A Homeric Age of Statesmanship Secretaries of State Kissinger, Shultz and Baker had geopolitical finesse and deep insight. By Robert D. Kaplan Updated Aug. 26, 2022 5:35 pm ET SHARE Journal Editorial Report: Paul Gigot interviews General Jack Keane. Images: AP/Bloomberg News Composite: Mark Kelly Listen to article (3 minutes) What does statesmanship look like? It has been decades since we’ve seen it consistently at the highest levels in Washington. Over the past two years we’ve witnessed the Biden administration’s sanctimonious mishandling of its relationship with a historic ally, Saudi Arabia; its cavalier treatment of other Middle Eastern friends; and its misconceived Summit for Democracy, which relegated de facto allies in favor of weak, anarchic states. Although the White House has been furiously switching gears of late—mostly on account of its need for allies against Russia’s aggression in Ukraine—its foreign-policy assumptions have been revealed as fundamentally unsound. Standing in contrast to these misdeeds are the records of three great Republican secretaries of state who shepherded American diplomacy during the middle and late phases of the Cold War: Henry Kissinger, George Shultz and James Baker III. Their successes were inextricable from their understanding of America as a nation-state, a worldview that put the needs of the U.S. above all else. Continue reading your article with a WSJ membership VIEW MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS Already a member? Sign In SPONSORED OFFERS ASOS: Asos coupon 20% off over $50 SHEIN: SHEIN promo code - 15% off PRETTYLITTLETHING: Sign up for emails and get 20% off PrettyLittleThing discount code + $1 shipping AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS: Get 15% off American Eagle promo code with text alerts WAYFAIR: Wayfair Labor Day Event: Up to 70% off all departments KOHL'S: Kohl's coupon - 30% off sitewide for Rewards members BACK TO TOP EditionEnglish中文 (Chinese)日本語 (Japanese) Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Podcasts Snapchat WSJ Membership Benefits Customer Center Legal Policies Google Play App Store SIGN IN ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.