Comments on: Diplomacy As Coercion

By: Ric Locke

Ric Locke — Sun, 04 May 2008 14:10:25 +0000

No, the reason for the misconception -- fully shared by Yglesias -- is that they do not recognize the case where the other party's minimum price is more than you are willing or able to pay. "Give them whatever they want" is not an expression of power, soft or otherwise.

Regards,
Ric

By: DL

DL — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:21:29 +0000

"...genuine bargaining aimed at reaching a mutually advantageous agreement. You’re trying to cooperate and realize positive-sum gains,.."

Anyone who has spent years over the bargaining table with people who don't wish to cooperate and seek resolution, view this as silly talk.

Think of a football team against a badminton team -it doesn't come to anything but a onesided victory and not for the good guys Obama.

By: yetanotherjohn

yetanotherjohn — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:05:20 +0000

All diplomacy is a continuation of war by other means. Chou En Lai (I wonder if he was dealing directly with Kerry in Paris).

Diplomacy is a disguised war, in which states seek to gain by barter and intrigue, by the cleverness of arts, the objectives which they would have to gain more clumsily by means of war. Randolph Bourne

Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie!" till you can find a rock. Wynn Catlin

So there are some dissenting views on the subject.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:40:25 +0000

nothing diminishes your soft power quite like hitting someone over the head with a sock full of quarters.

Best line of the day, by far.