Those who assume that the obsolescent diplomacy of the twentieth century – as it is described by today’s global network enthusiasts – was conducted entirely behind closed doors by elites have got their history wrong. We need only read the contemporary press accounts of any major international conference during this period to realize how important various pressure groups – not only the press, but also “peace activists,” bankers, industrialists, labor unions, religious organizations, and countless others – were in nearly all of these instances.
然而，这并不只是某些既定的进步法则的功劳。所谓的 “ 旧外交 ” 的某些重要因素依然起到了作用：以国家及地区利益为基础协调外交政策，在理想与可能之间注重后者，发展当今所谓的 “ 信心建立手段 ” 。事实上，这些方法是在小众专业谈判家和他们及其代表的群体之间建立信任。