Trusting enemies: interpersonal relationships in international conflict

Abstract

When commentators look back on the state of trust in contemporary world politics, the words of Charles Dickens in A tale of two cities will seem sadly appropriate: ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness’. On the one hand, the president of the world's supposedly leading liberal democracy is given to emotional declarations of trust in some of the world's least trustworthy autocrats, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un well within his circle of trust. On the other hand, trust is withering on all fronts. The Iran nuclear deal is on the rocks because President Donald Trump does not trust the Iranians; Brexiteers do not trust the European Union; trust in multilateral institutions and international law is waning; action to slow global warming is stalled because of a tragic mix of short-term self interest and distrust in climate science; and, while trust in social media commentary seems limitless, traditional journalism is decried as fake news.