The Foreign Service Journal, June 2011

fession. Yet I also recall my A-100 classmate Lawrence Eagleburger, the only career FSO ever to become Sec- retary of State, saying that with the right assistants, he could dominate the policymaking process in Washington. Why not try that? I think there is little to be gained by consciously avoiding the appearance of being an elite. By all means, let us not be elitist in whom and where we hire. But let us also not downplay our skills and value in the open marketplace that today’s journalism and Internet have developed among the American peo- ple. If we don’t sing our own praises and point out our value to America’s secu- rity and well-being — even if we do so mainly to fellow elites in policymaking circles — no one else will. George B. Lambrakis was a State De- partment Foreign Service officer from 1957 to 1985, after spending two years with the U.S. Information Agency in Vietnam and Laos. He served as chargé d’affaires in Beirut, Bissau and Mba- bane, among many other assignments in Washington and abroad. He now teaches international relations and diplomacy in London and Paris. J U N E 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 15 S P E A K I N G O U T If we don’t sing our own praises and point out our value to America’s security and well-being, no one else will. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Printed letters may be edited for space. E-mail to fsjedit@afsa.org or mail to FSJ, 2101 E Street NW, Washington DC 20037. E-C LASSIFIEDS In AFSA News : www.afsa.org/afsa_news.aspx M EMBERSHIP For changes of address and other questions about AFSA membership, e-mail member@afsa.org. A DVERTISING For details about placing either a display or classifed ad, e-mail fsjads@afsa.org, classifieds@afsa.org. C OPYRIGHTS & R EPRINTS To obtain permission to reproduce FSJ material, e-mail fsjedit@afsa.org. FSJ O NLINE www.afsa.org/foreign_ service_journal.aspx Q UESTIONS ? Not sure whom to contact? FSJ FasTrax