The Foreign Service Journal, June 2007

is that we must seek a balance between reason and force, and that balance depends on law, derived from the “consent of the governed.” People who would disregard the law and rely on physical force as the prime determinant in governmental action do not, I believe, merit the title “conservative,” but rather “authoritar- ian” — or worse. This may define the difference between diplomatic and military approaches to international problems. At the same time, I would find it tragic if our military leaders have lost the respect they once had for law and reason. Some, I realize, have disre- garded the origins of law and consid- ered only its presence on the books, but I believe most Americans — civilian and military — have recog- nized the importance of our reliance on due process, both in enforcing and establishing the law. At the same time, I think that diplomats and oth- ers who seek to maintain the rule of law in international affairs are true conservatives, and also true liberals. (For the record, I have long regard- ed myself as a liberal, as have my friends — many of them conserva- tives — and I hope earnestly that we can restore this shared principle to the dialogue.) The U.S. must try to restore and strengthen its reputation for uphold- ing international law. This is the only long-term solution I can envision for the dangerous and depressing situa- tion we have created for ourselves with the Iraq venture. Robert Willner FSO, retired Rickreall, Ore. ■ 10 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 7 L E T T E R S Send your letters to: journal@afsa.org. Note that all letters are subject to editing for style, format and length.