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Nuanced European Diplomacy
Hadn't seen this here, hope it's not a duplicate. Belgravia Dispatch (link in title) reproduces a section of a New Yorker piece on John McCain (not online, apparently). This bit isn't about McCain, but includes the words of the German ambassador to the US, Wolfgang Ischinger: "As older societies, we [Europeans] tend to think of ourselves as more experienced in the way societies evolve, and we tend to be skeptical of Americans who seem to think that if you believe hard enough, and you muster enough resources, you can change the world...In the last year or so, as we've engaged in discussions about the transformation of the Middle East and democracy, I have told my American friends that the region in this world that has seen the most transformation and change is Central and Eastern Europe--without shedding a drop of blood. So don't preach to us. And don't think transformative change will work according to mechanistic rules. This is very complicated. Changing the way people think often has to do with religious and cultural issues--we tend to think of them as long-term, and Americans think, Let's solve the problem in the next four years!" See the photoessay on "without shedding a drop of blood" at Davids Medienkritik. Also at Medienkritik, an earlier example of Ischinger's nuance. Well, whoever TGA is, we know he's not the German ambassador. (NOTE: Preview button not working for me. Don't know what kind of mess this will turn out to be. Posted by: Angie Schultz 2005-05-27 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=120158 |