The Foreign Service Journal, June 2013

8 JUNE 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL LETTERS Diplomacy in Action— or Inaction? In what may have been just a strange coincidence, the April 12 Washington Post opinion piece by diplomats Susan Johnson, Ronald Neumann andThomas Pickering (“Bring Back Professional Diplo- macy”) ran on the same day as a full-page ad for the HBO series “Veep” depicting Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character falling asleep at an international conference. The ad’s headline? “Diplomacy in Action.” HBOmay amuse its viewers with such portrayals, but the depiction of a bored, disengaged diplomat representing the United States is nothing to laugh about. And that is precisely why Johnson, Neu- mann and Pickering are spot on in their critique of the current crisis in American diplomatic practice. The U.S. Foreign Service is imperiled, as they explain, by the rising number of short-term and inexperienced politi- cal appointees who lack the training, language skills, on-the-job experience and commitment that distinguish professional diplomats from others. While some political appointees bring valuable personal assets to the job of representation, most do not. What’s more, their growing presence erodes profession- alism and costs the State Department in terms of institutional memory, effective- ness and efficiency. As Johnson, Neu- mann and Pickering point out, Secretary of State John Kerry can best signal that diplomacy really matters by taking steps to right this imbalance. Jane C. Loeffler Washington, D.C. Foreign Service, Know Yourselves The April edition of The Foreign Service Journal is a masterpiece of writing and editing. After 40 years of trying to under- stand and propagate our collective ambi- tions, experiences and organizational aspirations, everything has finally been all wrapped up in one brilliant package. Kudos to all the good folks who put it together! Regrettably, it is still not pos- sible to assert that all Foreign Service personnel management goals have been validated, or rendered clear and cogent. As a group of government employees, we are indeed for- tunate that we have not been parodied on “Saturday Night Live,” or in a feature film or TV series. Just a few seconds of reflection by anyone with embassy experience could produce some award-winning plots. One can also be sure that there are presidential aspirants out there who would fire the whole U.S. Foreign Service if they could. Nonetheless, thanks to the Journal , AFSAmembers now knowmore about their union and professional association— and the past, present and future of the Foreign Service as an institution. John Wellington Macdonald Foreign Service Reserve, retired Austin, Texas Stop Selling Embassies Your March issue should serve as a call to the Foreign Service to take a stand on the issue of political appointments to ambassadorships abroad. The “Talking Point” on the subject by Steve Honley and the letter from TomNiles come at a perfect time—before the 2016 potential presiden- tial candidates start promising plum posts to potential donors. It is a happy coincidence that recently departed Secretary of State Hillary Rod- hamClinton is reported to have held off financial backers pending a decision on her own candidacy. For who among possi- ble rivals from either party could be more familiar with the need for experience and demonstrated expertise in diplomacy and policy formulation? The American Foreign Service Asso- ciation must take the lead on this, but is unlikely to do so absent strong and vocal support fromAFSAmembers. Every politician seeking the presidency—including, most prominently, Clinton—should be told in uncompromising terms of AFSA’s opposition to appointments from outside of the Foreign Service as representatives of the United States in foreign lands. The Senate Foreign Relations Com- mittee, and individual senators as well, should be left with no doubt on this point, and any and all candidates for AFSA lead- ership should get the same message from its members. President Barack Obama has been as guilty as his predecessors in the sale of embassies to the highest bid- ders, so we must look to his successor for the end to this disgraceful and harmful practice. Now is the time to start, before the next auction begins. Alan Berlind Senior FSO, retired Bordeaux, France Political Infiltration I read with interest Ambassador Charles Ray’s March Speaking Out column (“The Foreign Service Needs a Cultural Shift”). Institutional change is inevitable, but too often it unfolds at a glacial pace, well behind the curve. Amb. Ray and I share a common back- ground of military service prior to joining the Foreign Service, and our tenures as FSOs overlapped, as well. Still, despite these commonalities, I must take issue