eaves.ca - Latest Comments in Optimism is an instrument of policy

Re: Optimism is an instrument of policy

Peter Loewen — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:06:35 -0000

Dominic Johnson at Edinuburgh has work well worth looking at. He writes on the role of overconfidence in IR, which is something like optimism.

Re: Optimism is an instrument of policy

Jacques Drolet — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:53:25 -0000

Good review and "look forward" David. I would still work on the last paragraph to make it more poignant if I may suggest. As for the key to regive Canadians a "International" positive meaning, I would like to suggest that after taking away the "threat approach" promulgated by Conservatives as you mention, the successful policy will have to make Canadians feel that ethical sustainability is a necessity and that it passes through better human relationships. Once that "necessity to change" will reach a threshold (some say 5% some 10%) the rest will be a matter of doing the work. now so much work is lost without the social acknowledgement of this "human-value" drive/driver.
Hope this helps :-)

Re: Optimism is an instrument of policy

Brenton — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:07:20 -0000

First suggestion:

"Rather, my reading of Holmes's quote suggests that he was not claiming optimism should be the basis of a foreign policy; rather, he was stating that optimism is an instrument of Foreign Policy."

I think that point is rather obvious, considering the quote.