Global Talks, De'tente and Tea with Mussolini

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Opinion/news:

I have no brilliant fireworks like Beijing's Olympic opening for you here but I'm up for some boring world news if you are. So let's permit ourselves for a second to move away from issues like global warming or the dubious air quality in Beijing or even the wonderful world of Obama vs McCain let's-sort-of-drag-the-whole 5 ring world circus...

I'm not saying those issue are not important (because they are) but in this little corner of now public, let's talk about....foreign policy??  Nothing specific but of what fine things that could happen if we let it happen...(C'mon, don't be such a cynic)

Let me ask you this, how do you think we fair in scale for public attentiveness? Do we care much of what happens, say to relations of our country with another? Of course we do, no? But take example this news piece on global trade talk held last month in Geneva:

The failure of WTO was unanimously agreed to have been caused by the difference of personal interests and clashing of domestic as well as foreign policies of the 5 clusters of continents: India and China on one side, America on the other, Europe and Brazil raising eyebrows, Africa forgotten and East Asia ignored.

In other words, everyone just decided to stop listening to one another. Be it good ideas or comsi-comsa or donkey's bottoms.

But do we even care that the global talk actually failed in its objective? Or understand the seriousness and the impact of its failure to the world?

However, if you were to ask the public's opinion on the Beijing's fishy air quality - oof, the views on that could spill over the roof of the bird nest's stadium!

Eventhough WTO places importance on economic negotiations and agreements, but its failure is a reflection of a more painful reality of the failing global relationship between foreign states.

And unfortunately a major number of public is keeping their ears and mind shut off from this issue.

I always thought "public's attentiveness" is a funny topic, because it actually refers to a porpotion of the people  in mass society who hold articulate, informed and coherent attitude about public policy issues.

It pretty much excludes the top of the pyramid of those who actualy make, or participate in making policies.

But on the other hand, it excludes those at the bottom, the mass public, who do not hold consistent and coherent views on policy.

Who? Moi??

In truth, most of the public's knowledge on public policy is now settling itself nicely on a plate of soggy moldy lasagna. Or actually more of : intentionally distracted by Brangelina's baby photos.

While a more focused group of public are realizing the association of failure of WTO, as a serious failure of the world's foreign policy. And they are proposing to the world that perhaps we may need to develop a wholly modern form of de'tente diplomatic relations in this world.

De'tente is a diplomatic term which means a relaxation or a slackening of tension in the previously strained relations between states. (However it is not to be confused as a synonym which is not altogether correct for a situation of peaceful co-existence or rapproachment).

It does not mean that conflicts have to been resolved or that either competing side needs to accept the ideological principles of the other.

Rather the modern version of de'tente resolution can be seen as a response to changed perceptions of the international system. A global awareness of the possibility of mutual destruction if we just let everything be as it is, hence there should be an emergence of new clusters of power and perhaps the promptings of domestic economic priorities.

More of, let China, India and Brazil be in their rocket paced move towards development so that they can quickly play their part in fostering to improve public relations between the superpowers.

But a modern de'tente shouldn't just be restricted to multilateral relationships between great powers alone. Bilateral de'tentes between lesser states are also significant in our contemporary international relations. 

So where do "attentive" people like us fit in? 

We will fit in when we stop bullying ourselves from comforming to only one type of idealogical by obviously paying more attention to what the world needs and not selfishly forming nationalistic opinions.

By decreasing our own fears of the hidden daggers between the folds...perhaps only then can we really enjoy some relaxing afternoon tea with "Mussolini"...