LAWAC Event: Michael McFaul

Ambassador McFaul

Recently I had the opportunity to attend a Los Angeles World Affairs Council event that was a discussion with former US Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul. His most recent book, From Cold War to Hot Peace, centers on his experience as a high-level diplomat in a hostile environment and promises to deliver personal impressions of Putin.

McFaul had some very interesting ideas on the status of Russia, and he argued that Putin was the center of it all. He didn't believe that any major change could occur in Russia while Putin was in control, which essentially means while he is alive. He offered fascinating anecdotes, including a story of an incredible contraption built in a hotel room to provide privacy for President Obama from Russian spying devices.

Overall, McFaul's talk was very interesting, but I think it faced a similar problem to one that he addressed in relation to his writing. His previous works were more analytical and were intended for fellow scholars. However, he now has personal experience that can be analyzed and used to make conclusions on some of the inside workings of the Russian government. I think these two perspectives clashed. It was almost like he was serving as both a primary and secondary source, and it was quite difficult to disentangle his personal experience from his own opinions of the goings on in Russia.

While I learned a great deal from the content of his talk, I think I learned even more somewhat indirectly from his behavior. I am very interested in the concept of diplomacy, and Ambassador McFaul has immense experience in diplomacy in hostile situations, so I had planned to ask him a question about his diplomatic strategies. As the night went on, I realized the event was much more like a diplomatic event than a personal conversation for Ambassador McFaul. While he certainly intended to educate the audience, he was also there to sell his book. In the era of fake news, his talk was an opportune reminder for me to reconsider a person's bias and underlying intentions when consuming information.

Photo is courtesy of LAWAC