"Ambassadors"

[about_average]

http://www.npr.org/2014/12/03/36814...any-big-donors-to-ambassadorships-critics-say

When describing her qualifications for the job, the newly confirmed U.S. ambassador to Hungary cited a "product" she helped develop that is exported to "more than 100 countries, for daily consumption with more than 40 million viewers."

The product Colleen Bradley Bell produced is the soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful.

I've always thought ambassadors should be required to speak the predominant native language of the country where they are stationed, or at the very least start taking language lessons in it.

This might be a new low, however.

 

[phrodeau]

Not a new low at all.

http://articles.latimes.com/1989-07-22/news/mn-3330_1_political-appointees

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Not a new low at all.

http://articles.latimes.com/1989-07-22/news/mn-3330_1_political-appointees

So, no original thought...



When they send us ambassadors, do they send us the best or the least?

 

[about_average]

Not a new low at all.

http://articles.latimes.com/1989-07-22/news/mn-3330_1_political-appointees

I don't mean a new low in the fact they are political appointments.
It seems to be a new low in qualification, having been the producer of a a soap opera being the most noteworthy qualification.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

She showed him the money!



Now she can show them the honey! They must be Hungary for that...

 

[possum123]

I don't mean a new low in the fact they are political appointments.
It seems to be a new low in qualification, having been the producer of a a soap opera being the most noteworthy qualification.

Most politics are very much like a soap opera.

 

[oggbashan]

Major US Ambassador appointments have always been a reward for supporting the 'correct' political party. Changing ambassadors after a change of the party in control takes time.

BUT - many US Ambassadors, whatever the flaws in the appointment process, have served their country well, and have been a great asset to US alliances. There are exceptions, but the US should be proud of its ambassadors.

 

[phrodeau]

I don't mean a new low in the fact they are political appointments.
It seems to be a new low in qualification, having been the producer of a a soap opera being the most noteworthy qualification.

http://articles.philly.com/1989-09-04/news/26101956_1_italian-navy-ambassador-joseph-zappala

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/24/mel-sembler-mitt-romney-s-florida-fat-cat.html

 

[possum123]

What is the job of an ambassador?

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Major US Ambassador appointments have always been a reward for supporting the 'correct' political party. Changing ambassadors after a change of the party in control takes time.

BUT - many US Ambassadors, whatever the flaws in the appointment process, have served their country well, and have been a great asset to US alliances. There are exceptions, but the US should be proud of its ambassadors.

Off the top of your head, who is the ambassador to England?

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Matthew W. Barzun was selected by President Barack Obama as National Finance Chair for the president's 2012 re-election campaign. He previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Sweden from 2009 to 2011. Ambassador Barzun is an internet pioneer who was the fourth employee at CNET Networks, where he worked from 1993-2004. Ambassador Barzun served in a number of roles at CNET, including Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy officer, and member of the executive committee.
Wiki

Oh, thank gawd; he speaks the language...

 

[oggbashan]

Off the top of your head, who is the ambassador to England?

You answered before I had read your post. He visited a school near me a few weeks ago for a debate on US/UK relations.

The students were delighted that he had accepted their invitation and pleased with his reasonable and rational answers to some of the difficult questions they asked.

 

[Noor]

The Italian ambassador was here this week, I got invited to his speech and reception. He only spoke in Italian, but I assume he could speak English.

Most ambassadors have a background in the language and know the country they are placed in. They are appointed positions and there are key countries where the quality of the ambassador is more important. A really good ambassador is usually left in place.
I have known people whose parents were career ambassadors and they were highly skilled.

Certain appointments like France are key reward appointments, important more from a protocol aspect than from a political one.
Until relatively recently ambassadors have been highly educated, career public servants usually from the foreign service or united nations.

 

[Noor]

April Glaspie ambassador to Iraq during the Kuwait crisis was set up by Bush.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Glaspie

She was a career diplomat and not just some no nothing political appointment.

 

[Noor]

What is the job of an ambassador?

"A key role of an ambassador is to coordinate the activities not only of the Foreign Service Officers and staff serving under him, but also representatives of other U.S. agencies in the country. At some overseas posts, personnel from as many as 27 federal agencies work in concert with embassy staff."

http://diplomacy.state.gov/discoverdiplomacy/diplomacy101/people/170341.htm

 

[possum123]

"A key role of an ambassador is to coordinate the activities not only of the Foreign Service Officers and staff serving under him, but also representatives of other U.S. agencies in the country. At some overseas posts, personnel from as many as 27 federal agencies work in concert with embassy staff."

http://diplomacy.state.gov/discoverdiplomacy/diplomacy101/people/170341.htm

Does that mean if we pulled all Americans back to the U.S. we wouldn't need an ambassador?

 

[about_average]

http://articles.philly.com/1989-09-04/news/26101956_1_italian-navy-ambassador-joseph-zappala

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/24/mel-sembler-mitt-romney-s-florida-fat-cat.html

Ok, an "equivalent low"

 

[Noor]

Does that mean if we pulled all Americans back to the U.S. we wouldn't need an ambassador?

We wouldn't need a lot of things, but we also wouldn't have a lot of things. We are part of a world market, look around where you are sitting, if you only used American made items sourced from American materials what would be left?
Look at where your income is generated from, look who actually holds your mortgage, my bet is not American. Even the medications we take are sometimes made in other countries, one of mine is only made in Japan.
As long as we have economic & business interests in another country we need ambassadors.

 

[about_average]

April Glaspie ambassador to Iraq during the Kuwait crisis was set up by Bush.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Glaspie

She was a career diplomat and not just some no nothing political appointment.

Maybe I missed something, but I'm not sure how you get "set up by Bush" from that article.
But, regardless of that, she obviously ignored the close relationship the US had with Kuwait.

When the news fist made the headlines that Iraq was massing troops on the border, I commented to a co-worker, "Fuck, the US is going to war." And that was just based on what I knew from having previously worked for Bechtel Power and a little other reading about the US in the Gulf states.

 

[Noor]

Maybe I missed something, but I'm not sure how you get "set up by Bush" from that article.
But, regardless of that, she obviously ignored the close relationship the US had with Kuwait.

When the news fist made the headlines that Iraq was massing troops on the border, I commented to a co-worker, "Fuck, the US is going to war." And that was just based on what I knew from having previously worked for Bechtel Power and a little other reading about the US in the Gulf states.

She was a scapegoat, she did what she was told. I posted the article so you would know who she was.

 

[about_average]

She was a scapegoat, she did what she was told. I posted the article so you would know who she was.

I've known who she was at least since 1990.

I don't know that she was told what to say, the linked article isn't clear about that, and, in fact, raises the possibility, which was said at the time, that she didn't really have time to consult with the state dept before the meeting.

 

[possum123]

We wouldn't need a lot of things, but we also wouldn't have a lot of things. We are part of a world market, look around where you are sitting, if you only used American made items sourced from American materials what would be left?
Look at where your income is generated from, look who actually holds your mortgage, my bet is not American. Even the medications we take are sometimes made in other countries, one of mine is only made in Japan.
As long as we have economic & business interests in another country we need ambassadors.

It would be much better if everything around everyone's house was American made.
I generate my income. No one else.
No mortgage. I pay my bills.
Don't take medicines.

I think you are talking about yourself.
Not everyone is like that.

 

[Noor]

It would be much better if everything around everyone's house was American made.
I generate my income. No one else.
No mortgage. I pay my bills.
Don't take medicines.

I think you are talking about yourself.
Not everyone is like that.

What about your computer including it's components? Light bulbs? Television set? Your telephone, clothing? The cloth used in your clothing? The pens you write with, the shoes you wear, the fruit and veg you eat in the winter?
Nothing in your income generation is from outside the US?

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

We'd have a lot less and be far worse off economically if comically everything was American made...

 

[oggbashan]

We'd have a lot less and be far worse off economically if comically everything was American made...

The USA would be in deep shit if every country in the world decided only to buy their own country's products.

Airline passengers would be flying in some very strange aircraft. Would you fly in an airplane 'Made in Sierra Leone'?