I’m reading Judith Klinghoffer’s latest, and she quotes a line from the Reagan Diaries:

Dec 7 – The weather turned out fine for the official greeting for Pres. Zia of Paksitan. We got along fine. He’s a good man (cavalry). Game me his word they were not building an atomic or nuclear bomb.

That business about “good man” should provide a good lesson for all leaders. First, “man is more inclined to do evil than to do good” (Machiavelli, line one chapter one). Second, you can’t judge intentions, since serious leaders will pursue interests rather than inclinations. Therefore, the first rule of policy is to define others’ interests, and the parameters within which they can act.