The Foreign Service Journal, May 2018

6 MAY 2018 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 85 Reflections The Card from Kabul By Be n Ea s t 86 Local Lens Merzouga, Morocco By S t u a r t De n ye r 60 The State of State 61 “Deep Dish” Podcast Hosts AFSA President 61 AFSA Happy Hour 62 State VP Voice—It Can’t Be Easy 63 FAS VP Voice—Looking Back, Moving Forward 63 Telling Our Story—Outreach 64 WhereWe Stand—EER Season: Thinking About the Precepts 65 2017 Sinclaire Language Awards Recipients 65 Nominate a Colleague for an MSI! 66 Back to School: Labor Management Matters 67 Ensuring a Better Packout 68 Thank You for Your Service: FS Retirees 70 AFSA Governing Board Meeting, March 2018 70 AFSAWelcomes New USAID VP 71 AAFAA Launches Internship Scholarship Fund AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION On the Cover: Art: Camille Chisholm Marketplace 79 Classifieds 81 Real Estate 84 Index to Advertisers FOREIGN SERVICE 7 President’s Views Preserving America’s Global Leadership By Ba r ba r a S t e p h e n s o n 9 Letter from the Editor Whither Democracy? By Sh awn Do rma n 17 Speaking Out What State Should Bring to the Table: Cultural and Language Expertise By Ph i l S ko t t e Perspectives Departments 10 Letters 13 Letters-Plus 14 Talking Points 72 In Memory 76 Books 61