# Dear Americans. Get real diplomats **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 30, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989 "2024-11-30T21:09:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/1 "2024-11-30T21:09:34Z")
Wtf is up with your ambassadors? You just sell the job to highest bidder? For real? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/2 "2024-11-30T21:12:14Z")
P.S. You never get to complain about rude waiters in Paris ever again. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/3 "2024-11-30T21:14:30Z")
P.P.S. Wasn’t the other guy still in charge? Did he just wave a white flag and lay down in his fucking coffin? ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/4 "2024-11-30T21:17:13Z")
Context, Bueller? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/5 "2024-11-30T21:18:37Z")
Ambassadorships have _often_ been a position given to someone for political patronage (and not just in the U.S.), particularly an ambassadorship to a friendly country, where the likelihood of the ambassador having to deal with a diplomatic incident is relatively low. The actual diplomatic work is typically done by career diplomats. (Also, as @Chisquirrel asks: context? I’m guessing you are referring to a particular recent event? Even though this is the Pit, that information would be helpful.) ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/6 "2024-11-30T21:26:25Z")
In practical sense you want a guy who is in lock step representing the countries interests, explaining the countries actions, often in really unpleasant situations. So if you find somebody who’ll do that and stump up some readies, why not? The real diplomacy is done by the professionals in the background. Australia’s ambassador to the US is ex-PM Kevin Rudd. We tend to head our key overseas missions with ex pollies. Kevin is over there because it’s about as far away PM Anthony Albanese can put that poisonous, unctuous, narcissistic reptile and on a chain to boot. Probably well suited to the task. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/7 "2024-11-30T21:38:48Z")
I believe the OP is referring to Trump’s appointment of in-law, disbarred lawyer, and convicted felon Charles Kushner as US ambassador to France. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/8 "2024-11-30T21:46:44Z")
If that’s what the OP is referring to (and some clarification would be nice), ambassadorships to friendly countries are often given to donors. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/9 "2024-11-30T21:49:13Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > In practical sense you want a guy who is in lock step representing the countries interests, explaining the countries actions, often in really unpleasant situations. I presume you’re saying the ambassador should represent the best interests of both countries, and ideally this will be the case. Whatever the OP is on about, I’ll say a few words about the US ambassador to Canada because it’s an interesting case. The ease or difficulty of the job depends entirely on who the US president is. If it’s someone like Obama, who paid an official visit to Ottawa and whose most significant action was buying maple-leaf-shaped shortbread cookies, the ambassador’s job is a breeze. If it’s Trump, there’s always going to be trouble, especially in the upcoming term where the nominee for ambassador is Pete Hoekstra. Hoekstra is a far-right extremist who was a founding member of the Tea Party Caucus and a former fellow at the Heritage Foundation, the architects of “Project 2025”. He is opposed to gun control in all forms, opposed to abortion rights, gay rights, and basically opposed to everything that we consider to be liberal Canadian values. He should get along fine here. 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/10 "2024-11-30T21:59:14Z")
Yes, we really enjoyed Hoekstra. You really chose well in sending him to represent you. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/11 "2024-11-30T22:03:49Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > You really chose well Who is this “you” you keep referring to? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/12 "2024-11-30T22:42:28Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Who is this “you” you keep referring to? “The American people,” I assume. Or, maybe, just, “The United States.” Nobody here picked these doofuses, of course. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/13 "2024-11-30T22:53:39Z")
Have you ever considered sobering up before posting a zero-context mystery screed? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/14 "2024-11-30T23:11:00Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Nobody here picked these doofuses, of course. Indeed, yet they are you official representatives. I’m just expressing my frustration. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/15 "2024-11-30T23:11:32Z")
Where is the fun in that? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/16 "2024-11-30T23:11:36Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Indeed, yet they are you official representatives. Much to the embarrassment and chagrin of many of us. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/17 "2024-11-30T23:24:00Z")
I’m just rubbing it in. Fucking Kushner as ambassador to France? You should be embarrassed. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/18 "2024-11-30T23:29:25Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Wtf is up with your ambassadors? > > You just sell the job to highest bidder? > For real? Modern communications means that ambassadors for decades have been not much more than a ceremonial position, and often given to incompetents. And Trump is fractally corrupt and awful, so he’s going to pick the worst people for everything. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/19 "2024-11-30T23:34:09Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Fucking Kushner as ambassador to France? > You should be embarrassed. Way ahead of you. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989/20 "2024-11-30T23:44:05Z")
Usually not brain donors, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-americans-get-real-diplomats/1010989.md?page=2)