Freeze!

So there's a federal hiring freeze...AND a new directive to signifcantly ramp up our scrutiny of visa applicants.

Those two things will definitely work together.

Hypocritic Immunity

I realize I'm a bit late on this one, but it's still worth bringing up.

After years and years of shrieking about BENGHAZI BENGHAZI BENGHAZI and how Hilary Clinton LET OUR PEOPLE DIE, we get this gem of a bill from Ted Cruz and other Senate Republicans:

 A trio of GOP senators have introduced legislation that would cut security, construction, and maintenance funds for U.S. embassies around the world in half until the president moves the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Turns out our safety is nothing but a political bargaining chip for these people.

Oh yeah, and one of my colleagues was shot a few weeks ago (currently recovering well).

Shut Your Hatch

With a new administration coming in, us Foreign Service Officers are beset -from within and without - with questions about our opinions. How do we feel about Trump? Will we all quit en masse? What about the wall etc. etc.

Well, it turns out there's a thing called the Hatch Act. Passed in 1939, this is a law which restricts employees of the Executive Branch from engaging in certain political activities.

The origins of the Act are hardly noble - it grew out of opposition to the New Deal - but it certainly makes sense to try and prevent public officials from becoming instruments of partisanship.

In practice, of course, things are a little murkier.  Plenty of my colleagues maintain a social media presence and it doesn't take a crystal ball to divine their opinions.  But the question is - at what point do one's private opinions became a matter of public concern? I favor less control, not more. I'd rather people be allowed to voice their opinions, even if embarrasses the administration.

Comida Tapatia: Posole

 Every culture, it seems, has their own version of the ultimate comfort food - chicken soup. And usually several. There's just something serenely reassuring about it, the warm protein warding off illnesses and troubles of every kind.

Well, the local version is called posole, or pozole. Made with chicken or pork, broth, and hominy - treated corn kernels.

Posole can be made with red sauce, green sauce, or neither.

The usual Mexican accoutrements - lime, avocado, radish, shredded lettuce, tostados, chili etc.can also be added to taste.

Highly recommended.

So Now What?

Despite all the hoopla about sweeping changes to the US-Mexico relationship, these things don't happen overnight. Among other things, the economic ties are so

Simply in terms of visas, there are a few roadblocks to 'stopping all the Mexicans':

- Most illegal immigrants don't cross the border covertly at all. They simply overstay their visas.

- Visa and immigration policy is set by Congress. Visa policy - at least as it relates to qualifying for a tourist visa - is essentially uniform around the world.

- Consular decisions are non-reviewable. They cannot be overturned by anyone. Of course, someone could always manually issue or deny a visa, but that's not a practical course of action for millions of visas.

The Foreign Service on Screen: Por Mis Pistoles

Cantinflas is a beloved character in Mexican culture. Born Mario Moreno, this Mexican comic actor created Cantinflas as a fast-talking man of the people who could glib his way into or out of any situation. In his heyday he was known as the 'Charlie Chaplin of Mexico.'

In one of his more memorable scenes, the lovable Cantinflas has to cross the border into the US. Oh, how little things have changed:

Excursion Tour: Antigua, Guatemala

As marvelous as Mexico is, it's not the only place to visit.

A mere 2 1/2 hour flight away is Antigua, the relentlessly charming former capital of Guatemala.  Formerly known as Santiago, it was destroyed by a series of earthquakes and the government decided to move about an hour down the road and construct what is now Guatemala City.

Now, Antigua is a UNESCO heritage site and a beautifully restored colonial jewel of a city.  It has fine restaurants, cobblestoned streets, churches, plazas, and a scenic overlook on a hill called Cerro de la Cruz:

Highly recommended.