Should People in Democratic Glass Houses Throw Stones?

There are no prizes for guessing which former Eastern European superpower has been chosen as the World Health Organisation and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s next big juicy target. The Russians knowthis and, consequently, are circling the diplomatic wagons.

Going forward, the U.S. needs to work with Russia as her strategic partner rather than acting as her strategic adversary.

Unlike the cartoonish rhetoric of recent days, the American critique of Russian behavior should be informed and it should be candid. Above all, it should be constructive, if Washington’s sincere goal is no more than the betterment of the Russian people.

The Russians do not think the U.S. is sincere. Rather, they believe the critique of Russia’s actions is merely an instrument of American foreign policy.

Absent a belated U-turn, American foreign policy – conducted by those living in an democratic glass house – will continue to throw ever-larger political stones in Russia’s direction. Policymakers in Washington shall discover that this course of action damages not only the stones’ intended target, but also the stone thrower, herself.

Patrick Basham is director of the Democracy Institute in Washington