http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/index/ en U.S. Department of State 2008-11-18T17:36:00-05:00
Thank you For your Post ,, I hope the best for the U.S.
"We should open the work up to more Americans by putting a five year term limit on the FSO and allow more Americans to serve."
Yeah Agree]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/ranch_merkel/ Sun Nov 18, 2007
@ Atoem -- "We should open the work up to more Americans by putting a five year term limit on the FSO and allow more Americans to serve."

The idea of putting a five year term limit on FSO careers seems to me to demean the professionalism, skill, and experience needed to do the job well. High level diplomacy is not a job for amateurs. It is in the best interests of the nation to have the best diplomats available doing the nation’s work. That is not to say that all diplomats are skilled, despite their years in the job. But I do not know of another position that properly prepares you to do the work of a senior FSO. I am not an FSO. I am an experienced professional who has worked in my field for more than 20 years. I would not have been able to do my current job with only five years experience. I cannot see how a completely inexperienced, or one with only 1-5 years experience, could do the job of a senior POLMIL adviser at NATO or a serious economics adviser in Beijing. Even appointed Ambassadors rely heavily on the experienced FSOs on their staffs.

I would love for it to be easier to get into the Foreign Service. I am in the process of trying to get in. But I think the better way is to expand the number of officers rather than limiting their terms.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/ranch_merkel/ Thu Nov 15, 2007
Merkel is respected by her staff. The U.S. staff seems to be something to get rid of; they have no respect for Americans or their jobs. They won't do the job they signed on to do; the work anywhere thing is old and taken as part of the job. There are millions who would love the work. We should open the work up to more Americans by putting a five year term limit on the FSO and allow more Americans to serve. America needs that respect from it's employees.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/ranch_merkel/ Wed Nov 14, 2007
Ambassador Brinker: Thanks for another interesting and informative report. As a long-time Department of State employee, I wanted to follow-up on a few of your perspectives.

Regarding your observations about the importance of U.S. diplomatic history in general and the great legacy of the Marshall Plan specifically, I fully agree that our nation�s diplomatic history is vital, that the Marshall Plan was critical to our nation and indeed the entire world, and that we as a State Department and as a nation must know and understand the past in order to frame the future.

In this regard, here are a few insightful quotes from Dean Acheson and George Kennan, two of the most famous and accomplished State Department diplomats, and from George Marshall himself, concerning the creation of the Marshall Plan:

Dean Acheson wrote the following about the nature of Marshall's leadership as Secretary of State in 1947: "General Marshall was impatient with a type of nonsense particularly prevalent in the State Department known as kicking the problem around. All of us who have work with General Marshall have reported a recurring outburst of his: Don't fight the problem, gentlemen, solve it! With him the time to be devoted to analysis of a problem, to balancing on the one hand against on the other hand, was definitely limited. The discussion he wanted was about plans of action."

Along the same lines, Marshall said the following after a visit to Europe in April of 1947, "The recovery in Europe has been far slower than had been expected. Disintegrating forces are becoming evident. The patient is sinking while the doctors deliberate � action cannot await compromise through exhaustion."

Likewise, George Kennan recalled that when he was ordered by Marshall to put together a staff that could formulate a plan for the recovery of Europe as well as the "long-term programs for the achievement of U.S. foreign policy," Marshall's only advice to Kennan was two words: "Avoid trivia."

Acheson later described the Marshall Plan its success as, "one of the greatest and most honorable adventures in history."

Regarding Ambassador Brinker's comments on the importance of getting protocol details, including ensuring that all parties are treated well, with respect and with appropriate diplomatic protocol, again Acheson would surely agree for he correctly observed that: "The best environment for diplomacy is found where mutual confidence between governments exists ..."]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/ranch_merkel/ Tue Nov 13, 2007
Love the blog post, but a small correction. Throughout the post, the Marshall Plan, which helped Europe to rebuild after WWII, is spelled incorrectly with only a single "l" at the end. I know it's minor, but if I were George Marshall, I'd want to make sure it was correct.

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Dipnote Bloggers write:

Thanks for your comment! We corrected the item mentioned above.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/ranch_merkel/ Tue Nov 13, 2007