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 The Saxophone Is Mightier Than the SwordBy SHARON BOGAS
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| Sharon Bogas |
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Everyone remembers the day last April when U.S. soldiers, helping to topple a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, momentarily draped the former dictator's head with an American flag. Although the flag was quickly replaced with an Iraqi one, the image was seized upon by critics and became a symbol of America's purportedly mixed motivations for the war in Iraq. This episode proved, not the existence of secret American imperialistic intent, but rather the difficulties which face the U.S. as we attempt to prove that our new role as the world's policeman is a benevolent, disinterested one.
Sadly, in the arena of power politics, it is difficult to establish credibility for motivations that are less than completely self-serving. Our greatest battles will not take place in the hills of Afghanistan or the suburbs of Baghdad. They will take place in the hearts and minds of ordinary citizens, both in this country and abroad, as we try to convince them of America's unselfish intentions. The power of democracy comes from the people, and if their support is absent, our power and the power of our ideology will diminish. Clearly our government believes in the universality and persuasiveness of that ideology. It must now convince an ambivalent world of its sincerity.In order to accomplish this, we should rely both on traditional diplomacy, which takes place largely between the elites of a society, and on public and cultural diplomacy, which establishes bonds between sections of countries' general populations. If we are to be seen as friends, not enemies, understanding between our people and the people of foreign nations is vital, and misconceptions can be fatal.
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You cannot tell people what to think. You can, however, increase their capacity to think for themselves and make them aware of their alternatives.
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During the Cold War, our government launched a concerted effort to combat the false propaganda being spread by the communist countries about America and the West. These programs were perceived by some to have been instrumental in the eventual fall of communism. The sending of jazz musicians overseas was particularly successful in creating goodwill toward this country. At the time, our government's support of these programs was largely due to assumptions about their strategic relevancy. Since the end of the Cold War, however, programs and funding for public and cultural diplomacy have been pared down consistently, by presidents from both parties. This is unfortunate, because at no time since the fall of communism has the security of this country been as threatened by a rising ideology as at present. Radical religious fundamentalism, pinpointed over a decade ago by Francis Fukuyama as a possible challenge to Western liberal democracy, has begun to make its play for people's hearts and minds. The "War on Terror"—while of necessity partly a military operation, partly an economic one—must also include a significant diplomatic effort to engage directly the populations of affected countries.Whether our goals in the Middle East and around the world be predominantly altruistic (as the administration now asserts) or strategic, or a combination of the two, it is clear that we must try to change global misconceptions about America. We must show the world that there is more to this country than its armed forces. If the world's impressions of America are confined to images of its military might, it will be difficult indeed to persuade them that our message is one of peace and freedom. You cannot tell people what to think. You can, however, increase their capacity to think for themselves and make them aware of their alternatives. We should revitalize exchange programs in the arts and sciences so that people in other nations do not maintain a negative view of the United States due to lack of information. Through these cultural exchanges, education, and by increasing access to information, America can clarify its intentions to the world.Sharon Bogas is a master's degree candidate in cello.
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