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American foreign policy without ever running across his name-is as
poor as it is politically tainted.
L.ost in all of this relentless bashing is any appreciation of the notion
that Henry Kissinger must be counted among the more effective states–
men in American history, certainly in the post-World War II era. That
docs not mean, of course, that all of his policies are beyond reproach
from either a realist or an idealist perspective. Like every influential
statesman of every great power throughout recorded history, Kissinger
made his share of mistakes and had his share of moral lapses. Serious
diplomatic historians have noted these shortcomings time and again
with regard to American foreign policy in Southeast Asia, Latin Amer–
ica, and the Middle East. But
to
characterize Kissinger's
Weltallschau–
illig
as either muddled or amoral on this basis is grossly unfair. While
his policies were intended, first and foremost,
to
advance American
national interests as he defined them, he was not unmindful of the moral
im pi ica tions of his decisions.
That same combination of stern realism and softer idealism is clearly
evident in his new book on American foreign policy in the twenty-first
century.
In
a series of well-written and provocative chapters, he traces
not only the American encounter with every region of the world during
the Cold War, but also the current situation within each region itself. Of
particular interest here is his ability to bring a historical perspective to
current affairs by using his voluminous knowledge of diplomacy over
the centuries and
to
draw insightful parallels between the past and the
present. He notes, for example, how the nature of conflicts in the mod–
ern Middle East hears a striking resemblance
to
the nature of conflicts
in pre- Rena issa nce Eu rope, especia II yin terms of thei r ideologica I over–
tones.
In
the final chapters of the book, he tackles the controversial issue
of globalization in both its economic and political senses, nicely round–
ing out his thoughts on the direction in which he believes American for–
eign policy should head in the coming decades.
Kissinger hegins with two unassa i1a ble prem ises: the interna tional
s~'stell1,
now, is in a period of profound and unsettling transformation
and the United States, as the world's only superpower, must take the
lead in managing this change. The challenge for American foreign pol–
icy, he a vers, will be
to
na viga te the rocky shoa Is of th is " New World
Order"
to
promote both America's a nd the world's wei fa reo "Enl ight–
ened self-interest," though with an unabashed realist's emphasis on the
latter, is his mantra.
Kissinger docs not simply stick
to
vague generalities on the direction
AIllerica n foreign pol icy ought
to
take, but instead offers ra ther speci fic
