Former U.S. Ambassador to Greece Monteagle Stearns discussed America's foreign policy and its relationship to Europe in a speech sponsored by the Dickey Center. About 30 students, faculty and locals attended Stearns's Thursday evening speech, titled "The U.S. and Europe: Turning Superman into Clark Kent."
Stearns emphasized a need to change the American approach to foreign affairs and increase diplomacy following the Sept. 11 attacks. He also claimed that decisions made immediately after dramatic events are usually incorrect, pointing to the American decision to declare war on terrorism.
"Terrorism is after all the expression of grievance, but it does not define the grievance," he said.
If terrorism is to be contained, Stearns said it will take more than just military might. While he said he thinks Americans and Europeans are best suited to fight terrorism, he added that Americans and Europeans approach foreign affairs differently.
"Americans look at foreign affairs and think in terms of problems to be solved. Europeans look at foreign affairs in terms of a continuing process," Stearns said.
For the American government, he said, no problem is worth looking at if it hasn't reached crisis proportions, whereas in Europe, if it has reached crisis proportions, it has gone on too long. In order to find the source of terrorism and effectively combat it, Stearns said Americans must become proactive rather than reactive participants in foreign affairs.
"For whatever reason, we seem to not be willing to use our position as number one by engaging ourselves in the problems of the world, but instead we try to separate ourselves. I think the time has come for us to join the world," he said.
In order to gain international respect, Stearns supports a larger and better-informed foreign service, a closer relationship between professional diplomats and government policy makers and a concentrated effort to improve relations with the European Union.
"Clark Kent is going to be a more valuable citizen of the world than Superman could ever be," he said, employing the metaphor contained in his speech's title.
Stearns has worked for the U.S. State Department in Greece, the Ivory Coast, Turkey, Zaire, the United Kingdom and Laos. He served as ambassador to Greece from 1981 to 1985 and left the foreign service in 1987 to pursue a career in academia.
The Greek ambassador is one of a number of speakers visiting the College this fall who are sponsored by the Dickey Center. The center's director, Kenneth Yalowitz, also a former diplomat, emphasized the importance of Stearns' visit.
"Bringing Stearns here is all part of a broader educational purpose to give undergraduates a good understanding of major issues facing us in the world and facing us at home," Yalowitz said.
Stearns encouraged young people to take an interest in foreign affairs and recommended learning a foreign language and studying history.
"We've never needed more intelligent interest in foreign affairs than we do today," he said.
