American Diplomat

Join us for some of Pete's jokes (Laura laughed, we promise) and our annual show featuring stories of Thanksgiving overseas.  Enjoy!  Stay safe!  ~Pete & Laura

Bill Burns, one of our favorite guests, is shortlisted for Secretary of State in the Biden administration. Go, Bill! We're reposting our discussion with him from last year about his book "The Back Channel," which is even more timely now than it was when it was first published. Plus, Pete has a story about his recent visit to Trumpland.  Enjoy!

We're on hiatus until January - so we want to hear from you as we look ahead to future programming.  Send us your questions, ideas, comments at amdipstories@gmail.org,  on Facebook or at www.amdipstories.org .  And enjoy a rerun, a propos of this week's election, of "The Man of My Dreams."  See you soon!

April 7, 1994, Rwanda. Not a good day to be mistaken for the acting Prime Minister. Linda Thomas-Greenfield shares the tale of her escape from the anti-government militia, while millions of others perished in the country's genocide.

"I respect your culture, but I do not believe it is your culture to allow women to die," says Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to the Taliban. And do you know what the Taliban did after that? And why? Listen to find out. Go, Linda!

Hugo Rodriguez, from the banana business in Latin America to the US Foreign Service. Machetes, scorpions, poisonous snakes, starting work at four am in the fruit fields...how does this prepare someone to help bring education to American-born children of Mexican citizens in Mexico? And why does the United States care about these kids anyway?

There's a gray area in judging the actions of ambassadors, whether political appointee or career.  What's the difference between what is illegal, inappropriate, or, more to the point, truly unethical?  Harry Geisel puts his subtle mind to the task.  

What's the difference between a political appointee ambassador and a career ambassador? Increasingly, these ambassadorships are offered as rewards for large political campaign contributions. How can these appointments go awry? Harry Geisel helps us count the ways. 

9/11/2012, Benghazi, Libya, an attack on our diplomatic mission, killing four, including our ambassador. The legendary Tom Pickering led the first investigation (of ten), and it was not a pleasant report to write. But, as a consequence of these events, is the world's strongest power now the world's blindest power?

And neither is worldwide democracy, thanks in part to the very fine-tipped pen and tiny notebook of Ambassador William Taylor, a key source in the Congressional investigations into the Ukraine corruption affair of the last year.  Democracy lives another day!

Need a mood lifter?  We do!  Laura likes our music selects so much that she's listening to this one twice!  Go back to simpler times (say, 2019) with AmDip, then sing along to our Covid-era theme song.  Love, Pete and Laura

Ambassador Whitaker tells the story of how the Colombian government fooled the guerrillas into releasing long-held hostages... an operation that would make Hollywood proud. 

Desiree Cormier, one of our favorite guests, is back to share stories learned of her grandfather's life since his recent passing.  We hear not only how he shaped Desiree's life of public service, but also how his very personal commitment to the American anti-apartheid movement and the Black Lives Matter chapter in Los Angeles continue to impact change.  One person can make so much difference to so...

Who really holds the Foreign Service together?  Spouses, who raise children and start their lives again and again every couple of years in support of their partners' career.  Miriam Gutierrez is perhaps the loveliest of them all.  Here's her story.

Were the recent explosions in Beirut the last straw, the end of the corrupt political elites, or a new opportunity for militant political party Hezbollah? Ambassador Patrick Theros parses beautiful Lebanon, once heralded as the Paris of the Middle East, now on fire.

Is Trump's forced sale of TikTok to an American company another China-bashing "Kung Flu" episode, or does the tech giant pose a genuine national security threat?  Nova Daly, former chairman of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, breaks down the complexity of this deal.

Trade!  Similar attitudes about trade protections.  Is a free trade agreement a free-for-all or a deal to optimize countries' competitive advantage?  (Hint: Remember Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations?  Or did you snooze during that segment of 11th grade?)  Controversy aside, Tony Wayne and Shaun Donnelly break down the impact of trade on human lives and campaign politics.

The sting of American racism when you come home. Black diplomats face harassment and humiliation at the border at the hands of Customs and Border Patrol. Senior diplomats Charlie Ray and Alonzo Fulgham discuss reentering the States while Black.

And it should be. Cybersecurity is one of the biggest threats we face. The cost to bad actors is minimal, the benefits great. An enemy can hide its attacks, divert attention from other aggressive actions, benefit economically, sow geopolitical chaos and impact elections, all at very low cost. Chis Painter explains why we haven't done nearly enough to protect ourselves.

Many early adopters of technology are criminals, and their crimes are best done across borders.  From stock manipulation, to stealing trade secrets, to weaponizing information in election interference, Chris Painter has investigated a lot of bad actors. As the nation's top (and first-ever) cyber diplomat, he explains all of this, plus the story about the stolen axe.

A young Foreign Service officer posted to Vietnam, his girlfriend, a ride in the country, and what?  Cambodia is on fire?  Why?  The first ever Cambodian refugees tell Ken Quinn, the first person ever to report on this, that the Khmer Rouge has turned.  No longer boy-scout revolutionaries, they operate like Stalin, like Hitler, but no one in the United States listens.  Why?  It was easier not to....

The royal family requests that the Ambassador wear a skirt.  What?  Ambassador Kristie Kenney can come up with a skirt, fine, but what about Secretary Clinton?  She has only pantsuits!  Don't the Thai royals know about Pantsuit Nation?  (That came later, yes, but the woman wore only pants.  We know this.)

He's charismatic, he's exciting, he's strong. How do elected autocrats woo their publics and then destroy the very countries they promised to elevate? What happens to the populace?  Kristie Kenney, ambassador to Ecuador, Thailand and the Philippines has a thing or two to say about these folks and the reasons that people elect them.

Chinese President Xi wants one-man rule, but pesky Hong Kong must be put in its place. Is there any future for "one country, two systems"? And why is Xi doing this now? Richard Boucher shares some nuggets of his vast experience with China and Hong Kong.

Ever had that dream where you sit for an exam and you haven't been to class once?  And you're not wearing any pants?  Welcome to the world of the State Department Spokesperson, as told by Richard Boucher.