Reflection: The State Department and Liberalism

I enjoyed the visit to the State Department very much. I was always interested in learning about how the U.S. interacts with other countries and acts internationally, and I was pleased that Mr. Bame knew how to address our questions so well. He seemed to be one of the best people I could have imagined for the post he has. He was very intelligent, had a great deal of raw knowledge and a complex understanding of international relations, and was both compassionate and ambitious but savvy about the problems and issues facing the U.S. and the world. His discussion of "smart power" in particular showed how flexibility and a grasp of each particular current situation, rather than blind following of theories, can lead to better outcomes.

Bame also spoke of China, and the differences between that country and the U.S. I thought back to the discussion of liberalism, and how many times, there is war between liberal and non-liberal countries. It is difficult to imagine a war with China, given our current relationship with it, but the theory of liberalism seems to indicate that it is possible or even probable that we will have some kind of confrontation with China in the future.