Vanity

Submitted by Alan Fox (United States), Dec 14, 2010 at 19:56

I have always considered it a peculiar form of vanity that U.S. diplomats have tended to credit the private whisperings they hear in plush palaces from Arab royalty, and to discount and ignore the bellicose threats they hear from the balconies of such palaces.

Why do they lie? Because it has worked time and again! It is working even today, for example; "Two States Living Side by Side in Peace and Security" If you believe this mantra, I have a bridge to sell you.

I would postulate the reason why Arab rulers tend to bellicosity in public is because they are granted cover by their private pronouncements. History has proven that time and again, dictators and barbarians have been quite open and plain about their intentions because diplomats only hear that which they wish to be true and blithely ignore the obvious until it is too late.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".