May 2024
Congratulations to the Foreign Service on a Century of Service
One hundred years ago, Congress passed the Foreign Service Act, known as the Rogers Act, which created a professional, merit-based diplomatic corps.
On this centennial anniversary, we honor the contributions of the Foreign Service to our national security.
Commentary
Diplomacy and the Mysteries of the How: The ‘Craft’ in Statecraft by Philip Zelikow
Tough Love and the Diplomacy of Foreign Assistance by Mark Wentling
The Modest Geopolitical Case for Pakistan by Ted Craig
A New Face, But an Old Tactic: History Offers Clues on Stopping Russia’s African Advance by Hank Cohen
Satchmo, the Duke, and the Count: Representing America at its Best Despite Having Experienced its Worst by Larry Tye
Eyewitness
The Life of a Moscow Embassy Staff Aide, 1966-1968 by Jonathan Rickert
Death in the Consulate by Don Kursch
Moments in Diplomacy
A Century of Service and Sacrifice by Tom Selinger
From Our Archives
For more on Cultural Diplomacy and the Cold War: Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: How the West Won by Yale Richmond, March 2013.
Another Foreign Service story on serving in Vietnam: Reflecting on Vietnam: A Young Diplomat goes to War by Allen Keiswetter, January 2017
Links
The May issue of the Foreign Service Journal is devoted almost entirely to marking the 100th anniversary of the creation of the professional Foreign Service. In addition to articles by several former secretaries of state, it includes extensive material from current and former Foreign Service personnel.
https://afsa.org/foreign-service-journal
Hal Brands presents an interesting essay on the moral compromises sometimes needed to advance larger worthwhile ends. However, while he acknowledges that sometimes the means corrupt the ends, when he looks at US foreign policy he only finds examples of compromises that US good intentions justify.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/age-amorality-liberal-brands
The Global South, this article points out, is a concept that groups a wide variety of states that share some common interests, but also have their own national interests. On issues like debt refinancing and climate change they may form a cohesive negotiating bloc, but on matters involving a variety of other issues, such as bloc leadership, they differ and must be dealt with individually.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/world/trouble-global-south