India, Oct. 29 -- Slogans, rhetoric, and narratives are powerful tools in foreign policy. They persuade international audiences, rally domestic support for specific policy measures, and help create a sense of purpose within governments. Trouble starts when policymakers and strategic elites start believing their own rhetoric and slogans, even after their usefulness has long passed or their underlying objectives no longer exist.

Let's take a step back. In foreign policy, rhetoric refers to the narratives, slogans, and statements that states use to evocatively communicate their interests. Rhetoric is driven by a state's interests at a given point of time. They design catchy, evocative phrases and rhetoric to persuade external audiences (oth...