Realpolitik alway with at least Some Ideology

Submitted by Robert (United States), Dec 9, 2022 at 09:51

...Diplomats and politicians have always to advocate and choose between Interests and Ideology. Ideology is relatively easy to identify because it is always made public. But interests are to be distinguished between Personal Interests and State Interests.

Lets begin with China as an example. The interests are very easy to identify because they are expounded in a "book" published by "Paramount Leader" Xi. And as "dictator" in control of everything, through his Communist Party System, the interests of everyone must conform to his. Similar systems exist in North Korea and Iran, All these systems resemble the "Divine Right of the Kings" of former Europe.

But in the West all Politicians has to appeal to their respective voting constituency. Accordingly, there is always the personal factor of seeking to get elected. Whereas in a place like China one has merely to conform to the terms by which one has been selected according to a "job description."

From all this it follows that the Westerner has an easier time understanding Easterner. However, the Westerner has a complex predicament of what's best for her (or his) Selfish political interests.

The Easterner, on the other hand, has a much simpler situation in which to identify the goals to achieve. But the Easterner needs to figure out what the personal or political goals of the politician or diplomat are.

So, talk or write, which they all do, needs to be, always, interpreted according to these interests and ideologies, which may be in harmony in the East, but not in the West. One thing is clear, however, knowing what the "Other" says, or publishes, is never to be taken literally, or out of this complex context.

The Middle East is no different, except that we know that no Muslim state within it is a Liberal or Progressive Democracy, and very far from becoming one.

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