May 30, 2008

The Art of Pragmatic Policy Making

It's a pity when domestic politics trumps rational foreign policy in the national interest. Should we talk with Hamas, even Hezbollah? Larry Wilkerson, Colin Powell's former Chief of Staff, says yes. Should we talk with Cuba? Emphatically yes, says Larry. And why? Because the fact is, most of the time we get more of what we want by talking with people than by periodically bashing them with military power, or by ignoring them while the rest of the world maintains normal relations. Here's a startlingly intelligent tour d'horizon, starting with the issue of torture, from a guy who — in his words — was in the ether. Total runtime an hour and seven minutes. Enjoy!