Willem Post - Building Bridges, by Julie R. Moyes
While Willem Post had studied about the United States at University and had long been interested in it, his love for America began in 1995 when he was invited by the U.S. Embassy in The Hague to go on an International Visitor Leadership Program. All these years later Post still refers to that experience as transformative and a highlight of his career. He maintains his interest in the program, becoming the first chairman of the Dutch IVLP alumni organization. Inspired by the home hospitably he received on his program in Springfield, Illinois; El Paso; Bozeman; and Atlanta, Post established an “American style” hospitality Center in The Hague. Since then Post has written 16 books about U.S. politics, history; and society. His most recent book published in 2023 was called The Soul of America (written in Dutch).
I first met Willem Post in 2002 when I was the press officer at The U.S. Embassy in The Hague, and our connection resumed in 2010 when I returned as the Public Affairs Officer (PAO). I was delighted recently to be invited to introduce him at the PDCA First Monday Forum at the International Student House on October 7. Post has worked closely with the Embassy over the years and was a regular participant in press roundtables with U.S officials. He is still a presence at a myriad of events. He regularly shares his insights on America with the Dutch public as a commentator on Dutch television and in newspapers and is a senior research associate on the U.S. at the Clingendael Institute in The Hague, a well respected think tank.
Not only did Post share his knowledge of the U.S. with the Dutch, but the Embassy regularly asked him to brief U.S. officials on Dutch history, politics, and culture, so he became a bridge between our two cultures. This quality he demonstrated in his talk at our First Monday program entitled “Democracy and U.S. Presidential Elections: A View from Europe.”
In his presentation, Post explained that there is global interest in U.S. elections because the U.S. has been a model of democracy. He commented that this is why the January 6 attack on the Capitol shocked foreign observers. He went on to say that the U.S. affects the interests of almost all countries. And “global problems require global solutions and U.S. leadership. That is why the choice of the [U.S.] President is so important to so many countries." He warned that “the authoritarian axis is the new player on the international stage” and because of what is happening both in Europe and in the U.S. there is a sense of urgency and concern about the peaceful transition of power in the U.S. "Authoritarians are watching that," he said.
Post asserted that 85 percent of Americans are centrists, and he called on moderates to "make democracy work," to avoid language of demonization, "to understand civics and how government works, and and to teach that to young people."
He concluded: "Moderates must build bridges. That is what the International Visitor Program showed me. I was able to sit with Americans in their homes and hear from them directly. This is the way to build bridges."