On Tuesday evening, I hosted an event at NYU's Skirball Center in New York entitled Afghanistan After America America After Afghanistan. The program was produced by Jeremy McCarter and Oskar Eustis of the Public Forum at the Public Theatre. There were three groups of speakers, ranging from George Rupp and Eliza Griswold to David Rohde and Matt Pottinger (for a full description please go here.
One person who was scheduled to appear was Richard Holbrooke. Holbrooke, of course, died the day before. The event on Tuesday marked the 15th anniversary of the Dayton Peace accords, which are consistently mentioned as Holbrooke's greatest diplomatic achievement and which brought about a workable peace in Bosnia.
I did not know Holbrooke that well. Then again, I wonder if I ever could know someone as peripatetic as he was. Holbrooke was a political and diplomatic Great White Shark. Intellectually powerful, scaldingly opinionated, indefatigable. A gentleman who made even political sideliners, like yours truly, feel like a worthy comrade if you were genuinely on the side of one of the things Holbrooke seemed possessed by, and that was the truth. The extension of US military power and diplomatic cunning on behalf of global stability being the other.
I saw Holbrooke in Washington for the Kennedy Center Honors. He briskly told me that when I would see him at the forum in New York, I had to "get right to the WikiLeaks thing. Right away." Holbrooke had intense opinions on the need for discretion in statecraft. Days later he called me to tell me he had to cancel to go to the White House for meetings. Soon after, his heart gave out and he died.
I wanted to take a moment to say that government has become a sprawling, nearly incomprehensible monolith these past few decades. Thousands of egos, millions of lives, billions of dollars colliding with each other, chaotically at times, every day. Lots of activity and so little progress to show for it. Least of all, progress in the column marked "peace".
Richard Holbrooke was a man who served his country, restlessly and relentlessly, in pursuit of that altogether American brand of practical peace. He was a larger than life figure and a great American, and he will be missed.
Rory Stewart: Midnight Moments: Exposing the Truth and Taking Full Responsibility for Afghanistan
and thinks afghanistan is winnable,
capitalized : a follower of Aristotle or adherent of Aristotelianism
2: pedestrian, itinerant
3plural : movement or journeys hither and thither
You did not use capitalization. I often use capitalization in the spirit of e. e. cummings. Rarely is it a typo --though I am prone to those.
No other comment. My knowledge of the man precludes it.
I agree with you in reference to today's politics. It is hard not to be discouraged. I am however, both Polish and relentless -- giving up is out of the question. ;)
May you always have faith. May you always pursue your dreams.
Best wishes,
Diane
Those who are castigating Holbrooke need a history lesson. In his later years, Holbrooke inhabited a very different political ideology than in his earlier years as a diplomat.
If Alex runs for Congress I hope he understands that being awesome as an arm-twister in foreign countries makes one a Great White Shark but that looks more like a giant predator.
It is undemocratic to intervene and occupy foreign lands..........Something has changed when the US went from being a Republic to an Empire...maybe not. Maybe we were always that way.
When it comes to egos colliding and chaos, and despite all the talent nothing good seems to be created, I assumed you were describing the movie industry- at least as represented in Hollywood.
Your last movie with Meryl Streep and Steve Martin, what was its name? I can't even remember, it was so unremarkable we turned it off about 15 minutes into the movie and watched a house hunting show on HGTV.
Is there something about your movie making these days where you eschew dialogue in favor of simply making exaggerated facial expressions? Minimal dialogue; what a bogus and uncreative approach. I've taken screenwriting and that seems to be the technique they push.
And what's with all the remakes of old movies? I thought creative people like you were supposed to enjoy being, say, "creative" and "original"? Please, we don't need a remake of True Grit. Come up with a new idea. It's more exciting.
Go to the Independent Film Movement and rediscover your inner artistic self and make a real movie, please. But stay out of political commentary.
Indefatigable sure. But I'm not so sure the other two attributes best describe a Great White Shark.
of AGI and Lehman Bank at the height of their criminality.
In Vietnam he was very aware of the truth, millions of Americans plus the troops stopped the slaughter.
His career was more important. He said nothing.
TOn Holbrooke I strongly disagree.
He was a integral part of the MIC Military Industrial Complex.
Director he low point of his carrier was the slaughter in Kraina.
I have great admiration for David Rohde, while in Afghanistan, he was kidnapped by members of the Taliban in November 2008, but managed to escape in June 2009 after seven months in captivity.
I wish I had the opportunity to meet Richard Holbrook talented and should be remembered as a giant of U.S diplomacy. Unfortunately for his untimely death, my prayers go out to his family and wife Kati Maton
Once a magazine editor, author, professor, Peace Corps official, and investment banker. He wrote part of the Pentagon Papers, was the architect of the 1995 Bosnia peace accords and served as President Barack Obama's special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Holbrooke achieved great public prominence only when he, together with former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt, brokered a peace agreement among the warring factions in Bosnia that led to the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords.
Alec you are lucky to have met interesting people by hosting these events.