The Foreign Service Journal, October 2006

Yet as part of her call for “trans- formational diplomacy,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is pur- suing a global repositioning initia- tive that reduces the U.S. presence in Europe, in order to beef up embassies elsewhere in the world. Improving U.S. representation in India or Indonesia is an excellent idea. But drawing down in Europe to do so is a mistake. A political shakeup is on the horizon in the U.K. Romano Prodi has considered pulling the Italian contingent out of Iraq. Poland is changing. Putin’s Russia is flexing its petroleum-funded muscle in worrisome ways. Even on good days, interests are seldom identical and no one wants to pay the piper. Our foreign affairs friends are not clones of America or of one another. The bedrock for American security, we often think, is shared democratic values and perceptions of what is good or important and what is not. But genuine democracies differ in culture and habits of mind. They disagree about priorities. They are frequently at odds about eco- nomic issues, the World Trade Organization negotiations being a case in point. Even minor gaps in understanding can be fatal when time is of the essence. Consider a demarche, an ur- gent request for another government’s support or state- ment of support, often presented at the highest level. The U.S. needs a quick response: “Yes, we support you!” or “No, forget about it!” With no time for discussion or negotiation, the response may be an unwelcome nega- tive if a government fears its public is insufficiently pre- pared. This need not happen. Sustained public diplomacy can ease the way for a demarche. Given today’s hyper- F O C U S O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 29 The swagger that inspired confidence during the Cold War now generates more resentment than admiration. SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE AMERICA S I NCE 1 9 7 1 2006 represents our 36 th year helping to maintain America’s fleet of vehicles throughout the world. All of us at D & M consider it an honor to have worked with all of you through these years. We are aware of the importance of your official and private vehicles, forklifts, generators, tools and equipment. We look forward to continuing this service in a professional manner. We are here to help, just ask! Gary Vlahov www.dmauto.com (516) 822-6662; FAX: (516) 822-5020; E-mail: info@dmauto.com