The Atlantic features an article on the politicization of the State Department under Trump, Tillerson and Pompeo. They have tried to demand complete loyalty from State Department officers to the Trump agenda. They have forced out some senior Foreign Service officers, and many others left what they felt was a politically charged atmosphere which accepted no input from career officers. It reached a peak during the Trump impeachment hearings, and was illustrated by the drafting of an Orwellian " professional ethos statement" that seemed to challenge professional officers' loyalty.
Thursday, November 05, 2020
50 Countries Ratify Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons
Fifty countries have ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, according to the UN, as reported by the New York Times. The US and other countries with nuclear weapons have refused to accept it.
Leading Candidates to Be Biden's Secretary of State
Politico lists the leading candidates to be Biden's Secretary of State:
- Senator Chris Coons of Delaware
- Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut
- Susan Rice, former National Security Adviser
- Anthony Blinken, former Deputy Secretary of State
- Samantha Power, former Ambassador to the UN
- Tom Donilon, former National Security Adviser
- Wendy Sherman, former Under Secretary of State
- William Burns, retired Foreign Service officer, former Deputy Secretary of State
- Nicholas Burns, retired Foreign Service officer, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
State Department Needs More Science Specialists
An op-ed in The Hill newspaper calls for more scientists in the State Department
https://thehill.com/opinion/international/521444-the-state-department-needs-more-scientists
I was one of the first (and last) career science officers in the Foreign Service. See my website.
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