Comments on: A Diplomat

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 02:59:30 +0000

The prerequisite for ignoring diplomacy and the rest of the world is to be self-sufficient. There was a time when the US could live in isolation, but that time is no more, thanks to globalization and outsourcing.

Starting the foreign policy from zero every four to eight years is a fairly insane process. We can no longer ignore the rest of the world, because multinational corporations have made us dependent on it.

Since the media re-purposed the “news” from information to entertainment, the US population has collectively lost 40 IQ points. Just as people needed more information about the rest of the world, “journalism” decided to cut costs and eliminate foreign bureaus.

By: Kryten42

Kryten42 — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 09:54:37 +0000

Yeah, definitely Steve! Or Actors… 😉 After all… An actor is by definition, a trained consummate liar. Think about it. 😉 I have nothing against actors, so long as we all know when they are *acting*. 🙂

By: Steve Bates

Steve Bates — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:24:29 +0000

Speaking of American diplomats who resigned in frustration, John Brady Kiesling is my favorite example. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak in about 2004 at Rice, shortly after his resignation. One thing that quickly became obvious is that Kiesling has exactly the right attitude as a diplomat... and diplomat he was, packed full and running over, a 20+-year career man. But that did not suit the George W. Bush administration, and they made life impossible for him, despite his superb performance over those 20 years. IMHO, America's loss in Kiesling's premature retirement is incalculable. But what could he do, when he was given nothing... or worse... to work with? As a nation, America lives or dies by its relationships to other nations. Bush's and (apparently) Obama's incomprehension of this simple fact doesn't remove the fact, or even conceal it very well. We have got to stop electing cowboys to the presidency.

By: Kryten42

Kryten42 — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 06:42:36 +0000

Yeah, really… That is a good quote. 🙂 And sadly, true. *sigh*

And you are quite right. It’s amazing how even previous supporters change their tune once they actually spend a significant amount of time actually experiencing the rest of the World, and have their eyes opened from their former myopic nose-length view of the USA. That certainly helped my personal perspective.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:43:07 +0000

I would take it as a compliment, Suzan, thank you.

By: Suzan

Suzan — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:33:11 +0000

Nice. May I quote you? S homogenized by corporations. _______________ .-= last blog ..Uber-Greedos (& Stoopidos) & Liars - Oh My! (Pentagon to Breed Immortal ‘Synthetic Organisms’ With Molecular Kill-Switch) =-.