Dr. Michael Haas' book United States Diplomacy with North Korea and Vietnam: Explaining
Failure and Success aims to explain a significant beguiling discrepancy in U.S. foreign
relations: How has American diplomacy with Vietnam proved so successful when compared with its
efforts to negotiate with North Korea? Haas undertakes a comparative analysis of foreign policy
decisions to determine how relationships between the U.S. and each country have diverged
drastically in spite of a legacy of U.S. occupation in both regions. By tracing diplomatic
interactions historically comparatively quantifying diplomatic missteps on the part of the
U.S. and cross-testing four paradigms of international relations Haas presents a case for why
the U.S. has succeeded in developing good relations with Vietnam while failing to achieve them
with North Korea. uclear war haunts the world today because the U.S. has refused to negotiate a
peace agreement with North Korea for more than six decades yet the U.S. is on friendly terms
today with Vietnam a former enemy. This book answers why finding that Washington's diplomacy
with both countries explains the dramatic difference. Among four theories posed power politics
and presidential politics are refuted as explanations. Mass society theory which focuses on
civil society finds that negotiations regarding American soldiers missing in action paved the
way for success with Vietnam but not with North Korea. But diplomacy theory-tracing moves and
countermoves during diplomatic interactions-reveals the real source of the problem: The United
States provided reciprocated unilateral positive gestures to Vietnam while repeatedly double
crossing North Korea. Although Pyongyang repeatedly offered to give up nuclear developments
Washington offered no alternative to Pyongyang but to develop a nuclear deterrent to safeguard
the country against a devious and hostile U.S. he book in short serves as a serious
corrective to false narratives and options being disseminated about the situation that fail to
appreciate North Korea perspectives. Now that North Korea has a nuclear deterrent diplomacy is
the only route toward a de-escalation of tensions so that the United States can live peacefully
with North Korea in a manner similar to its relations with nuclear China and nuclear Russia.
More broadly United States Diplomacy with North Korea and Vietnam demonstrates what happens
when Washington plays the role of global bully whereas more resources are needed for
developing diplomatic talent in a world that will otherwise become more dangerous.
