[Grovenet] Statesmanship Rediscovered

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I find Secretary of Defense Robert Gates a refreshing example of
statesmanship and effective political thinking.

I make that observation here because I suspect anything that comes from the
current administration is dismissed out of hand by many people today. I
invite those who feel that way to look more closely.

Some specific examples appear in today's news about his first speech in
front of a prestigious security forum as reported by CNN:

A day after Putin blamed U.S. policy for inciting other countries to seek
nuclear weapons to defend themselves, Gates responded: "As an old Cold
Warrior, one of yesterday's speeches almost filled me with nostalgia for a
less complex time. Almost."

Then, as the audience chuckled, he added, however, that he has accepted
Putin's invitation to visit Russia.

"We all face many common problems and challenges that must be addressed in
partnership with other countries, including Russia," said Gates. "One Cold
War was quite enough."

...Without mentioning Rumsfeld's name, Gates said some people have tried to
divide the allies into categories -- such as east and west, north versus
south.

"I'm even told that some have even spoken in terms of 'old' Europe versus
'new,'" Gates said. "All of these characterizations belong in the past."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/02/11/munich.meeting.ap/index.html

Ron D'Eau Claire