Greetings, readers from EU Referendum, who have seen the interesting comment there by Helen (I assume Szamuely) on one of my earlier entries about different national negotiating styles. Helen calls me on whether the Russian approach to negotiating in fact works, giving some examples where the picture at best is mixed.

This subject has prompted various other comments and emails. See eg this solid point:

I am enjoying your pieces on bloody-mindedness. It does of course make the Russians formidable negotiators. But I do wonder if the analysis needs to consider how this applies to an iterative process of negotiation, in which you (a) yes, aim to get what you want and (b) are prepared to act tough to get it, but (c) not at the cost of the trust and goodwill you will need to negotiate in future. Otherwise you eventually end up playing in the sand-pit without any friends…

So I am on to something. I will offer More, with examples from the diplomatic coal-face.

For now just to say that to a degree I agree with Helen. It does not follow that being bloody-minded or even threatening force actually works. So much depends on context, the objective balance of forces, how far one’s bloody-mindedness is intelligently marshalled to focus on a specific objective, how one balances different Objectives, and just sheer technique on the day. Russian examples aplenty.

Nor, of course, am I saying that Might is Right.Or the smart way to go, or to bet.

My (very) basic point is simply this.

That confidence and determination play a big part in negotiating. And that if you are prepared to inflict pain on your negotiating partner(s) (or at least credibly threaten to do so) plus are ready to endure pain (or at least credibly project a willingness to do so), you have a much wider set of options – and possible outcomes.

Take international piracy on the high seas, amazingly a growing problem again.

This approach is, in my view, insane, and in some sense actually immoral in that it puts all the vast authority of our Government and British Law behind obviously perverse incentive schemes. It dumbs us down in policy and presentational terms.

Wrong in principle. Wrong in technique.

Hence in the unending negotiation between the Forces of Right and the Forces of Wrong, we are needlessly coming over as … silly … weak.

Not only pirates notice such things.