Mumbai

It should be no surprise that we stand with the people of India and Pakistan during this crisis. Good and decent individuals everywhere were horrified. And for all our faults, I believe the people of the United States still believe, and will yet sacrifice, for the right of individuals everywhere to be free and safe from tyranny. To our friends in the most distant parts of the globe, we offer our prayers, and our support.

But we must not substitute passion for policy, and bold words for substance. Both are needed. Though diminished by policy blunders foreign and domestic, the word, confidence, support, and - it is true - military might of the United States still speaks strongly, if not always convincingly, across the wide world. Yet it is precisely now, when the need for multilateral coordination of policy is greatest, that we find ourselves most vulnerable and least able to play a strong role.

This is not to say that the United States should or will retreat into isolation. The temptation is great, but the dangers are greater. We hope that the current necessary process of deleveraging, recapitalization, and rectifying trade imbalances will provide a more stable and transparent international financial system. In the meantime, balancing moral hazard, limited resources, and systemic risk, and mindful of the politically possible, we labor to manage expectations of many, many stakeholders. The time has not come for the United States to cede its leadership in many of the international institutions that it created and dominated in the post-WWII era; but it is long overdue for us to begin transmuting these institutions into something that can work in a multipolar world, a world where we welcome a stronger, richer, and ever more democratic India. Our experience teaches us the value of a democratic nation endowed with the talents of its people, its rich cultural heritage, its natural beauty, and, most importantly, good relations with stable neighbors. We wish the same destiny for India, distinct and improved by attention to history and its own distinctive heritage and values.

We stand with the people who grieve in Mumbai and every corner of the world. But we also pray, fervently, that the desire to do good does not lead us to settle for doing something. The goal may well be deteriorating relations between India and Pakistan. The emotional backlash and subsequent actions taken by all parties may result in just that.

Those in positions of power need no lecture from people like me; as is usually the case, those who know better need no reminder, and those who don't need no responsibility. For the rest of us, we must have the courage to read, think, and analyze, as we respect and appreciate the honesty and right for high emotions from all concerned. We should never deny the validity of emotions - but we must always, always question the judgment that comes from acting solely on them.

shantih
shantih
shantih