The Foreign Service Journal, June 2005

out, and this is not to denigrate at all people who are working mightily to make sure it works out well. But it appears to me that there were cer- tain aspects of independent journal- ism that probably were in better shape under USIA than after the amalgamation. It appeared to me at the time — and I was a member of the committee then, not the chair- man — that there was too much pre- occupation with saving money, with downsizing the department and these kinds of issues, as opposed to the quality of public diplomacy. That got rather short shrift in the argument. FSJ : Any final thoughts? RL : I just want to express once again my profound appreciation for those who enter the Foreign Service and the lives that they lead. They go with eyes wide open into careers that have tremendous potential, not only to serve our country but really to make the whole world better. And thousands and thousands of people a re succeeding in that respect as members of the Foreign Service, both abroad and also back in the Depart- ment of State. But they are still unsung heroes, and we’ve discussed in this interview the need to tell their stories: who they are, what they do, what kinds of talents and public ser- vice they give. That’s really so impor- tant because it appears to me that the excitement that would be generated by those stories would make a large difference in the support our coun- try’s diplomacy receives. We’ve been making these arguments on the floor of the Senate, that we are not as a nation ever going to wish to win every argument through war. As a matter of fact, public diplomacy, private diplo- macy and good Foreign Service work make the big diff e rence for the United States and the world every day without there being armed conflict and coercion. So therefore, the need to devote the resources to those activ- ities is just imperative. FSJ : Thank you very much. ■ 26 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 5 “I just want to express once again my profound appreciation for those who enter the Fore ign Service and the lives that they lead.” T HE R EMINGTON