Is it just me, or did we trade the Cold War for a Colder War in the 21st century?
We seem to have collected more enemies in the last couple decades, and worse, they seem to be getting more dangerous. Remember when our favorite rancher, George W. Bush, called them the Axis of Evil?
We always need a bogeyman (or men) to prop up support for military action. But President Barack Obama promised a new era in foreign relations, one where bogeymen weren't needed, one where we could be tough without being insufferable at the negotiating table, and one where military action was a last resort rather than the preferred course of action.
Wherever he travels, Obama spreads a message of conciliation very distinct from Bush's "with us or against us" stance. Many have criticized his tone as too apologetic or soft, but, with the exception of North Korea, we seem to be making progress where we weren't before. It remains to be seen exactly how Obama will deal with important players who happen not to like us: Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
Russia is a two-headed monster now, and Obama has the difficult job of navigating the complicated world of Russian politics. Two weeks ago, he and President Dmitry Medvedev announced an encouraging nuclear arms reduction plan that would cut nukes in both countries by one-third. I'm not sure we should be comforted by Russia and the U.S. each having "only" 1,675 warheads, but it shows that Russia can agree with us on something, and Obama even gave the often-tense Medvedev a friendly touch on the shoulder.
Those who call Obama weak because we aren't dictating demands to a weakened Russia are missing the big picture. Bolster Russia's self-esteem, treat it as an equal, and it will come with us on many policies, including those dealing with China.
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China is already our Colder War nemesis. The Chinese do just about everything cheaper, and they own much of our debt. They scare us in a way the Soviets never could - economically. The Chinese have the best of both worlds: room to innovate and a lack of democratic obstacles and pesky environmental regulations. They also brutally suppress dissent, as last week's slaughter of Uighur protesters in western China and last year's killing of Tibetans demonstrated.
The source of a lot of American foreign policy bungling is a deeply ingrained cultural and political arrogance that has been hard to shake. We are taught that America is best in all things and that other countries all want to emulate us. Think anything else and Bill O'Reilly will tell you're not a patriot. But hey, guess what: We have a great nation founded on admirable principles, but we've slipped on the charts quite a bit.
We can't assume that democracy is a naturally growing plant in every political ecosystem. Don't get me wrong - living conditions in Russia and China for the underclass (particularly the rural Chinese) are deplorable. But they're not the ones who lead democratic revolutions. So why craft a foreign policy under the assumption that their political systems are inferior and will inevitably break under pressure?
We make the same mistakes in Iran and North Korea, two countries that are about to join the fast-growing nukes club. Their defiance is ominous, but not irreconcilable. Obama understands that humility goes a long way when dealing with friends and enemies. It's something we could all use a little more of in our lives.
Josh Green is a columnist for the Daily Californian, a student newspaper serving University of California-Berkley.
