oneworldtalk

Make conversation, not more war

TALK is cheap. Much cheaper than war. The rapid and comprehensive remaking of American foreign policy by President Barack Obama and his Administration reflects the radical change in the personality, experience and world view of the new occupant of the White House, in contrast to the insular Texan who has departed the world stage. President Obama is doing exactly what candidate Obama promised to do - remake American foreign policy with a bias towards greater intelligence, in every sense of the word, and less gunboat diplomacy.

Three separate initiatives in the past 48 hours reflect the scope and rapidity of this shift. In Washington came the announcement of a sweeping change in spending priorities, away from expensive big toys and toward an increased ability to fight asymmetrical wars, relying on greater intelligence. The Defence Department will be allocated more funding for intelligence and surveillance, including unmanned Predator aircraft, more money for "boots on the ground", more for counter-terrorism, and less for complex warplanes, warships and missile defence systems.

This leads to the second constructive initiative, a more accommodating approach to Russia, which regarded the proposed defence missile shield to be placed in former Soviet-bloc nations in Europe as a provocation. Mr Obama has softened the American position on this new defence line.

The third initiative took place during Mr Obama's visit to Europe's only major Muslim city, Istanbul, where he reiterated his intention to reach out to the moderate Muslim world. "I am personally committed to a new chapter in American engagement," the President said, and no one could doubt his sincerity as he spoke of the Muslim element in his own background. He is not wasting this symbolic asset. This follows his speech to the Turkish parliament in Ankara in which he supported Turkey's bid to become a member of the European Union.

Also gone - and good riddance - is the "war on terror". This self-defeating phrase did more harm than good, and its removal from official use in Washington is a breakthrough for common sense. All this follows Mr Obama's performance at last week's Group of Twenty economic summit, which was marked by a sense of conciliation and multilateralism.

Whether all these shifts and changes and calibrations in policy and practice will be treated with cynicism and opportunism by the enemies of America and democracy, personified by religious fundamentalists of all kind, will be tested in the coming months. Those who see compromise as weakness, and talk as appeasement, will need to be proved wrong.

SMH Editorial 9 April 2009