https://pjmedia.com/michaelledeen/2008/07/22/the-negotiation-gambit/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 04:00:09 -0400<![CDATA[Henry Kissinger once remarked that if an intellectual gets it wrong, all he has to do is write another book, while if a policy maker gets it wrong, people may die.  To which I would add that our pundits have learned that they don&#8217;t have to pay any attention to getting the past right;  they can ignore it.  Hardly anyone bothers with history, so the scribblers simply look at the headlines and think as deeply as they can.  And so, in all the commentary on the latest &#8220;negotiating&#8221; fiasco with Iran, I look in vain for someone who points out that we have just witnessed the umpteenth iteration of Western diplomats getting kicked in a tender spot by the mullahs.  Nothing new at all.  But nobody seems to know that.  They think it&#8217;s all about these Americans, or these Iranians, these Brits and these French.  Not so.  It&#8217;s part of a well established pattern.  And to make matters worse, our leaders don&#8217;t seem to know that, either.]]>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:13:16 -0400<![CDATA[Michael Ledeen]]>https://pjmedia.com/michael-ledeen/2008/07/22/the-negotiation-gambit-n186086