Friendship 102809

If you have friends you don’t need enemies. In international affairs this translates to conflicting agendas among friendly states where the powerful deserts its friends when they are no longer useful. Promises of enduring friendship are made, treaties are signed, aid and trade promised, then a new dynamic is courted.

This is called the Realist paradigm, which sees the suspension of all ethical rules and norms, is just in the pursuit of maximum benefit to the state’s greater good. Of course the greater good is a subjective concept defined by the state’s bureaucracy with the maximum benefit falling to its own self-interest. Businesses, governments and individuals express this as, “What is good for me is good for everyone.”

The greater the power the greater the betrayal is a foreign policy norm. Modern history is full of examples. Start with Hitler at Munich again with the Soviet Union, the Soviets and Finland, Britain and the French Fleet. The latter could be termed kicking a friend while he is down, which was followed by the French abandonment of post war NATO. Twice the United States put self interest ahead of the NATO alliance it created, with the unilateral diversion of committed forces to support its war in Vietnam and again to support its interest in the Middle East. NATO allies were livid and now the U.S. is forced to beg NATO to pull its chestnuts from the fires of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The United States has a long history of treaty abrogation, just ask the American Indians or CENTO (aka METO) and SEATO states. (The U.S. is again trying to get the once abandoned southeast Asian states to sign on to new treaty promises.) Torn between two treaty obligation, the U.S. abandoned one friend to side with another in the Falkland war. Taiwan has strong views on the value of American friendship, as does Pakistan. Early in this century at the height of another Pakistan/India border dispute the U.S. deserted its traditional Pakistani friend for India. Then the events of post 911 forced America, hat in hand, to seek Pakistan’s help, who now demanded up front support over broken American promises.

That’s policy level, at the human level Americans are also distrusted. From the African proxy wars of the 50s and 60s people who sided with the U.S. were left to the mercies of their enemies. Philippine soldiers, who marched with Americans at Bataan, were ignored for decades. Fighters of Hungary, Central America, Vietnam and Afghanistan, who rallied to America’s call, silently watched American withdrawals. Tribesmen and villagers of Iraq and Afghanistan who welcomed American promises now watch more American withdraws. Tarred with the stigma of collaboration, they now wait alone for the mercy of the merciless.

It is little wonder that America has lost the trust and respect of the peoples as they come to realize they are only pawns for a great power Realist game.