The Geopolitics of Openness ★ 30.9.11

Interesting argument by David Eaves regarding the Open Government Partnership:

The OGP is part of a 21st century containment policy. And I’d go further, it is a effort to forge a new axis around which America specifically, and a broader democratic camp more generally, may seek to organize allies and rally its camp. (…)

Who is being contained? [China, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan] (…)

It’s no trivial coincidence that on the day of the OGP launch the President announced the United States first fulfilled commitment would be its decision to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). (…)

This is America essentially signalling to African people and their leaders – do business with us, and we will help prevent corruption in your country. We will let you know if officials get paid off by our corporations.

More data would certainly help to substantiate the argument, which in its current state is absorbing, but not compelling.

It would be interesting to link strategic US foreign policy thinking to ‘openness’ in governance – I’m thinking of, e.g., Anne-Marie Slaughter’s recent Foreign Affairs article, in which she proposed for the U.S. to take the role of a central node in a highly networked and, governance-wise, deconstructed world. The OGP could be one element in the operationalisation of this strategy.