Removing the drain plug from the State Department?

[Kutnupe14]

All of the US agencies and departments deserve at least a 30% budget cut. This is a good start.

I don't think Trump gives a hoot which department any of us think deserves the first cut.

I would accept an across the board 30% cut.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I would like to see verification that these are the best and the brightest... I have gotten the impression that the source of much "new blood" has been from a very small Ivy League pool, and have also read senior FSO complaints that new officers hired over the last few years are extremely shallow in the their knowledge. Heavy on social justice and climate alarm, short on actual history of how the international situation came to be. I've thought for some time the State Dept as well as the rest of the government would be greatly advantaged if they cast a wider net and accepted a broader range of applicants.

The FSO that recently served as Ambassador to Qatar was not a stellar example of FSO commitment to mission, and I can say that the one ambassador I met in the ME while on duty did not hide her political orientation, one opposite of the President she was serving under, so I have some doubt that she faithfully executed her mission when we couldn't see what she was doing. Frankly, the military seems to have had much more success and access in diplomatic contacts in the Mideast than our State Department.

By the way, I find your conclusion that a smaller military footprint and a larger State Department can help us "avoid being dragged into conflicts we shouldn't be in" to be hilarious after the recent debacles by the former SecStates and POTUS.

This post, referring to an Ambassador as a FSO, and FSO as being heavy on social justice, is indicative of not knowing the career paths and missions of FSOs. Ambassadors (while technically FSOs) are presidential appointments, while FSOs are chosen based on merit. FSOs don't don't consider ambassadors as being like them. Further, FSOs have a hiring age limit of around 60s, rather than the implied "bright-eyed bushy-tailed" college graduate. I have a friend, who straight out of the service, was appointed as FSOs. Now, there is a heavy Ivy League contingent, many looking either to begin political careers, or simply travel the world. These people are required to go to high-risk zones at least once in their careers, and put their asses on the line... the idea that you are going to label them as one of the generally ignorant SJWs, when they have skin in the game, and have seen the world as it really is, detracts from their commitment to their profession.

 

[Twangbanger]

No, I think you're the one with false exchange. Your premise is, essentially, that the foreign service must stop every stupid US entanglement in order to be looked upon as being beneficial. You might as well say cops are failures because they don't deter all crime. The logic is the same. You never know of what has been avoided due to a particular action, but the the things that do happen, you find fault the institution tasked with trying to prevent it.

Fair enough, but I suspect many of them are more beneficial to the department itself than to any generalized public good. We are addicted to projecting our influence. And the people who do the "projecting" often see the existence of their job as self-evident justification of its importance. If the addiction could be broken, or just reduced, it's hard to believe we cannot get by with 28% less.

 

[BugI02]

No, I think you're the one with false exchange. Your premise is, essentially, that the [STRIKE]foreign service[/STRIKE] [immigration ban EO] must stop every [STRIKE]stupid[/STRIKE] [jihadist] US [STRIKE]entanglement[/STRIKE] [attack] in order to be looked upon as being beneficial. You might as well say [STRIKE]cops are failures[/STRIKE] [extreme vetting is a failure] because [STRIKE]they don't[/STRIKE] [it doesn't] deter all [STRIKE]crime[/STRIKE] [attacks]. The logic is the same. You never know of what has been avoided due to a particular action, but the the things that do happen, you find fault the institution tasked with trying to prevent it.

Same logical framework, different parameters. Do you find it still valid?

 

[T.Lex]

This Tillerson guy, he seems like he knows what he's doing....

Kenya's Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga now 'brothers' - BBC News

Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga called each other "brothers" during a surprise joint TV address.
Mr Odinga has sworn himself in as the "people's president" and refused to recognise Mr Kenyatta as head of state.
The announcement came shortly before the arrival of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Kenya.
Speaking in Nairobi Mr Tillerson later praised the two men for taking "a very positive step".

He may become my 2d favorite Secretary of State, behind Condi.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Wow, he speaks Nairobi?? I never knew that.

what has he said about South African land grab?

 

[Kutnupe14]

Wow, he speaks Nairobi?? I never knew that.

what has he said about South African land grab?

Purple right?
And the distance between Kenya and South Africa, is roughly the same as the distance between Portugal and Poland. Meaning, just because you're on the continent, you don't have to address everything that ongoing on the continent. Hell, the Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo are having some serious issues recently too, and those places are significantly closer.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Yes purple. Said he was speaking in Nairobi, the joke was that it was a language

Not saying he has to, but I expected something from someone at our state department. At least maybe a travel warning. There was a time we spoke out against stuff like this.

 

[Kutnupe14]

This Tillerson guy, he seems like he knows what he's doing....

Kenya's Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga now 'brothers' - BBC News



He may become my 2d favorite Secretary of State, behind Condi.

 

[T.Lex]

This Tillerson guy, he seems like he knows what he's doing....

Kenya's Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga now 'brothers' - BBC News



He may become my 2d favorite Secretary of State, behind Condi.

Breaking news reported that Tillerson's fired by Trump.

 

[T.Lex]

HA!

Trump ousts Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State | TribLIVE

 

[Libertarian01]

This Tillerson guy, he seems like he knows what he's doing....

Kenya's Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga now 'brothers' - BBC News



He may become my 2d favorite Secretary of State, behind Condi.

This must be your lucky day.

Now you can refer to both of them in the past tense.

Much purple as needed.

Doug

 

[T.Lex]

This must be your lucky day.

Now you can refer to both of them in the past tense.

Much purple as needed.

Doug

You may be on to something.

I'll also point out that I've expressed great appreciation for Trump's stance on North Korea and his backing down on certain gun-accessory control moves. Maybe if I step up my support....

 

[AmmoManAaron]

 

[T.Lex]

Not specifically the State Department, but there are reports that Trump will be asking Kristjen Nielson to resign. I haven't followed her that much (might've been perceived as having ulterior motives), but it didn't sound like she'd messed anything up. Anyone have any scoop on why Trump doesn't like her now?