Patience with the rug merchants, and other sage advice

Posted By Sam duPont Tuesday, June 19, 2007 - 12:12 PM Share

Charlie Rose, lucky guy, sat down late last week with three wise men of U.S. foreign policy: Zbigniew Brzezinski, Brent Scowcroft, and Henry Kissinger. Their conversation ran the gamut of today's hot foreign policy issues, and all three had plenty to say.

Most striking was not any sharp disagreement between the gurus, but rather how much common ground they shared on nearly every issue. All three counseled engagement with Iran, patience with Russia, cooperation with China, and an international dialogue to find a way forward in Iraq. Of course, on all these issues, their solutions are complex, and more easily said than done, but it is remarkable nonetheless to see these three nodding in unison on these issues.

It's enough to make one wistful for the days of realpolitik.

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