NPR: [US] Ambassador To Argentina Nominee Has Never Been To the Country

[Badpaladin]

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/...to-the-country

Fun read. I guess it's no surprise, given the political landscape of the US.

For those who don't want to read the (short) article, the newly-appointed ambassador nominee was responsible for generating more than 500,000 USD for Obama during the 2012 presidential election.

This begs the question, does a man who started a political consultation firm and serves on the Political Council on International Policy have the necessary qualifications to act as an ambassador to a foreign country?

[Wells]

Its a shit deal. Ambassador appointments are too frequently rewards for favors.

[Twotonsteak]

And the Ambassador to Norway doesn't even know their political structure.

There are two types of ambassadors. Countries of strategic importance receive career servants who have a detailed understanding of the country they are being assigned too. Other countries receive political appointee's who bought the job by contributing money (usually a LOT of money) to the President.

Now, to be fair, both parties have been doing this for a long, long, time. However I think this most recent batch, combined with the enacted "nuclear option," shines a really bad light on the US political system. (Not that we needed help there.) Ambassadors, all ambassadors, should at least be able to represent us without making themselves (and us) look bad.

That's hard to do when you don't speak the host-nations language or even understand their political structure.

[Masark]

There are two types of ambassadors. Countries of strategic importance receive career servants who have a detailed understanding of the country they are being assigned too. Other countries receive political appointee's who bought the job by contributing money (usually a LOT of money) to the President.

Hey, for once we agree on things.

[Spectral]

Its a shit deal. Ambassador appointments are too frequently rewards for favors.

This is exactly right.

- - - Updated - - -

There are two types of ambassadors. Countries of strategic importance receive career servants who have a detailed understanding of the country they are being assigned too. Other countries receive political appointee's who bought the job by contributing money (usually a LOT of money) to the President.

This is also exactly right.

I have very little to add to these posts. I assume this is an issue we can all agree across the political spectrum. Shit move, shit policy, shit standard. Completely normal, regardless of party.

[Wells]

At the end of the day I'm not too fussed. It sucks, it should stop, but lets be honest, we're not gonna get fucked over by this.

You know honestly I think the skills that let you get people to sign over huge amounts of money probably are pretty useful as an ambassador anyway.

So long as we send more competent people to places where it matters, and we do, I'm more worried by other things.

[Tradewind]

I'm not sure where the requirement "has to have been to the country" is such a problem. Like how long are we talking about? Does spending a week in the country make them any more of an expert?

[belfpala]

I don't understand the problem, unless the person makes zero effort.

As a (formerly) frequent traveler myself, it takes me maybe 2-3 weeks to feel mostly familiar with the local culture, maybe 3 months until I've found all the small non-tourist businesses I'm going to need. That would accelerate if I had deep connections in the government and (likely) local guides to help me out.

[Spectral]

I don't understand the problem, unless the person makes zero effort.

As a (formerly) frequent traveler myself, it takes me maybe 2-3 weeks to feel mostly familiar with the local culture, maybe 3 months until I've found all the small non-tourist businesses I'm going to need. That would accelerate if I had deep connections in the government and (likely) local guides to help me out.

I'd personally be inclined to nominate people with actual expertise, not just people that can presumably pick it up as they go along. I mean, it's not like there's a shortage of candidates in the US, right? Of course it's not a huge travesty that's likely to end in gigantic misery, it's just not really a great way of doing business when you can just buy Ambassador slots.

[zhero]

I'm confused as to why this is getting any attention. You aren't appointed as an ambassador because you know the country, its because you were chosen to represent your government in a foreign nation.

[Sunseeker]

Being in a country won't give you really any better a feel for it than studying. I mean, would being in Kansas tell you about being in New York? Or California?

[Wells]

Being in a country won't give you really any better a feel for it than studying. I mean, would being in Kansas tell you about being in New York? Or California?

I think its kind of ridiculous to discount actual experience.

[Tradewind]

I think its kind of ridiculous to discount actual experience.

Hence my question, what's experience? A week? Month? Year? Is there a lot of ambassador candidates who have months+ of time spent in the country they're going to be sent to?

[Sunseeker]

I think its kind of ridiculous to discount actual experience.

With whom? The national government? The local government? The middle class? The poor? The beaches? the cities? the forests?

Which experience translates into the best for being an ambassador? Are we unrealistically going to say you need to experience in all these things? To what degree, how much, how many years should a person have with one of these?

At what point to we simply demand so much experience that there's no way anyone could have it unless they were damn near omniopotent?

It's the fallacy of asking for experience in order to gain experience.

[Wells]

With whom? The national government? The local government? The middle class? The poor? The beaches? the cities? the forests?

Which experience translates into the best for being an ambassador? Are we unrealistically going to say you need to experience in all these things? To what degree, how much, how many years should a person have with one of these?

At what point to we simply demand so much experience that there's no way anyone could have it unless they were damn near omniopotent?

It's the fallacy of asking for experience in order to gain experience.

State department experience? I mean there are lots of jobs in our diplomatic efforts down the change below Ambassador.

Shit I'd even take business experience in the country you'll be working in.

[Sunseeker]

State department experience? I mean there are lots of jobs in our diplomatic efforts down the change below Ambassador.

Shit I'd even take business experience in the country you'll be working in.

So we need experience to get experience, because experience requires experience, so that when you have experience you can get experience.

...or something.

[apepi]

I think to be an ambassador you should:
A) Have lived in that country for longer then 6 months.
B) Speak one of their native languages fluently
C) Have a masters in Foreign Policy

Is this too much to ask for?

[Spectral]

So we need experience to get experience, because experience requires experience, so that when you have experience you can get experience.

...or something.

You realize there are lower diplomatic posts, right?

[Wells]

So we need experience to get experience, because experience requires experience, so that when you have experience you can get experience.

...or something.

You need to spend time in your field before you get promoted to higher up in that field.

Is that new to you?

[belfpala]

So we need experience to get experience, because experience requires experience, so that when you have experience you can get experience.

...or something.

There are ways to get experience before having the top job.