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Do communication guidelines that make sense for our families and work, make sense for international politics? It seems they should -- after all, the leaders of countries are people!
Listen. The first important part of communication is to be a good listener. As former U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk said, "One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears - by listening to them." Once people are convinced that you understand them, they'll be more likely to listen to your points.
Avoid demeaning statements. If your spouse tells you that you are inconsiderate or mean (or something much worse), you will likely get defensive and will be less responsive to your spouse's request. I'm not an expert on international relations, but I would think if you call a country's leader evil, he would likely be defensive and suspicious and thereby also less responsive to a request. Since "rears his head" is a phrase usually reserved for animals and monsters, using it to describe a leader of state could also be considered demeaning. It may also be demeaning to tell someone that he is not important enough to meet with you. Even if you believe a demeaning statement to be true, saying it out loud can be counterproductive to achieving a non-violent solution.
Feedback should be given about a specific behavior, not about traits. If you tell a co-worker that he is clumsy, he'll likely get defensive and really not benefit from your feedback. You will be more successful by giving feedback about a specific behavior. For instance, you might recommend that he hold a particular tool with two hands. It seems to follow that insulting a country's leader will be less successful than saying what specific behaviors you would like changed.
Also give positive feedback. When someone behaves in a way that you like, make sure and give them feedback to increase the likelihood of repeat behavior. A carrot can be at least as effective as a stick.
These hints won't solve all problems, but they may help our family, work, and maybe even political environments. Perhaps, they'll even be helpful when responding to bloggers' posts. ;-)
By being careful with language we all may benefit and positive outcomes are more likely.
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