Is American optimism just foolish naivety, or does it actually have the power to change realities on the ground? According to Andreas Theyssen of the Financial Times Deutschland, the answer is pretty clear that whatever mistakes American optimism results in, the record shows that it’s nothing to sneeze at.
“God has a special providence for fools, drunks and the United States of America.”
— Condoleezza Rice, quoting former German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
Translated by James Jacobson, by Andreas Theyssen, January 23, 2007
Germany – Financial Times Deutschland – Original Article (German)DAVOS: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice startled at the World Economic Forum in Davos with a special rquest – a plea for more optimism.
What does Americans do if they want to avoid being considered naive? They say that Americans are glad to be thought naive. And if an American says the words “Old Europe,” he strives to deliver a quote from Bismarck just to back up this point.
[In her speech, Rice quoted Bismarck as saying, “God has a special providence for fools, drunks and the United States of America.” WATCH ]
That is exactly what U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice did at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday night. Justifiably so. In view of the crises in Kenya, Pakistan, Iraq and on the financial markets, she said that there is a “need for optimism” so that all of these crises could be overcome. For without optimism and confidence they cannot be. Indeed, at first, this does sound pretty naive.In diplomacy, says Rice, it’s simply not sufficient to act merely within the framework of the possible. One must go beyond the possible, as her mentor Henry Kissinger did as Richard Nixon’s legendary Secretary of State when relations with the People’s Republic of China were normalized in the early 1970s. So she comes to the conclusion that every challenge can be overcome, as long as one approaches it with optimism and confidence – an essential feature of U.S. policy.
Founder and Managing Editor of Worldmeets.US