Above all, the panel advocated a skillful meshing of U.S. hard—i.e. military-focused—power with soft power, a concept developed by Nye that involves the ability of a country to attract peoples and nations to its side without coercion, instead using an attractive culture and admirable values that command respect across the world. However, U.S. influence has clearly deteriorated around the world, Armitage said, citing the nation’s current reputation as an arrogant and rejectionist power and growing questions about America’s competence, as evidenced by the debacle after Hurricane Katrina and the poor planning for the war in Iraq. In addition, many around the world have blamed the United States for the job losses and dislocation brought on by globalization. But Armitage believes it’s not too late to repair America’s tarnished image overseas. “The decline in American influence can be a temporary phenomenon. I believe most countries want us to be the indispensable nation, but they don’t want us to be rejectionist. For example, if we didn’t like the Kyoto Protocol—and I think there were good reasons for us not to like Kyoto—it was incumbent upon us to put a better idea forward. You can’t just say no. “The great majority of nations want us to be the indispensable nation, but that is only the case when we are true to our national values,” Armitage continued. “When we engage in such things as torture, when we waterboard, when we deny habeas corpus, when our actions are not consistent with our words, we engender a huge amount of cynicism.” As part of this broader, more hopeful foreign policy, Armitage outlined several key initiatives the next U.S. president should undertake. First, the new government should shore up U.S. alliances and work closely with multilateral institutions. There is a compelling need, Armitage said, to reverse the impression that for the United States, international law is suggestive rather than binding, that alliances are outdated and peripheral, and that international institutions are ineffectual or hostile. Second, the United States should take a bolder and more creative approach to global development, crafting a coherent strategy on public health. For instance, Armitage pointed out that strong U.S. leadership to combat infectious diseases would save millions of lives and reflect the nation’s best traditions. Third, the next administration should focus on global economic issues, working hard to ensure that the advantages of globalization are available— and evident—to all countries and peoples. Fourth, the next president should employ U.S. technology and innovation to tackle climate change and energy insecurity. Policies that reduce demand through increased efficiency, diversify energy suppliers and fuel choices, and better manage the geopolitics of key regions are crucial. U.S. leadership is needed to shape a new energy framework, Armitage argued, noting that the United States and Japan should work closely with India and China on energy issues. Finally, the next president should pay closer attention to public diplomacy, although Armitage cautioned that this does not entail a slick marketing campaign. “I don’t see public diplomacy as an exercise in the U.S. talking louder or talking more. Nobody out there doesn’t understand the U.S. The question they have is: Do we understand them? A large part of public diplomacy should be to hush up and listen. Everyone knows what we want and what we think. Let’s hear what they think and what they want. People would be so shocked it might have a salutary effect. Maybe there is some common ground,” Armitage explained. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Armitage has wide experience in international affairs. A Vietnam War combat veteran, he moved to Washington after the fall of Saigon and worked as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense. He also served as an adviser to Ronald Reagan when he ran for the presidency in 1980. In addition, Armitage has held several senior Pentagon posts, served as special envoy to the Philippines, U.S. mediator in the Middle East regarding water issues, special envoy to King Hussein of Jordan, and coordinator of U.S. aid to the former nations of the Soviet Union. Armitage was an adviser to George W. Bush’s presidential campaign in 2000 and then served for four years as the deputy secretary of state, working closely with Secretary of State Colin Powell. Since leaving the State Department, Armitage has joined several corporate boards and set up an international consulting firm, Armitage International. Although disappointed with many features of the Bush administration’s international policies, Armitage is hopeful that the next administration can promote U.S. interests and win back the world’s confidence and respect. “There is no doubt the U.S. is always the big dog in the room, but we don’t need to say it. When we’re asked our opinion, we can give it. It carries enormous weight. But we have to carry ourselves in an appropriate way. The next president has to set a new tone, not of arrogance and swagger, but of humility and confidence in our pre-eminence as a force for good,” he said. “Most Americans don’t want to see their country as an object of ridicule. They want the U.S. to be humble, but great, in the conduct of American foreign policy.” John Shaw is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

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