A city upon a hill

"...for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us..." - John Winthrop, 1630

On Wednesday, I got to hear George Mitchell discuss "America's Role in the World" at UCI. It's a welcome topic, as the people actually leading America today have so few intelligent, or even intelligible, things to say about it.

Mitchell is a former Senate majority leader and chair of the successful peace negotiations in Northern Ireland. So he's a natural authority on the subject of America's role in the world, the substance of which I have roughly transcribed below. During his lecture, he struck me as a kinder and gentler Winthrop, the Puritan who led the Massachusetts Bay Colony with a visionary but iron hand. Mitchell believes America is the best and greatest, but he also recognizes that being a great nation has nothing to do with being a great power. We are a great power, but power should serve our ideals, always.

If people around the world perceive that our greatness is merely the result of our power, and if our power serves interests counter to our ideals, then we're in trouble and we will lose the world. As well we should. He didn't go so far as to draw that conclusion, but maybe that's the optimist in him. Or the pessimist in me.

Over 100 Americans, and many more Iraqis, have died since I last wrote. That makes me so sad. Perhaps, if enough people keep speaking out...

"America's Role in the World" by George J. Mitchell

Most nations aspire to what we call American values:the primacy of individual liberty, equal justice under law, and opportunity for each member of society. However, our policies are opposed by many: specific actions against others, indifference to their plight, and resentment at our place in the world.

I have visited every country in Europe. I asked every European leader that I met with: now that the Soviet Union doesn’t exist, and Russia has withdrawn to its national borders, what should be America's place in their country? They want American forces on their soil. Why? Most want to be on the side of the strong. Power is perceived to be the exclusive basis of American authority. Power is essential for many reasons. But power must serve our ideals.

The United States was a great nation long before it was a great military and economic power. Its greatness began with the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights - the most eloquent and concise document of individual liberty in the world.

People expect our actions to match our stated ideals. There is a widespread perception that this is not true. Regarding war, peace, and terror, we need friends, allies, and international support. Throughout history, the dominant power has overextended itself. Power is most effective when used sparingly and with restraint, but when used, decisively. No challenge is more daunting than terrorism and the prospect of a wider war in the Middle East.

[Mitchell summarized his work on the Northern Ireland Commission, which he chaired.] Three objectives: ending violence, halt the destruction, and return to meaningful negotiations. Commission offered to continue services. Disappointed when this administration did not show interest. Report incorporated into the “Roadmap”. Disappointment when the current administration did not implement their “Roadmap”. We must keep trying until there is peace.

The Palestinians must end incitement of violence, and prosecute those who commit terrorism. The Israelis must order the return of military to their borders, and freeze settlements. But they harbor a “double fantasy” - some Palestinians and many in the Arab world want the removal of the Israeli state. Some Israelis, including some in cabinet, want the physical removal of Palestinian people -every man, woman, and child. The Israelis have a state, need security. Palestinians want a state, that is viable and geographically contiguous.

Violence. Palestinian violence is reprehensible, unacceptable, and politically counterproductive. Nonviolence. There must be available to Palestinians a nonviolent path to their political goals - a state - which a majority on both sides still support. The culture of peace has been totally destroyed over the past few years. Mutual mistrust is total. A majority of Palestinians support the terrorists. A majority of Israelis support “whatever” force.

From my experience in Northern Ireland: there is no such thing as a conflict that cannot be ended.

Iraq. The borders of Iraq were drawn by the British after World War I. A British civil servant drew the lines on a map that created Iraq and Jordan. They were concerned with their immediate political situation, not the history of the region or the desires of its people. They created a territory that never existed before - with the Kurdish in the north, and Sunnis in the South. This land had been separate regions in the Ottoman Empire for 400 years.

The military plan was well planned and executed. The political phase was not. Failing to act as leader of broad international coalition was “so unwise” and so shortsighted. Bush now recognizes that error, and is practically begging the UN to share political responsibility over Iraq. The total disarmament of the Iraq security forces was also unwise. Transfer of limited power will be important, they (Iraqis) must be able to choose for themselves. That’s what self-determination means.

The war on terror cannot be waged solely by military means. This war also requires effective intelligence, coordinated police work, and checks by financial institutions - all of which require international cooperation. George Bush gave a great speech after September 11. When he announced the first arrests, he named the seven cities where they occurred - Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid, etc - only one was in the U.S.

Is World Peace An Impossible Dream? A college student once asked. If by "world peace" one means a complete absence of conflict between and within nations, then yes. World population from 1 AD to 1800 AD increased by 1 billion. Since then has increased by 5 billion. Consequently, more struggle for land, water, natural resources, power. Technology of killing has increased brutality of war. And war drives technology more than anything else. Today's technology allows fewer people, with less skill and resources, to kill more people than ever.

Yet, more freedom, more knowledge, more prosperity, can be the world's future. For example, the Constitution: its authors were constrained by their society and time. They allowed the vote only to adult white men who owned property. Compare to this moment. To expand the definition of what freedom means (i.e., to whom it applies). A dominant power can use its authority to end war, famine, injustice. That is our destiny.

A final anecdote: as a federal judge, my favorite task was to preside over the naturalization ceremony for immigrants, and making them American. My mother was an immigrant, she didn't speak English when she came. My father was the orphan son of immigrants. They were poor, but here they were able to give their children the education they never had. My family's experience reflects the openness of American society. After the ceremony, I would talk with the new citizens, asked them what they thought. Favorite quote, from one Asian man, who said in halting English: here in America, everybody has a chance.