The Foreign Service Journal, April 2006

Social and economic classes may exist, but membership in one or another of them is not permanent: those above may fall and, more importantly, those below may rise. Pondering the politics of having a maid and a nanny, I often reflect on the late George Kennan’s belief that the U.S. should strive to lead the world on the human rights front not by hectoring, pressuring or slaying foreign dragons, but by the powerful example of our democratic practices at home. In this connection, the sta- tistics indicating a growing divide between the truly wealthy and the rest of us right here in the U.S., along with the apparent emergence of a quasi-permanent underclass, should concern us all. Still, I continue to hope that the children of today’s maids and nan- nies, with hard work and a little luck, will become tomorrow’s engineers, artists or entrepreneurs. For as much as I dislike washing the dishes and folding the laundry, I would pre- fer doing those thankless tasks to knowing that the daughter of the maid who folds laundry and does dishes for my family today will be doing the same thing for my son’s family tomorrow. n A P R I L 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 65 I continue to hope that the children of today’s maids and nannies, with hard work and a little luck, will become tomorrow’s engineers, artists or entrepreneurs. A time of service…a time of need Help for Seniors May Be Just a Phone Call Away— Home Health Care Adult Day Care & Respite Care Prescription Drug Copayments Transportation to Medical Appointments Durable Medical Equipment For more information, please contact the SENIOR LIVING FOUNDATION OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE 1716 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20036-2902 Phone: (202) 887-8170 Fax: (202) 872-9320 E-Mail: info@SLFoundation.org Web Site: www.SLFoundation.org The Senior Living Foundation may be able to help you or someone you know. Some examples of assistance are: SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION