LION on Embassies

LION thinks the time for embassies and ambassadors has past. After all, international relations are no longer conducted by messengers riding on sailing ships. And the need to have a plenipotentiary officer is foreign capitals is gone. We do not need an embassy in every rat hole around the world.

Look at the LION. The LION is at peace with the wildebeests. They are in an enclosure on the east side of the zoo and the LIONS are in a beautiful, placid, palatial enclosure on the west side of the zoo. The wildebeests do not have an ambassador in our enclosure, and we do not have an ambassador in their enclosure (more is the pity.) The zookeeper does not think that we need ambassadors, and neither do the wildebeests.

Today if the United States wants to speak to Egypt, we can pick up the telephone and speak to them. How hard is that? If Libya wants to talk to us we can give them a busy signal. That is diplomacy.
We can have friendly relationships with countries around the world without having a mansion in their capital. If they want embassies in our country, they are more than welcome to set them up, but we do not need to send an officer to their capital.

What else can an embassy do? Provide services to US citizens abroad? Yup, this service is needed. But you do not need an embassy. A consulate office operated by locals will suffice. Someone needs a new passport, they can be helped by the clerks there, and new temporary documents can be transmitted electronically.

What else can an embassy do? Provide a home for CIA spies. They would be better off establishing their own safe-houses in some obscure alley.

In countries who are solid US allies would likely enough have US naval or air force bases that might house an ambassador somewhere in the middle of the base. In major European capitals we would indeed have ambassadors and embassies, and diplomats could attend functions of state representing the United States. But we only need these in states that have intimate relations with the United States.

It may be that the last American footprints on foreign lands will be those of American Express, or even McDonalds. Let them attack McDonalds if they do not like us. We can pick up a phone and call them, or if we need to lay a note on them, we can attach it to the nose of a cruise missile.

ROAR