Our international reputation is not what it used to be. With a few exceptions, the world sees the US as a bully, a warmonger and a cultural and political imperialist. Is there anything the next president can do, quickly and effectively, to turn that perception around?
The Honorable Kantathi Suphamongkhon thinks it’s going to be an uphill climb. “The ability to understand the psychology of your adversary is vital,†he said in a conversation at his Bel-Air home. “Personally, I am allergic to terms like, ‘you are with us or you are against us.’ The world isn’t black and white.†Name-calling and using terms like “axis of evil†and “rogue states†does little to help, he says.
What’s more, the use of force to impose democracy, he notes, contradicts the very idea of democracy. “Up until the Iraq invasion, diplomacy coupled with the credible threat of force, was working,†said Dr. Suphamongkhon. Many believed that giving George W. Bush the authority to attack could actually avert war by demonstrating our willingness to confront Saddam over his UN obligations.
Since then, the actual invasion and occupation have evolved into a multidimensional disaster. Still, Dr. Suphamongkhon is hopeful that the next president will be able to turn opinion around. “The US has many friends,†he said. “But friendships must be cultivated. For example, many of us in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) often feel that we are not on your radar screen.†This is not to be taken lightly. Just after 9/11, Washington declared that Southeast Asia was the second front in the global effort against terrorism, and ASEAN member countries are vital to US security. As one of America’s oldest friends, recently celebrating 175 years of diplomatic relations, Thailand has a strong interest in US participation in annual ASEAN conferences. “Russia, China, India, Japan and the European Union are all eager to interact with us. If the US stays away, after a while it won’t be missed. That would not be good for either of us.â€
All is by no means lost, however. “This election is an opportunity for the US to send a message that it wants to help create a more peaceful world.â€
Dr. Suphamongkhon relocated to Bel-Air last September with his wife, Soparvan. “We love it here,†he said, “it reminds us of the South of France.†The son of a Thai ambassador, Dr. Suphamongkhon was raised in the world of international diplomacy, living in various countries before joining the Thai government. But in September 2006, the government was overthrown in a bloodless military coup. “I didn’t have any political enemies, so I could have stayed,†he said. But just then, his alma mater, UCLA, asked him to return and teach international diplomacy. “The timing was right,†he said. As someone who has been in the diplomatic service, in government and now a professor in West LA, he says, “I’m enjoying this new chapter of my life enormously.â€
