 2 state proposition … all Arab and Muslim countries universally rejected the 2 state solution in favor of throwing the Jews into the Sea. The Arabs lost their wars of genocide in 1948 and 1967. To what does this case compare? The American revolution whereby fully half of the American people wanted to remain under the Crown of England! Just as the loyalists to the Crown did not receive a Independent country so too the stateless Arab refugee populations do not receive a country.

        As to ”silly arrests” — utter non sense. There’s nothing “silly” in the violent murder of almost 5000 Israelis by Balestinian terrorists! Arabs, FYI – they cannot pronounce the letter P. Palestine-this word has European origins NOT Arablic origins. You read to much CNN fake noise news.

      3. Now something bad about it: Arent Germans not fantastic? The ICC was founded because of Germany’s earlier acts, and now our politicians have it so well under control that everyone else has to present themselves there? 😉

      4. The ‘Final Solution’ terminated any doubt about the sub-human barbarism within the souls of Europeans.

  5. In order to have workable diplomacy, you need experienced and skilled diplomats. After you get enough of those on board, you have to convince somebody to stop using “Diplomacy” as a foil to cover up the real national intention of profiting from war. To achieve this level of sanity, you need to dispel the corruption in Washington … and I believe that corruption is so much a part of the governmental fabric now that it will never be resolved.

    Reply

      1. So force the Federal Congressmen and Senators to introduce Bills to Congress that their State Legislatures approve and support RATHER than Bills written by Lobbyists! chuq

      2. I am not a fan of the moronic practice of 50 law making bodies….there should be one…like it or not chuq

      5. America went under the Republic to the top 3 industrial producers across the planet earth in the 19th Century.

      8. That is a bit wrong…all citizens should have the same laws…..all citizens and that is internationally as well….chuq

      9. Citizens of Russia live under Russian laws. Citizens of Britain live under barbaric British laws etc etc etc.

      13. Explain to me how the queers in San Francisco – with their Nancy Pelosi squibs merit respect from the people in Texas?

      14. Why should I explain? You have made up your mind and nothing I say will change that…..all this dissent is thanx to morons that have little info believe lies and manure…I think they are slugs chuq

      19. A Republic … not necessarily a Democracy. The Declaration of Independence and the current Constitution together with its Amendments addresses the subject of a Republic, but never once mentions the concept of democracy.

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