Rey Gonzalez brings us this thoughtful piece. Thanks, abuelo.
Diplomacy as defined, and as we understand it, is the profession, activity, or skill in managing international relations. We can call it statesmanship, statecraft, political foreign affairs dialogue, international relations, employing tact, discretion, prudence and/or cleverness. And so, as I pondered the aforementioned, I was reminded of parenting.
Ok, so let’s stay on this premise, understanding the types of parenting as they relate to diplomacy and sanctions. We can all agree that Russia, China, NorKo, Cuba, Venezuela engage and make use of parenting very different with their kids, and foreign kids (countries) than what we know and use here in the US and other democratic countries. China, Russia, NorKo, et. al., can be defined as the strict father figure, who imposes sanctions and what father says, it goes. There’s no changing of the mind; the rule is the rule. The end.
Now, let’s look at the parenting, as it relates to sanctions upon these communist nations, from the western parent: the latest and modern western parent. I will add the absence of one parent figure (most likely the father figure) in the home, plays prominently. And as we know, our bad parenting today can affect the child’s mindset, making him an ineffective child/young adult/parent later in life.
In listening to XiDen explain his sanctions upon Russia, it reminds me of the mother figure knowing the child did wrong but expresses her “wait until your father gets home” pass the sanction onto someone else. Unfortunately, XiDen does not understand he is the father figure arriving home. And, on a serious side note, I will not make reference to his parenting as it relates to Hunter. He may have done his best as an absent father with a child yearning for his attention. I am not to judge.
Headlines read how lawmakers want more sanctions, stricter sanctions. Reminds me of the family member, neighbor, or that stranger at the grocery store watching the kid throw a tantrum on the floor and tell the parent what they should do. Only, thereafter, they walk away and thank God they’re not the one dealing with the child issue.
So, this is the modern parent: if the child starts to behave, he/she earns good time, gain time, and sanctions are slowly lifted and/or removed. I have no doubt those sanctions placed upon Russia and Putin after the Crimea incursion have been slowly but surely diminished or dismissed because of good behavior in the last 7 years. The same goes for sanctions placed upon other countries. There’s no MSM or investigative journo that will look at what our government (parent) does in easing such punishment and/or deterrence and reports it to the American people.
Now, I’ll conclude with my government (parenting) hypothesis from a kid’s perspective, the Russia/ NorKo kid-types. Is it a foster kid (dictator) who knows a new parenting set is coming (it occurs once every 4 years or so) so he can do as he wishes or lay low and wait it out? Is it similar to our resident dog foster parent, who at times explains the non-obedience or bad habit of an animal he just took in? Is it the animal? Is it the previous foster? Is it the parent/parenting?
You’ll see. Just wait ’til your father gets home.
