Congressional Tantrums

The State Department is a frequent punching bag for congressional grandstanders who want to punish the Administration without offending their constituents. Once way to do this is to hold up ambassadorial nominations for little or no reason. Viz:

Mexican Post Held Hostage Over Cuba

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio and fellow Sen. Robert Menendez, both angry over the Obama administration’s diplomatic opening to Cuba, are now targeting America’s ties to a far more important neighbor: Mexico. 

At issue is who, if anyone, will serve as the next U.S. ambassador in Mexico City during the final year of Barack Obama’s presidency. 

In June, the administration nominated Roberta Jacobson, the State Department’s assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs, who helped lead the negotiations that re-established U.S. diplomatic ties to Cuba. But her confirmation has been held up in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with the vote postponed earlier this month. 

The committee is expected to vote in favor of Jacobson during its next business meeting, but the nomination is then likely to languish indefinitely on the Senate floor unless Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) deems it a priority. 

The holdup, sources familiar with the committee said, centers directly on Jacobson’s work on Cuba.

So one of our immediate neighbors and biggest trading partners goes without an ambassadors because some people want to brush up on their anti-Cuban bona fides. Well, if that's not statesmanship I don't know what is. 

Hola, Patricia

Sheesh. One week here and they've already got a hurricane...

Sorry I haven't updated for a while. I've been engaged in a flurry of settling-activities, combined with the lack of Internet in my apartment. Add to which, the 'strongest hurricane in recorded history' is currently barreling towards Mexico's Pacifuc coast.

Am I worried? Well, Guadalajara is far enough from the water that Patricia should lose strength once it gets here. One the other hand, drainage infrastructure is notoriously bad here and flooding is a possibility.

I may be called in to help with stranded/distressed Americans over the weekend. We shall see.

UPDATE: The hurricane was something of a letdown. A bit of rain, strong winds. Luckily it managed to miss major populated areas and was disrupted by passing over the mountains.

Why Join the Foreign Service?

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.

- St. Augustine

And That's a FACT

This blog was on hiatus as I depart for training on how not to get killed overseas. Specifically, Foreign Affairs Counter Threat (FACT) training.

I won't go into too much detail on the training itself. First aid, self-defense, that kind of thing. Sometimes fun, often stressful.

That was nothing, though, compared to my arranged marriage. When I arrived at the hotel the clerk told me "OK sir, we've put you in a room with your wife."

"What?"

"Your wife, Meg."

"Uh...."

I eventually convinced them that I and this Meg person were not married. But it didn't stop them from telling Meg (whose last name is similar, not even identical, to mine) the same thing and giving her my room key. When she arrived and saw my stuff everywhere (I was out) she was able to get herself a different room - but of course when I got back MY room key didn't work.

I just love the fact that State would ASSUME two people with kind of similar last names are married and room them together without even bothering to ask. 

Now the serious packing begins.

Things I Learned in ConGen

- Consuls cannot touch money (or gifts) ever. If someone drops a rose petal under our window we have to give it back

- Most forgeries are clumsy and easy to detect

- The cuteness of working in a make-believe country (The Republic of Z) that starts all their names with Z (Zug, ZAweet, etc.) wears off quickly 

- Nobody could possibly memorize the FAM

- Roleplays are fun. Maybe my true talent is acting...

When the going gets tough...

...Congress suggests we give up and go home.

A certain member of Congress, upon discovering that violence exists in Mexico, has decided that the best thing would be to abandon diplomatic relations and evacuate everyone:

Mica on Mexico Border Violence: Close All US Consulates

Expressing astonishment at border patrol arrests of criminals and violence in Mexico, U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, called Wednesday for the United States to close all its consulates in Mexico.

Mica spoke at a meeting of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, during a hearing on Mexico violence and U.S. border security. He was responding primarily to testimony given by Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union affiliate of the American Federation of Government Employees.

Mica said he was astonished. He also expressed outrage regarding other testimony given Wednesday about specific acts of violence in Mexico, and concerns that it was spreading into the United States.
The committee chairman, U.S. Rep. Jason E Chaffetz, R-Utah, had called the hearing in part to discuss the prospect of closing three U.S. consulates in the most dangerous border crossing areas in  Mexico. Mica upped that proposal.

"There has to be consequences. How many consulates do we have? I count about nine in Mexico. Is that right? I think we should close every one of those consulates immediately. Put the properties up for sale," Mica said. "I think you have to have consequences for actions. The place is out of control."

Now, without ignoring the very real issues of diplomatic security that are essential to an effective Foreign Service, let's keep a few things in mind.

One, while there is violence in Mexico, it remains far less dangerous than plenty of other countries with an American diplomatic presence even within Latin America (Honduras, Guatemala etc.)

Two, U.S. diplomats live and work in some of the most secure places of even the more dangerous countries. 

Three, there is no such thing as absolute security. You can be stationed in Finland and slip on a patch of ice.  

ConGen!

Computer trouble has prevented me from posting earlier; I'll do my best.

I've spent the last few weeks learning about visas (immigrant and non-immigrant). Did you know:

- There is (as you may have suspected) a 'celebrity visa' for famous people?

- There is also a visa specifically designed for people to come and work at DisneyWorld?

- That Filipinos wishing to bring their brothers or sisters with them to America can expect a wait of TWENTY-THREE YEARS?