The moralistic aspect of negotiation stems from the idea that Americans, upon the founding of the United States, established an exceptional form of government based on the principles of liberty and freedom, which as a result outlined a guide to be sought after by every nation. Finally, the superpower mindset is one that acknowledges the idea of the military, political, and economic superiority of the United States. Along with acknowledgement is the desire and preparedness to make use of that particular standing in order to "dictate terms"" in achieving our national interests (namely peace and freedom around the world).
Along with these kinds of behaviors, however, are the challenges faced when negotiating with representatives of foreign nations. Typically the concern pertains to the American attitude and approach in conducting each negotiation. Specifically relating to the idea of dictating terms, former Soviet ambassador Yuri Nazarkin said, "If U.S. policymakers and diplomats calculate [that they] can dictate terms, then they do not need to negotiate and compromise." While the counterargument may be that negotiation with the Soviets did not matter, it is still important to understand the perspective proposed by Nazarkin. .
In addition to the Soviet perception, even former American Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said that "diplomacy is the art of letting the other guy have our way." This statement confirms that we know the power that we can wield, and we make sure to take advantage of that power with every attempted approach. Finally, Solomon and Quinney also introduce a different kind of perspective pertaining to actual policy. "We must be prepared to talk with our enemies it is in our interest to do so." Talking to a hostile government, whether it was Moscow during the Cold War or Damascus today, is not appeasement," said former Secretary of State James Baker. Baker's idea on negotiating with enemies seems to be shared by the authors of the other two readings, though neither explicitly discusses it.