New U.S. ambassador to Denmark

Arcade22 said:
Does this thing ever happened in other countries? That is the appointment of donors and other supporters, with little to no experience, to diplomatic postings as a form of political patronage and favoritism?
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If it makes you nervous that we do that for ambassadors, I can't imagine how you must feel when we do it for cabinet positions.
 
Darat said:
Many years ago I saw a documentary that covered one such appointment.
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Are you implying that we can expect her to bring the Antichrist to be raised in Copenhagen?! What an honor to bestow upon an insignificant country like Denmark! :den: :viking1
 
Foolmewunz said:
Ambassador posts, other than maybe five to ten per country*, are given to moneyed donors and upper crust wannabe campaign sloggers. Obama's appointees were pretty much vetted through the DNC's list of who we owe favors to. This has been going on for hundreds of years. With electronic communication, the ambassador's post is superfluous but it gives the host country someone to invite for ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

*This differs depending on what country you're in. The list of important embassies would be: your closest neighbors, G8 and megapowers, the places you want to do a lot of business with.

All the rest are paid vacations. To the host countries, it's different, particularly in a backwater like Thailand. They actually think the US Ambassador is someone important on the world stage. Plus, he's particularly useful to have someone to rally against when you need to stage a "spontaneous" demonstration.
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Not really most ambassadors are career positions, it is only European and other developed nations and Caribbean nations that get the political appointees. Who would want a post like Libya, or Mongolia?

http://www.afsa.org/list-ambassadorial-appointments
 
cullennz said:
Far out

Massive amount of "Vacants" on there

Does Trump not have that many friends

Surprised Aussie hasn't got one yet
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They fired all the Obama appointees without having replacements lined up.
 
ponderingturtle said:
Not really most ambassadors are career positions, it is only European and other developed nations and Caribbean nations that get the political appointees. Who would want a post like Libya, or Mongolia?

http://www.afsa.org/list-ambassadorial-appointments
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Actually, there are lots of appointments that people want for different reasons. The ambassadors he's appointed in '17 are a mix of business cronies, old party warhorses, donors, and a couple of professional foreign service people. But while some consider the western democracies as the plum posts, others want other countries. The appointees to Costa Rica, China, Croatia, and the Czech Republic, for instance (just going by the "political" postings under the letter C in '17).

I don't know the backgrounds of all those people but one assumes the purty lady who got Costa Rica must've asked for it. Or Scott Brown certainly wouldn't have been pegged for NZ if he didn't want it. Maybe he skis? Maybe he sails? Has a thing for Maori history? And I'm sure K.T. McFarland must've asked for Singapore.

But, yes, there are a whole lot of career foreign service people, like in Thailand. No one asked for Bangkok and there's a dicey relationship, so they gave it to a likely suspect in the professional ranks. In years when we like Thailand (on paper), there are people asking for the post. (Largely ceremonial, most action is in the Commerce Dept attaches and Immigration people.)
 
Foolmewunz said:
Actually, there are lots of appointments that people want for different reasons. The ambassadors he's appointed in '17 are a mix of business cronies, old party warhorses, donors, and a couple of professional foreign service people. But while some consider the western democracies as the plum posts, others want other countries. The appointees to Costa Rica, China, Croatia, and the Czech Republic, for instance (just going by the "political" postings under the letter C in '17).

I don't know the backgrounds of all those people but one assumes the purty lady who got Costa Rica must've asked for it. Or Scott Brown certainly wouldn't have been pegged for NZ if he didn't want it. Maybe he skis? Maybe he sails? Has a thing for Maori history? And I'm sure K.T. McFarland must've asked for Singapore.

But, yes, there are a whole lot of career foreign service people, like in Thailand. No one asked for Bangkok and there's a dicey relationship, so they gave it to a likely suspect in the professional ranks. In years when we like Thailand (on paper), there are people asking for the post. (Largely ceremonial, most action is in the Commerce Dept attaches and Immigration people.)
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Our one seems like a pretty good bloke

Scott Brown

Bit religousy



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I have to admit, I smiled at her remark that she was going sell Trump's ideas to the Danish public.

Jolly good luck to her on that one!
 
Doubt said:
Well, google says she is a Trump economic adviser.

She is also a chiropractor.

Seems to be a political reward for support.

Mostly likely she will do very little and leave the work to the professionals, which would be a good thing.

Worst case is she really tries and does one or more very stupid things.

Is it bad that I saw her last name and started thinking that she could be a character in Game of Thrones?
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Oh, it doesn't matter. Ambassadors don't really DO anything. They are just a sort of messengers.

Hans
 
MRC_Hans said:
Oh, it doesn't matter. Ambassadors don't really DO anything. They are just a sort of messengers.

Hans
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My interactions with US Chiefs of Mission would tend to indicate that they are rather busy. This, judging by the ferocity with which their staff keeps their schedule.
 
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