Cord Byrd: “the language of diplomacy is imbued with courtesy and discretion. Diplomats the world over can be counted on to choose…”

“the language of diplomacy is imbued with courtesy and discretion. Diplomats the world over can be counted on to choose each word of every public statement with precision, for an ill-received demarche could turn allies into adversaries or cooperation into confrontation. Like most professions, diplomacy has its own lexicon. As John Kenneth Galbraith wrote in 1969, ``There are few ironclad rules of diplomacy but to one there is no exception: when an official reports that talks were useful, it can safely be concluded that nothing was accomplished.'' And when we hear a seasoned envoy refer to a ``frank and open discussion,'' we know that he is actually talking about a knock-down, drag-out fight behind closed doors. While negotiation can steer great powers away from a course that would lead to war, we can usually count on public statements about diplomacy to be underwhelming--not overwhelming but underwhelming. There have been exceptional times when bold statements have energized world opinion. When President Reagan stood on the Berlin Wall in 1987 and proclaimed, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,'' he spoke to millions of Germans who longed to be freed from oppression. While I would not go so far as to credit a single phrase with hastening the fall of the Eastern Bloc, certainly President Reagan's statement reflected the resolve of the West to oppose communism. There have also been a fair number of bold statements to the world that have backfired.”