Abstract
Ronald Reagan has cultivated the notion that he practices realistic diplomacy. On 17 July 1980, his acceptance speech before the Republican National Convention, he asserted that the Carter administration lived in the world of make-believe. Then he added that you and I live a real world, where disasters are overtaking our nation without any real response from Washington.' On 16 January 1984, Reagan delivered a major address which he identified realism, strength and dialog as the three principles guiding his foreign policy. Realism, his view, means we must start with a clear-eyed understanding of the world we live in.2 On 21 October, his second televised debate with Walter Mondale, Reagan asserted that in dealing with the Soviet Union one has to be realistic. Then he went on to say that Mr. Mondale the past has made statements as if they [the Soviets] were just people like ourselves, and if we are kind and good and did something nice, they would respond accordingly, and the result was unilateral disarmament.3
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