American Diplomacy

Volume I, Number 2, 1996

 

From the Editor:

In This Edition: Some Serious Stuff

 

Continuing our self-defined and -imposed mission of providing a forum for the expression of opinion and criticism in the field of foreign affairs, we offer our readership in this issue three fairly long research-based articles.

• The first, by North Carolina State University professor (and Triangle Institute for Security Studies executive committee member) Robert H. "Robin" Dorff contains his interpretation of a political phenomenon which, while not entirely new, poses perhaps fresh, in a manner of speaking, sets of problems for the international community and the United States. I refer to nation states unable to operate effectively as political entities — "failed states" in Dr. Dorff's formulation — and the difficulties thereby posed to current peace keeping operations.
• Another of our article-length presentations addresses the Carter years in U. S. foreign policy formulation. Professor Matthew M. Oyos of Radford University discusses Carter policies in the context of the potentially deadly Cold War nuclear standoff and in the setting of domestic U. S. politics. Dr. Oyos offers his findings and judgment on why President Carter failed in his intended foreign policy aims.
• Finally, as to major articles, in this issue of American Diplomacy Professor Ole R. Holsti of Duke continues, and completes, his detailed look at public opinion on human rights issues with respect to U. S. foreign policy. In this segment, we include Dr. Holsti's extensive tabular information in support of his findings from a close review of survey data from as early as 1974 through to 1994.

I would be remiss if I did not mention here, as well, the offering in this American Diplomacy of the views of former U. S. Ambassador Ronald D. F. Palmer. In the form of commentary, he provides us his personal opinions, based on years of experience and study, about the state of things in Southeast Asia, especially as it bears on American policies and interests.

So, we have opinions and comment and criticism for you in the new issue of the journal. Read! Download! Circulate! Enjoy! (But please, do give credit to American Diplomacy where appropriate.)

Please note that you may scan back to the Inaugural Issue of American Diplomacy by the simple device of clicking on Archives at the bottom of the journal's "front page." If you have not had a chance to look it over as yet, you might find intellectual fare on international issues of interest to you.

We would be pleased to receive your reaction to all of this, and we encourage you to send comments via e-mail, without fuss or bother (by clicking here), to Editor Henry Mattox or Publisher Frank Crigler. — Ed.