Originally published on the CGS blog on June 12, 2007.
Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) is speaking right now, and the main focus of his remarks is Iran. But as a lead-in, he told a story about his mother punishing him as a child for doing something he wasn’t supposed to do. When he asked her if she still loved him, she answered “Son, I will always love you, but it is better to be trusted than loved.” He then went on to argue that that is where the United States finds itself — trusted, not loved.
Well, Senator, I hate to burst your bubble, but America is neither trusted nor loved. The current Administration’s utter disregard for international conventions of any kind (whether treaties, agreements, or more informal arrangements) has helped erode the trust that many in the world once had for America’s word. And this Administration’s actions have only further eroded that trust.
A number of years ago, Francis Fukyama wrote a book called “Trust ,” which got far less attention than his other writings. Fukyama argued that single most important determinant of a country’s political and economic development is the level of trust that exists in that society. To the definition of trust as “the trait of believing in the honesty and reliability of others,” Fukuyama would add the idea of cooperation based on shared values.
I think Fukuyama’s thesis applies to international relations as well (though to be fair, I’m not sure he would agree). Without honesty and reliability — not to mention cooperation, nations can’t work together. And right now, most nations don’t trust — and thus are finding it harder and harder to work with — the United States.
