The Foreign Service Journal, March 2003

for the national security of the U.S. than the advocates of unrestricted use of military might. It is worth recall- ing that America did not win the Cold War by military means; the former Soviets and their allies rejected totalitarianism in favor of political and economic free- dom. Russians believe that today’s new challenges make military solutions even more dubious. Above the Fray? At least since Machiavelli’s time, the art of politics has had a bad name. For much of the past two years, Secretary Powell seemed to stay above the political fray, apparently becoming involved in the intra-bureaucratic squabbles only when absolutely necessary. Maybe it was the instinc- tive reaction of a military officer, though some people say he probably stayed aloof a bit too long. Anyway, at this point he enjoys the sterling personal reputation of a nation- al hero. He seemingly can do no wrong in his position as the Bush administration’s secretary of State. But, at the same time, he could possibly be harmed by it. Those with whom I’ve discussed this believe that Secretary Powell would never knowingly associate himself with inherently bad policies, but I still think it’s a danger that no team player can completely ignore. This points to a similar issue: According to convention- al bureaucratic wisdom in Russia, it is often more danger- ous to be overqualified for a senior position in government than to be plainly incompetent. I’m not sure the American system is all that different in this regard. Last summer I asked Secretary Powell if he would be willing to stay on as secretary of State for the next six years. “Do you know how old I will be then?” he parried (I do: he was born in 1937, like one of my parents). A hint at the pos- sibility of higher political ambition was rejected with a firm, “I serve this country and this president.” Still, I’m sure all options are open for Colin Powell. He projects the image of confidence without arro- gance. I believe it’s the image of America as the world would like it to be. F O C U S 24 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A R C H 2 0 0 3