The Foreign Service Journal, March 2011

44 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A R C H 2 0 1 1 icy, not to make it, and that AFSA must avoid becoming enmeshed in partisan political disputes. The problem with this approach is that the organiza- tion ends up looking parochial. We are vocal about our budgets and our people, but where does the organization stand on other matters of principle? For instance, diplo- macy depends in large measure on the rule of law in in- ternational relations, but advocacy of American “exceptionalism” (the belief that such rules don’t apply to us because of our uniqueness) surfaces all too often in both major political parties. Is it really enough for former ambassadors to speak out as individuals against such aberrations? Shouldn’t AFSA also resist thempublicly, pointing out that flouting the rules ourselves can only damage our efforts to build respect for the law elsewhere? And as a corollary, shouldn’t AFSA add its voice to efforts to get the Senate to ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Inter-American Treaty on the Illegal Export of Weapons, and to support free trade agreements with key allies? I recognize that drawing a line between abstract princi- ple and partisan applications is difficult to tackle —maybe even impossible for a corporate entity like AFSA — and that the task of defending diplomacy should normally fall to individual spokespersons, rather than to the organization. But when it is necessary for AFSA to speak out, it should not hesitate to do so. In the meantime, we can take some comfort from a per- verse outcome of the WikiLeaks episode. Whatever the complications Julian Assange and his colleagues have caused for the practice of diplomacy, the chorus of praise is growing for the quality of Foreign Service work and the re- porting that’s been publicized. Years ago, when I told the late Representative Stephen Solarz, D-N.Y., about a cable that I had written to State about our visit to a refugee camp, he observed: “Oh, you re- ported to the Black Hole.” WikiLeaks has opened many foreign affairs pundits’ eyes worldwide, both to what For- eign Service personnel do and how well we do it. AFSA might well consider publishing a compendium of such commentators’ remarks, which add some much-needed luster to the FS image! ■ F O C U S