Americans have long had a disdainful attitude toward diplomacy and diplomats, seeing the whole endeavor as something elitist, foreign, expensive, and possibly deceitful.
Kennan’s is considered the architect of the Cold War strategy. Today’s diplomats are still expected to provide the kind of expert advice that helps set the policy course for the nation.
Ever since 9/11, counterterrorism has permeated U.S. foreign policy. Throughout the world, American embassies have turned into fortresses, though diplomacy does not function in seclusion.
Diplomacy today is changing, especially with regard to technology and the availability of instant communication. Imagine how the Cuban Missile Crisis might have unfolded differently in our time.
Many of the diplomats interviewed seem to feel they do a better job of representing America abroad than they do of representing the diplomatic profession to their fellow Americans back home.
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