The Foreign Service Journal, January 2010

t is in vogue to say that in the 21st century, diplo- mats are a relic of a distant past that is no longer relevant to the way that international relations are conducted. After all, heads of government and other top officials can deliver messages without re- course to diplomatic messengers. And decision- makers can rely on summit meetings, direct tele- phone conversations and video conferences, and other com- munication technologies. Those espousing this view contend that a short flight or an e-mail message constitutes the bridge linking states —a func- tion once performed by diplomats accredited to foreign gov- ernments or working in their own foreign ministries. Even those who defend the relevance of traditional diplo- macy concede that its practice has to be modified. For in- stance, what was once a politically centered profession has steadily become more oriented to commerce and economics, as globalization and growing economic interdependence re- quire deeper knowledge of such issues, both on the bilateral and multilateral levels. Still, no matter how advanced the means of communica- tion, or how often heads of government and foreign ministers talk to each other, the input of individual diplomats at a con- ceptual, intellectual level cannot be replaced. Spending years in a certain country, or following develop- ments there, confers invaluable knowledge of the intricacies of its political system, the various dimensions of its domestic base prompting the decisions of its leaders, and the richness of its social structures. No single decision-maker can devote all the time and energy required for such a task. Take, for example, the case of the late George Kennan and his “Long Telegram” of February 1946. Drawing on his many years spent representing the United States government in Moscow, Kennan cogently explained the nature of the com- munist system in the Soviet Union and assessed how it would evolve as it expanded beyond its frontiers. On that basis, he urged a policy of containment, which became the basis of U.S. policy towards the Soviet Union for decades to come. The Value of the Long View Admittedly, the timing of the document — generated less than a year after the end of World War II removed the prin- cipal basis for cooperation between Washington and Moscow — made the Truman administration receptive to its recom- mendations. However, the sheer intellectual force of Ken- nan’s analysis was rooted in years of hard-won insights into Soviet society and thorough study, conducted by a diplomat with a creatively analytical mind. Further, a diplomat can enhance the image of his country in the state to which he or she is accredited and avert a crisis by his or her force of personality and engaging diplomacy. Think of U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Josephus Daniels, who was appointed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933 at a particularly sensitive moment in bilateral relations. Perhaps his greatest test was the nationalization of the for- eign-owned oil industry by the Mexican government in 1938. The prospect of a major diplomatic crisis betweenMexico City and Washington loomed on the horizon. Amb. Daniels op- posed a drastic response, contending that the Mexican move was not motivated by any radical social ideology, but by patri- otic, nationalistic ideals. He counseled patience, predicting that in the long run, allowing a proud Mexico to improve its economic lot would benefit the United States. Throughout his tenure, Amb. Daniels played an active role 30 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 0 T HE R OLE OF THE D IPLOMAT IN THE M ODERN E RA T HERE IS SIMPLY NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE PERSONAL TOUCH SKILLFUL DIPLOMATS BRING TO THEIR MISSION . B Y Y OAV J. T ENEMBAUM I Yoav J. Tenembaum lectures in the Diplomacy Program at Tel Aviv University. He has published numerous articles on diplo- matic, political, historical and philosophical topics in journals, newspapers and magazines around the world. A selection of his poems is due to be published in book form in the U.S. soon.