Global Power of Talk

The Global Power of Talk explores the power of negotiation and diplomacy in US foreign policy at a critical juncture in US history. Beginning with the failure of US diplomacy in relation to Saddam Hussein's regime in the 1980s, it shows how a series of diplomatic blunders has laid the foundations for the uninhibited use of 'gun power' over 'talk power' in the last two decades. It critically examines missed opportunities in America's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in both the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. In a provocative conclusion, the authors argue that the United States can and should negotiate with the so-called 'unengageables' like Iran, North Korea, and Al-Qaeda, in order to find ways to defuse underlying tensions in the global system. Part I Talking; Chapter 1 Talk Power for the Tough-Minded; Chapter 2 How America Lost Its Way; Chapter 3 The Tools of Talk Power; Chapter 4 The Proven Success of Talk Power; Part II Managing; Chapter 5 Timely Talk to Prevent Violent Conflict; Chapter 6 Engaging Unengageables; Chapter 7 Talking with Terrorists; Chapter 8 Taming Intractable Regional Conflicts; Part III Teaming; Chapter 9 Building “Teams of Rivals”; Chapter 10 Talking with Friends and Allies; Chapter 11 Talking Laterally on New Governance Challenges; Chapter 12 Negotiating America’s Interests;