The World after Cablegate, Part II: Diplomacy

Most cables about the leaders of the world do not reveal anything new to the reader. It rather seemed like gossip than real news. Like someone tells us that Charlie Sheen is a drug taking alcoholic who likes to be “surrounded” by "actresses". We like to read the story, make some jokes about it with our (male) friends on the next day, and move on with our lives as Charlie Sheen gets back to the set of “Two and a half Men” after two obligatory weeks in a rehab clinic. Like Charlie Sheens behavioural problems we already knew that Russia is corrupt, Sarkozy acts like an emperor and everyone hates Ahmadinejad. No news at all. In my opinion, like Charlie Sheen after Rehab, nothing will change considering how nations act with each other. Some diplomats will have to leave their offices, the U.S. Gouverment already apologised for their thoughts on other leaders and countries. Transparency does not help to reach a goal in the field of diplomacy. Its all about the struggle of power and about making deals, which have to be made in secret and can hardly be over viewed and evaluated by the common man.

Other opinions than mine on how Cablegate influences diplomacy:

The secretary of Defence Robert Gates stated on a pentagon news conference that “The fact is governments deal with the United States because it’s in their interest -- not because they like us, not because they trust us, and not because they believe we can keep secrets,” and: “Is this embarrassing? Yes. Is it awkward? Yes. Consequences for U.S. foreign policy? I think fairly modest.”(click here for the statement)

Professor Peter Singer from Princeton University points out that the Cables rather contain gossip than important news and distinguishes between the usefulness of openness in democracy and in diplomacy:

“Knowledge is generally considered a good thing; so, presumably, knowing more about how the US thinks and operates around the world is also good. In a democracy, citizens pass judgment on their government, and if they are kept in the dark about what their government is doing, they cannot be in a position to make well-grounded decisions. Even in non-democratic countries, people have a legitimate interest in knowing about actions taken by the government. (click here for an article about his statement)

Nevertheless, it isn’t always the case that openness is better than secrecy. Suppose that US diplomats had discovered that democrats living under a brutal military dictatorship were negotiating with junior officers to stage a coup to restore democracy and the rule of law. I would hope that WikiLeaks would not publish a cable in which diplomats informed their superiors of the plot.

Openness is in this respect like pacifism: just as we cannot embrace complete disarmament while others stand ready to use their weapons, so Woodrow Wilson’s world of open diplomacy is a noble ideal that cannot be fully realized in the world in which we live.” (click here for the article)

“Der Spiegel” Called it a political meltdown in a first reaction We know today that nothing really melted. (click here for the early evaluation of “Der Spiegel”)

Written by Leaker3