Quote:
Originally Posted by tw
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Diplomacy is always about learning. Learning is why people best meet face to face. To learn.
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Reagan and Gorbachev met in Iceland to learn from one another many facts that might make possible an end to a Cold War. In order to eliminate distracting 'power' issues, they met alone only with two translators and two security agents. They almost eliminated all nuclear weapons. They didn't. But what resulted was mostly in what was learned by diplomacy in Iceland. It ended the Cold War (even though wacko extremists like Cheney insisted otherwise).
That is even why all nations have ambassadors in other nations. Diplomacy. To learn from others.
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Wow. I have so much respect for this.
You know when learning-based diplomacy would NOT be considered effective? Only when "certain kinds of people" are not worthy of reciprocal respect. Diplomacy that says "I already know better than you" is NOT diplomacy. In the elegant, classical sense (so well put, here by tw).
The world has enough disrespect and lack of understanding. That's, actually, the whole problem. Putting ourselves at odds with billions of people by making grandstanding generalizations is what is going to get us all killed.
Both abroad, and at home, apparently.