The Foreign Service Journal, April 2017

64 APRIL 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The Power of the Past takes important steps toward challenging historians to make their work more policy-relevant and useful. At the same time, it encourages foreign policy practitioners to become more sensitive to history’s complexities and self- aware about the sources and influences of their own historical assumptions. American power is inherently limited and overreach dangerous; the lesson for Bush was that the bold, decisive use of military power is necessary if success is to be achieved. Similarly, different views of Balkans history divided American and European counterparts in trying to come up with a common approach to the Bosnia and Kosovo crises. Another series of essays points to history’s more subtle influences. The lineage of current diplomatic efforts against human trafficking, we learn, is past campaigns against “white slavery.” Today’s discussions over Japan’s mili- tary strength are heavily influenced by the post-World War II U.S. occupation authorities’ narrative proclaiming that both U.S. and Japanese peoples were victimized by Japanese militarism. Scholars evaluating President Ron- ald Reagan’s National Security Council are urged to look beyond well-known indications of grave dysfunction and instead note the NSC’s remarkable suc- cess in achieving Reagan’s key policy goals. “Containment” evokes memories of U.S. diplomatic pre-eminence and eventual Cold War success. But we are reminded that this strategy—crafted to achieve victory over the USSR—may not be applicable to current challenges because it was targeted at the Soviet Union’s unique strengths and weak- nesses. The Power of the Past takes important steps toward challenging historians to make their work more policy-relevant and useful. At the same time, it encour- ages foreign policy practitioners to become more sensitive to history’s complexities and self-aware about the sources and influences of their own historical assumptions. The premise of the book suggests questions for future research. It would be interesting, for example, to learn if policymakers in other countries have the same struggles with history as those in the United States. Also worth examin- ing is whether powerful analogies such as Munich and Vietnam are losing their power as generations too young to have experienced them become leaders. I would urge any current foreign policy practitioner to read The Power of the Past to gain insights into history’s power, as well as an understanding of its promise and pitfalls when deciding the best courses of action for today. n Todd Kushner, a retired Foreign Service of- ficer, lives in Rockville, Maryland.