Influencing the US
From Dr Alec Ryrie Sir: Matthew Parris (Another voice. 6 July) says three-quarters of what needs to be said about America and the world. It is true that 'boss nations' will inevitably ride roughshod over smaller ones, and that we had better get used to it. But it is also true that, as boss nations go, the US has been pretty restrained about throwing its weight around, and that it has not been wholly deaf to friendly voices from outside. This means, first, that if we think that American unilateralism is bad now, we should recognise that it could become a great deal worse; and second, that while outside influence may be peripheral, it can exist. Marginal influence is better than none, and we should continue to try to wield it — even if we don't seriously expect to succeed.
Alec Ryrie
Department of Modern History, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham
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