American Diplomat

It is the 1950s. Senator Joseph McCarthy and his henchman Roy Cohn target and humiliate our diplomats for accurately reporting an eventual Mao victory in China. Jack Service and his family are at the center of the storm. Is history repeating itself before our eyes?  Enjoy this snapshot of diplomacy that is more relevant today than it was when we first posted it in 2020.

Secretary Rubio's stated goal is to reduce our diplomatic corps by 15%. Does it stop there? After four years of whim and chaos will the world ever trust us to lead again? Will we have the expertise and talent? Ambassador Eric Rubin lays it all out for us.

What happens when tariff policy becomes a whim? Career commercial officer Dan Crocker peers into the chaos and breaks down the stakes for businesses and national security.

The old approach to national security is breaking apart.  Americans demand change.  Young diplomats and global service professionals today have a once in a century opportunity to reshape how the US engages in the world.  Amb. Tom Shannon is back to inspire and share his awesome insights.  In his words, Liberate the Future. ( FSJ Jan-Feb 2025 )

Will diplomacy come next? Will Trump and Netanyahu give the Ayatollah an off-ramp? Acting Secretary of State and Undersecretary in the first Trump administration Tom Shannon lists both sides' options and their likelihood of taking place. Will there be Iranian "retribution" and if so, what will it look like?

For decades Plan Colombia was the gold standard for tackling counter-insurgency. With the current spike in cartel/gang violence, are Colombians losing faith in their conciliatory, populist leader Petro? Is the current violence due to a legacy of armed groups?  Does it just boil down to testosterone? Ambassador Kevin Whitaker breaks it all down for us.

The Federal Government has a long-standing entity which reviews possible threats posed by foreign actors, investing inside the US. What happens when a small town decides to wreck a Chinese investment…prudence or a resurgence of the Red Scare? Security expert Nova Daly unpacks these questions and updates us on the impending deadline for TikTok…yes, the clock is ticking!

With Assad overthrown in Syria and the new regime freeing themselves of decades long sanctions will they be able to stop the flow of financing and weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon? Is this an opening to permit reform and true democracy in Lebanon or will it be another missed opportunity? Ambassador Ed Gabriel sets forth what is at stake in the region and for US interests.

With so much disinformation flying around, Senator Chris Van Hollen sets the record straight and takes down Secretary Rubio at the same time.

From wartime to prosperity, Ambassador Ted Osius shares his personal experience of change in US/Vietnam relations since the end of the war 50 years ago. Best question: Why is Amb. Osius optimistic, even in today's trade climate?   Hint: Nothing is Impossible , the title of both Amb. Osius's book and his previous episode with us. For bonus fun, enjoy the video of Vietnamese female rap artist  Suboi...

How did a utopian vision for society lead to one of the bloodiest regimes in history, Cambodia's Khmer Rouge? Why does it matter today? Was it mediocrity? Arrogance? Or is it just easier to seize power than it is to govern? Prof. Andrew Mertha of Johns Hopkins' School of International Studies, whose new book Bad Lieutenants – out today, lays it out for us.

Acting Undersecretary for Management, Ambassador Tibor Nagy, had a front row seat to the twenty-something DOGE Musketeers and their slash and burn approach to "re-organizing" venerable national security infrastructure. Tibor reflects on that and opines on whether the worst is over.

Overseas, mugged, sick, arrested, who are you going to call and will there be anyone to answer? Tom Yazdgerdi, the President of AFSA, the State Department labor union, fears what budget cuts will mean for traveling Americans.

Is it simply mutual self-interest or is it Bukele's head start on the authoritarian's handbook?  Both?  AmDip's own Pete Romero breaks it down, with feeling!

Former US Ambassador to South Korea Kathleen Stephens answers the question: How was martial law defeated within hours and the would-be dictator impeached?  Hint: The citizens, and the soldiers(!) said no.  Putting up barricades with sofas and chairs, and grabbing a gun from a soldier, one woman asked, "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"  Even the president accepted the rules set forth in the constit...

US colleges and universities are a battleground for First Amendment rights. Each side of the political spectrum wants to limit these rights for the other side. Now the Trump Administration has weaponized these issues by cutting grants and detaining students. Is there a neutral path forward? ASU honors student Sami Al-Asady breaks it down for us.

Trump has led a relentless attack on Diversity Equity and Inclusion, saying it undermines a meritocracy. Former State DEI chief Ambassador Gina Abercrombie Winstanley asserts that equity and inclusion are simply effective management tools for molding smart teams. You be the judge.

And why does it matter how regular South Africans feel about US behavior toward their country?  Ambassador Charlie Ray untangles the powerful dynamics within South Africa domestically and vis-a-vis the United States, and helps us understand what this means for our present and future.  Plus:  It's up to us to create our world and it all starts with voting.  Always vote!

What happens when the US washes its hands of its international obligations?  Ambassador Mike Polt, Co-Founder of ASU's Leadership, Diplomacy and National Security Lab, views our president as our chief diplomat and calls the Zelensky-Trump Oval Office meeting a pivotal moment.  We have humiliated the rest of the world, including our friends.  Now what?

A foreign policy grandmaster strategist? Or is our president guided simply by whim and spite, without a cohesive plan? Pete and Laura break it down. You be the judge.

Tony Wayne, former Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs and US Ambassador to Mexico, pulls apart the strands.  First, what is an import?  How many times would you guess a raw material or auto part crosses a Canadian or Mexican border in the process of making and assembling a car?  4?  5? Each crossing carries a 25% tariff.  That's a lot of crossings!  And a whole lot of t...

Diplomat and Author Edward Fishman reveals how globalization is giving way to zero-sum self-interest. Can we win the emerging economic warfare?  Listen, and read his new book Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare .  

Peace in the Middle East starts in Gaza and the West Bank.  But beautiful parks and fountains and casinos…the Riviera of the Middle East, a beautiful vacation spot in what is now rubble?  And somehow the US would own it.  But what about all those Gazans, walking home along a highway, carrying all of their belongings, some with donkeys, on their way back to rubble.  Enter USAID.  In asymmetric warf...

How many "Mar-a-" conquests will there be?  US Ambassador (ret) to Panama John Feeley breaks it all down, with a quick review of the relevant past, and substantive, yet richly candid view of Trump's foray into the Canal Zone today.  Get smart on what is true and what is not true at all.  

The Arctic is a serious US national security issue. NATO, particularly Denmark, agree and have offered significant resources to better secure the area from China and Russia.  Will Trump accept these or hold out for Mar-a-Greenland?  Can we divide the policy rhetoric from the policy outcomes?  Luke Coffey, former adviser to the British defense minister and prior to that a US service member, now a f...