National History and Universal Values: Prioritizing Human Rights in U.S. Foreign Policy

McCain, John, The Brown Journal of World Affairs

I AM A FIRM BELIEVER that history holds many important lessons for current U.S. foreign policy. If we do not understand where we have been, we will have a more difficult time knowing where we need to go. Some of the better lessons can be found in the five decades of concerted effort that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and, soon thereafter, the end of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism. Last year, on the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Wall, I had a chance to think back on the events that led up to that momentous day and of all the profound lessons that stood out. One that seemed most relevant to our present debates and challenges was the importance of supporting …

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Publication information: Article title: National History and Universal Values: Prioritizing Human Rights in U.S. Foreign Policy. Contributors: McCain, John - Author. Magazine title: The Brown Journal of World Affairs. Volume: 16. Issue: 2 Publication date: Spring 2010. Page number: 9+. © The Brown Journal of World Affairs Spring 2007. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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