He notes in the book that the US sent mixed signals and was ambivalent with regard to the uprising. Per a JMA comment elsewhere, the World at large has great difficulty in understanding US Foreign Policy. That is true, was so with regard to Hungary in 1956 as well as with Libya in 2011 and, in fact, has always been true of this nation back unto the Barbary Pirates and the War of 1812 -- it is a function of our system of governance which we are unwilling to change simply because others cannot understand it and do not like the often conflicting signals it sends which in turns can frustrate their desire for own coherent policies. Those signals conflict not due to dithering but rather because our governmental milieu is conflicted by design.

It confused the then 22 year old Hungarian Student Charles Gati in Budapest in the Fall of 1956 and it confuses others today. It causes many to think the US is inherently devious and untrustworthy. That's not really true. We are relatively trustworthy, more so than most nations BUT we should never be relied upon to be consistent due to that 2, 4, 6, and 8 year roil of government. Even one who has lived here as long as has Gati misses that factor. Sad but true and as that Ancient Oriental Philosopher once said, "Xin Loi."