American Diplomat

The world has lost a great stateswoman; Pete has lost a mentor. Reviled by autocrats, loved by Cuban Americans, Madeleine Albright is mourned by lovers of democracy worldwide.

What, exactly, is a sanction?  An embargo?  How do they help Ukraine and the West defeat Putin's aggression?  Are they working? Why not put boots on the ground instead?  Elizabeth Shackelford has a lot to say on the matter.  

The Ukraine war - a threat or an opportunity, or both?  It's too early to tell, says congressional candidate and USAID veteran Dave Harden, but in a rise of great power competition - Russia, China and the US - I would rather be America, says Dave . Tune in and find out why.

Gas and Oil, Russia, Europe, the US, Azerbaijan, China and the war in Ukraine.  Rich Kauzlerich, expert on energy diplomacy, explains that sanctions work, but that this is certainly no time for a victory lap.  

Most of the world is united in its condemnation of Russia's aggression in Ukraine, with the conspicuous absence of comment from Latin America.  Why?  Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas, unpacks.

What better way to launch a depressive episode than to leave a beloved job as US Ambassador to Panama, at the pinacle of one's career, all because one cannot in good conscience act as the personal representative of a particular US President?  Ambassador John Feeley shares candidly the painful but surmountable experience of depression and recovery upon departure from the Foreign Service. May we all...

For Michael Peay, one of the first African Americans to serve in the Office of the Legal Adviser, the (incredibly hard) work was "tremendous fun!" When faced with racial prejudice, his wisdom carried him through: "You treat everyone with respect because you have respect for yourself." May we all, of every race, live by this credo.  

Russian mothers, mud season, urban warfare. These are among the threats limiting Putin's ability to agress in Ukraine. Bill Courtney, expert on Central Asia, weighs both Putin's and Ukraine's options and risks in the increasingly dicey situation in Ukraine today. What are Putin's fears and what are some of his tools?

Agnes Schneider, would-be opera singer, saver of lives, confiscator of passports.  She was a living expression of an incredible period of history, from World War I to the Cold War.  Savior or villain, or both?  Lindsay Henderson, consular history expert, shares.  See also her article on this topic in the Foreign Service Journal, Jan/Feb 2022 edition.

Working your way up to an ambasssadorship is such a slog, if you can just buy the honorific instead. Ambassador Dennis Jett, author of a recent article by the same name as this episode, illuminates.  Bonus question: Which embassy is the most expensive to buy?  See also Jett's newly revised book, American Ambassadors: A guide for Aspiring Diplomats.

Dick Hoagland, Central Asia expert, is back to help us understand recent violence in Kazakhstan.  Was the populace upset about rising fuel prices, or was there an internecine power struggle?  Or both?  What is the US interest in this ambiguous and evolving situation?

Bernie Aronson, who led the US effort to end wars in El Salvador and Colombia, shares insight on resolving the most intense geopolitical conflicts: "You should never forget that they are human beings and they can be moved as human beings."  

Are we talking about Chile or the US, or any of a number of other countries worldwide? Deb Derrick recounts recent unrest in Santiago, and we ask ourselves, how similar to this are events in our own country? Today we are forced to remember the events of last year on this day, January 6, 2021. Do we care enough about our democracy to save it?

Ambassador Dick Hoagland, having served many years in Russia and former Soviet republics, has had ample opportunity to consider the high-stakes drinking game of vodka diplomacy. Bottoms up and happy New Year!  

Jeffrey Franca, drummer for DC's world music icon Thievery Corporation - the band that generously allows us to use its music to open our show each week - brings us on the journey he took to become a musician. He shares with us the value of unity, love and positivity in his work, which is influenced by musical styles found worldwide. We'll be back next week with an original show on vodka diplomacy....

General Ben Freakley, in charge of the eastern region of Afghanistan during the war, urges us to remain focused and do the right thing for those who remain in danger in Afghanistan. He calls for a whole of government approach and implores the American people: It's our time to serve.

Ambassador Dan Foote departed the State Department over a crisis of conscience relating to recent events in Haiti.  Why, and what actually happened from his perspective?  

The Zambian government has no love for its country's LGBTQ community. When repressions go simply too far to ignore any longer Ambassador Dan Foote speaks up, and for political reasons on both continents is forced to return home.  Any regrets?  Of course not. LGBTQ rights are human rights and everyone on earth deserves those.

We're back with some of Pete's jokes (Laura laughed, we promise) and our annual show featuring stories of Thanksgiving overseas.  Enjoy!  Stay well!  ~Pete & Laura

An eye for an eye and pretty soon everyone is blind, said Mahatma Gandhi, now quoted by Ambassador Tibor Nagy who is as expert as he is compassionate in his discussion of the current conflict in Ethiopia. Are we witnessing a genocide, presided over by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy? Does it matter? Why did Abiy receive the Nobel Prize?  

Dave Harden, formerly of USAID, compares service within AID to the mainstream Foreign Service (where is most of the money and the leadership opportunity, for example?), and connects the economic dimension of international development to American domestic politics.  Harden is running for Congress, using his development experience and lifelong knowledge of rural voters' needs.  

Inclusive, powerful leadership.  Colin Powell not only engaged Americans of every level on his team, but also eased the worries of potential adversaries.  Powell led with insight into human needs for respect and belonging.

Humility, respect, sense of humor, honor, but above all, empathy.  Colin Powell is remembered by many who loved him.  Tune in for stories of the man he was.

Ted Osius retired from his post as US Ambassador to Vietnam when asked to implement covertly-devised deportation policies he found morally repugnant and un-American.  Hear about his crisis of conscience and also of the heroic service of senators John McCain and John Kerry, Vietnam vets who did the right thing at great political cost.  And read Ted's new book " Nothing is Impossible: America's Reco...

It's 1990, and Ian Brownlee, out walking his dog, meets a man whose visa application he had refused just that very morning. The man is about to swim across the river to his probable death, so Ian advises him of a much safer spot to cross, about 200 yards thataway. These are the old days of immigration. When and how did immigration become a multibillion dollar business and a hot-button in domestic...