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Dumber Diplomats?

Posted on Thursday, June 2, 2022
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by AMAC, Robert B. Charles
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Diplomats
The American Foreign Service Association Award Ceremony in 2018.

Minting dumber diplomats does not seem like a smart strategy, any more than making math, physics, chemistry, biology, or nuclear science “subjective” – to assure the proper mix of political prejudices, skin color, ethnic and gender identification (broadly construed).  Yet State is moving that way, fast.

The reason for a merit-based testing anywhere is simple – to get merit. The reason colleges test with SATs or ACTs is to evaluate candidates on merit. Intelligence, preparation, natural acumen are testable, not random, not fungible, not subjective.

Think about it.  Pilots, ship captains, doctors, lawyers, and construction engineers are certified to assure they can fly, navigate, operate, litigate, and build competently. Diplomacy is no less important.

Until now, the Foreign Service Exam – intentionally hard, so low pass rate – was used to weed out candidates not up to the job of being a diplomat, which calls for proficiency in languages, quantitative skills, geopolitical, historical, and national security acumen.

Suddenly, the State Department is going from “woke” to “super woke” – borrowing from Biden’s “Super MAGA” concept. They have decided, rather than a merit-based screening exam which uses objective standards to reduce the pool, to identify candidates who fail with a fresh sift, using “subjective” ideas.

When the association of former Foreign Service Officers, a liberal group, is concerned, you know something nefarious is afoot. Maybe China has finally gotten control of the selection process and wishes to accelerate our decline and their dominance. Maybe Biden’s wicked smart team has the magic sauce.

But me thinks not.  What is happening is that partisan politics is now infecting – in a more virulent and infectious way – the professionalism of diplomacy, the Foreign Service.  And why not? We have excuses being made for everything from drug use to low IQ at other federal and state institutions, why not here?

The answer is – and it may cross apply to all the other places excuses are being made to inject leftist politics into decision-making – the stakes are too high. If we would not entrust our lives to a pilot, surgeon or engineer who had failed certification, why would we entrust national security and diplomacy to a washed-out wannabe?

The irony of this Biden-Blinken decision – and it was made at the top – if that aiming to satisfy another craven political constituency instead of thinking nationally, the country itself will, over time, be placed in jeopardy.

No indication exists that we do not have highly talented and scholarly candidates for the Foreign Service – who have passed the tough exam – and who are of every demographic flavor, including Caucasian, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Jewish, Arab, Slavic, Russian, Australian, or name your flavor. 

So, what is the point? If exceptional candidates exist from all these groups, why now dumb down the process, integrate a secretive re-sifting process, which allows those who fail to be admitted? 

The answer can only be craven politics.  If those who cannot pass the exam are admitted – it can only be for reasons aside from merit, and even from traditional protection of ethnic minorities. 

It must be to sneak into the process those who would otherwise be utterly unfit but come from a domestic political constituency of interest to Biden and Blinken, perhaps those who cannot pass the exam but are transgender, one of the 72 flavors of sexual identity, perhaps Marxist, socialist, communist, or come from an ethnic group favored by Biden-Blinken, even if unable to pass.

The reasons are ultimately of little importance, although interesting to learn. Truth is that unqualified diplomats, those unable to pass the basic, traditional, merit-based Foreign Service exam should not be allowed to serve, and potentially dominate the diplomatic community.

Why? Because politics aside, this would be wrong whether done for left or right.  It places the national security of all Americans at risk, vesting enormous geo-political, security, intelligence, and diplomatic authority in those who could not, at root, qualify for this level of trust.

The right answer is to put a bright light on this indefensible, politically driven, and ultimately dangerous policy shift right now.  Left and right should both want this, and not want what was always merit-based to go dark and subjective. 

In a double irony, China and Russia are becoming known for making entry into their diplomatic corps harder, at a time when we appear content to lower standards and put ourselves at risk.

For the sake of our nation’s safety, this internal policy should be reversed. The world is dangerous enough, without making it more so by advancing to serious diplomatic roles – opening the Foreign Service to – those objectively unqualified.  If we want good pilots, surgeons, and engineers, we should want minimally qualified, professional diplomats. Is that so hard to understand? Do we really want dumber diplomats?

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Dennis
Dennis
2 years ago

The end result of having a dumber Executive Branch.

Grace
Grace
2 years ago

Could it be mankind, excuse me, personkind, reached the zenith of intelligence before the last election and it’s all downhill from here? Our President has brain fog, our VP has the giggles and the speaker of the house is a blatant crook, looting facts from information in bills to be passed to buy stocks to increase her already billion dollar fortune. The whole cabinet chosen by Joe seems to be incompetent and have foot in mouth disease. The gaffs,lies and misinformation coming from our information sources are leading the Republic down the long, swift road of mediocrity.

Nancy
Nancy
2 years ago

Let’s get real here, we all know that Biden is NOT the man on top making these decisions, the puppet master Obama is still pushing his own America the great destroying agenda!

Patriot Will
Patriot Will
2 years ago

Our dumber diplomats are increasing our dumber foreign policy activities. Instead of working for the US, these often “woke” diplomats are actually working for the benefit of hostile, foreign regimes. The insanity is maddening.

tika
tika
2 years ago

evidently “the swamp” isn’t “feeling us”. read our lips! we’re DRAINING THE SWAMP!

Deploreable Sam
Deploreable Sam
2 years ago

Just working very hard at making “H” the smartest guy the “big guy” knows…LOL
Man, you just CAN NOT make this stuff up!

And let us not forget, FJB… etc etc

Michael Mc Caughn
Michael Mc Caughn
2 years ago

Our country better wake up soon! We Americans are sitting on our butts while our crooked Politian’s ruin this country. Elections have consequences and we are seeing how terrible it can be!!

CoNMTX
CoNMTX
2 years ago

And why should this surprise me? We have an idiot for president, a Satanic controlled VP, another almost idiot in Pelosi. Let’s just make it a rule to hire no one for a government job if he/she/him/her/it/them has a measurable IQ. Let’s just do the interviewing in whatever asylum is in your state. Instead of having random idiots let’s complete the set like chess pieces.

Texas Resister 64
Texas Resister 64
2 years ago

The inmates continue to run the asylum. Oh, that’s right, we also closed all the asylums and that’s why we have all these people examined for State. God help us.

Barb
Barb
2 years ago

I think the whole bunch in the Biden administration are dumb. No “dumber” about it! They are carry-overs or flunkies from Clinton, Obama administrations, and have brought the same dumbness to the current one. Have heard Biden can’t do anything about lowering the price of fuel–HELLO??!?, isn’t he the one who signed the executive order to stop the fuel flow? So, why can’t he sign an executive order to REVERSE it? What a dumb ass.

Roger
Roger
2 years ago

As long as the boxes are checked, intelligence and facts don’t matter. LGB

David
David
2 years ago

With every one of Biden’s cabinet head I see talking on tv I am amazed at the absolute lack of any intelligence in any of these people. The sad thing is the people who are actually running this s#%* show are not any smarter.

Rachel
Rachel
2 years ago

This Administration is so lacking in good people to do anything. Look at the baby formula problem, the Cabinet member in charge of this the department knew last fall that there was a problem. Nothing was done until April. Why is the USA having to put up with incompetence.

Art
Art
2 years ago

THE WHOLE ADMINISTRATION IS DANGEROUSLY INCOMPETENT. RBG YOUR PREVIOUS POSITION MAY NOW BE “MANNED” BY A PERSON NOT QUALIFIED TO DO MUCH OF ANYTHING.
IT IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA. IT HAS BECOME A WORLD OF “CAN YOU FOG A MIRROR?” AS LONG AS YOU FIT A CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC. THIS IS ANOTHER VARIATION OF GOVERNMENTAL CANCER THAT HAS METASTASIZED SOMETHING LIKE QUOTAS. TREES ALWAYS ROT FROM THE TOP.

Thomas F. Olszewski
Thomas F. Olszewski
2 years ago

More douche bags running the guvmint.

Granky
Granky
2 years ago

Affirmative action for the woke.

Spitfire?1940
Spitfire?1940
2 years ago

There’s no mystery here.It’s just that the corrupt dumb,lying excuse for a man occupying the oval office needs his toadies to exhibit the same level of intellect as himself.

HocasPocas
HocasPocas
2 years ago

Anything to destroy this country. This is bidens Amerika. He’s getting ready to hand us over to his bosses in china, Ukraine, Russia or wherever they may be

David Millikan
David Millikan
2 years ago

More TREASON from DICTATOR Beijing biden and COMMUNIST harris.
With both their combined IQ’s they can’t even get above an IQ of 30.
They both praise CRIMINALS, TERRORISM, COMMUNISM, and ILLEGAL ALIEN TERRORIST, COMMUNIST CHINA and TERRORIST IRAN with the TALIBAN.
DICTATOR Beijing biden continues to LIE about guns but continues to let in MILLIONS of ILLEGAL ALIEN TERRORIST who THREATEN OUR LIVES and COUNTRY.
Each ILLEGAL ALIEN TERRORIST DICTATOR Beijing biden let’s in is another act of TREASON by CONSTANTLY VIOLATING his Oath of Office and VIOLATING the U.S. CONSTITUTION putting AMERICANS LIVES in MORE DANGER EVERY DAY.
So yes, DICTATOR Beijing biden the Midterm Elections WILL BE ABOUT YOUR FASCIST policies and AMERICANS NOT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES and SELF.
THAT ALSO INCLUDES AMERICANS BEING ABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM ALL THE ILLEGAL ALIEN TERRORIST YOU, DICTATOR Beijing biden KEEP LETTING IN.

Miranda
Miranda
2 years ago

The whole Biden administration is with out IQ representation; so, do not be surprised of the mess we are in.

A row of supercomputers running simulations of quantum cryptography algorithms to test their efficiency and effectiveness
President Joe Biden, son Hunter Biden and sister Valerie Biden walk across the South Lawn of The White House on July 28, 2024 in Washington, DC. President Biden is returning from a weekend trip to Camp David. (Photo by Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images)
President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Dana White during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City.

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