Talking

We are rapidly approaching the inauguration of a new president of the United States. Coinciding with that are the hearings for the members of the soon-to-be chief executive's new cabinet. These men and women have been nominated by President-elect Obama and require the approval of the U.S. Senate before they can formally assume the duties of their new jobs. As it always the case, the transition from nominee to cabinet secretary for some of these individuals is going more smoothly than it is others. For instance, the nomination of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state is going very smoothly while the nomination of Timothy Geithner as secretary of treasury has run into a few bumps. Eventually, I predict, all of Obama's nominees will be approved.

I mention the selection of a new cabinet and, specifically, former U.S. first lady and U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton because I was struck by a point she raised earlier this week in response to various questions from members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It had to do with changes in U.S. policy; specifically, to actually engage in conversations with countries deemed not to be friendly with us. This simple point has been a source of much debate over the past few years, particularly in light of the outgoing administration's reluctance to engage in conversation or diplomacy with allies as well as non-allies. The previous administration argued to engage in direct talk with non-friendlies is to give those countries and their leaders a cloak of legitimacy that they do not deserve or have not earned. Doing so also reduces the prestige of the United States. To both of these arguments I say "hogwash."

Every day all of us engage in some form of communication with those we do not necessarily consider to be friends or even friendly. But we do soon because we recognize to go though life each day by connecting only with friends is virtually impossible and limiting. We engage - communicate - with friend and foe in order to pursue mutual goals, advance our own goals, and because it keeps the wheels of progress in society moving just as they should. Any time communication breaks down, for whatever reason, we all suffer. Rarely are there positive alternatives to not communicating. What alternatives there are include fighting and active sabotage, neither of which is good for us as individuals for us as citizens of the world.