by Bob Baker Nothing but a bunch of “cookie pushers” is an ancient slur against diplomats who are thus seen as simply sitting at fine tables sipping tea and offering cookies to equally insipid, wealthy and powerful guests abroad. In … Continued

Reviewed by Jon P. Dorschner Green Signals: Ecology, Growth, and Democracy in India by Jairam Ramesh, Oxford University Press (India), New Delhi, 2015, ISBN 978-0-19-945752-6, 604 pp., $32.85 (Hardcover). I am extremely concerned about the impact of environmental factors on … Continued

by Bob Baker Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia came to address a national convention of Australian lawyers. I had requested a top constitutional lawyer and was delighted when Washington headquarters at the U.S. Information Agency in 1986 told me Justice … Continued

by Godfrey Garner The terror events of these past two serve as a stark proclamation which announces that the world is in need of a drastic change in policy and method of operation. We must today, as a human race, … Continued

  Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC January 14, 2015 On January 14, 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry released the FY 2014 Fiscal Transparency Report, assessing whether governments that receive U.S. assistance meet minimum requirements of fiscal … Continued

Of Special Interest: UPCOMING PBS VIDEO, “AMERICA’S DIPLOMATS” From American Diplomacy Board Member Amb. William C. Harrop “America’s Diplomats” is a one-hour documentary prepared for screening in 2016 on PBS. It was commissioned by the Nelson B. Delavan Foundation and … Continued

by Keith C. Smith During my long career, I heard many colleagues reflect on their first Foreign Service assignment—usually recalling it as a highly positive experience. Unfortunately, my first post left me disillusioned by the Foreign Service and vowing to … Continued

by Mark Wentling What is an embassy? What is an ambassador? ‘Embassy’ and ‘Ambassador’ were practically new words for me in 1967 when I encountered them firsthand in Tegucigalpa. Way back then, I and other members of 8th group new … Continued

by Peter Bridges Back in the late 1950s, when Stalin was not long gone and the Soviet state remained our militarily powerful and dangerous adversary, the State Department’s basic office for dealing with the Russians was a Soviet desk composed … Continued

  Our new format designed to replace our book reviews places more of the choice on you, the Reader. My colleagues and I at American Diplomacy will identify a variety of new books that we believe may interest you. We’ll … Continued

  “The Fascism of the Affluent” The rise of extreme nationalism and fascism in the 1930s is usually explained in terms of the outcome of World War I, which ruined Europe’s economy, leading to a global economic crisis and mass … Continued

  “Israel and the United States” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke at the Brooking Institution’s Saban Forum on December 6th about the importance of the U.S.-Israeli strategic partnership. Mrs. Clinton noted that jihadism has metastasized and suggested strategies … Continued

by Chas Freeman Remarks to the American Foreign Service Association Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr., USFS (Ret.) The Foreign Service Club, Washington, DC, 11 January 1995   Ladies and Gentlemen: There’s a door prize being given out today. Finally, after … Continued