The Foreign Service Journal, May 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2017 13 The Wrong Image The cover of the March Foreign Ser- vice Journal is hauntingly emblematic of what is wrong with U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan and, sadly, elsewhere. The image of dedicated Diplomatic Security personnel and contractors risking life and limb to protect fluttering female officers and tennis-shoe-clad “diplomats“ and “development special- ists” makes it seem like a cute game that, tragically, demonstrates the folly of our castrated foreign policy mecha- nisms. I wonder whether this image bothers anyone else? All I gather is that the Department of State and Foreign Service professionals have been relegated to roles where they write in groupthink to rue the tough deals that the Trump administration must make to restore our leadership in the world. n Thomas R. Hutson FSO, retired Eagle, Nebraska Share your thoughts about this month’s issue. Submit letters to the editor: journal@afsa.org