ASP Public Diplomacy Fellow Matthew Wallin in The Hill
On Wednesday, February 5, Matthew Wallin authored an op-ed in The Hill. Wallin’s article summarizes his argument in a recent report, A New American Message. He argues that the values America holds dear, like freedom of the press, are under assault and the world has taken notice.
Wallin goes on to say,
“Reporters Without Borders ranks the United States 48th in terms of press freedom, while Freedom House ranks the United States 33rd in terms of political rights and civil liberties.”
Furthermore, the number of people who view the United States as a threat to their own country has increased. Wallin asks, what is being done to fix this? Not much.
Wallin offers some steps the U.S. can take to rebuild its credibility. It can close the “say-do gap” and listen to the rest of the world “to generate value for and receive buy-in from those who see the United States as entirely interested in advancing itself.” The U.S. must also recommit to the truth because facts are necessary to formulate effective policies.
“Choosing to reject falsehoods and stick to the truth will help establish the United States as a dependable source of information among way too much disinformation.”
Wallin argues that the U.S. must also maintain its leadership in science by committing to a strong culture of science at home, adequately resource the U.S. diplomatic corps, and support diversity.
In summary, Wallin says the U.S. must hold itself to the highest standards because to fall short means the U.S. is no longer exceptional.
Read full article here.
