The Power Of Diplomacy

The United States is, and ought to be, a global leader. Unfortunately, most of these means are military and often lead to destabilization of countries at the very least. Diplomacy is a powerful tool for the United States that could serve an even greater purpose as we seek to create peace.

It is not just limited to global conflicts like those in Northern Ireland, Egypt, or Bahrain that have been mediated by the United States. The Packwood-Magnuson Amendment, for example, allows the United States to suspend fishing rights and seafood trade with any nations that violate global marine conservation law. This has been successfully utilized in recent years against Iceland for killing whales and Scotland for killing seals, the former of which resulted in a 2-year pause and the latter of which led to a permanent ban on the atrocity. One example of how diplomacy can be utilized further is the Paris Climate Agreement, of which the United States is the only country not party. An international pact on deforestation is also much-needed.

Nor are environmental issues the only possibility. Human rights issues like female genitial mutilation and human rights violations against the LGBTQIA+ can be dealt with in the same manner. Were these two global issues stomped out in Africa and Asia, the United States could continue to grow trade with nations that continue to develop.

Diplomacy is underutilized by the United States, a country with a team of experts dedicated to the issue of global relations, and its further use could bring about change for the better worldwide.