Category: Uncategorized

  • Pat Derian and Human Rights

    Pat Derian and Human Rights

    Pat Derian gave me fits when Iwas working on the Brazil desk because Brazil had a bad reputation for its human rights performance. AFSA has publised its oral history of her time at the State Department. The AFSA history begins: Patricia “Patt” M. Derian was one of the key proponents…

  • Venezuela Illustrates What the US Might Be Under Trump

    Venezuela Illustrates What the US Might Be Under Trump

    Madura’s refusal to accept defeat in Venezuela’s election illustrates what Trump might try to do if he lost another election, as Maduro did. Axios reported: Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro was announced as the winner in Sunday’s election, despite independent exit polls showing opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia had won more votes.…

  • July 4, 1976

    July 4, 1976

    On the evening of July 4, 1976, I was working in the Operations Center of the State Department. The fireworks were starting on the National Mall. Henry Kissinger was the Secretary of State. He was having a commemorative dinner on the eighth floor of the State Department in the diplomatic…

  • 100 Trying Years for the Foreign Service

    100 Trying Years for the Foreign Service

    The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune reviewed Harry Kopp’s book,The Voice of the Foreign Service: A History of the American Foreign Service Association at 100, on the history of the Foreign Service, The review said: The origins of the State Department were inauspicious. Headed by Thomas Jefferson, it comprised a small diplomatic establishment that…

  • National Debt Danger

    National Debt Danger

    The Council on Foreign Relations as produced an excellent report on the dangers of America’s growing debt.  It says: The total debt of the U.S. government now stands at just under $35 trillion. That is $103,000 for every person in the United States and is equal to 99 percent of the…

  • State Department Cyber Role

    State Department Cyber Role

    Axios reports that: Cyber diplomacy has been a major priority at the State Department during the Biden administration as nation-state hackers target U.S. critical infrastructure and criminal gangs recruit hackers from across borders. Collaborating with the private sector is a major part of the State Department’s new international cyber strategy,…

  • Pic Post

    Pic Post

    Picture

  • Hello world!

    Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

  • US and Israel Discuss Iran’s Nuclear Program

    US and Israel Discuss Iran’s Nuclear Program

    According to Axios: U.S. and Israeli intelligence agenciesare looking into new information about computer modeling byIranian scientists that could be used for research and development of nuclear weapons, two U.S. officials plus one current and one former Israeli official told Axios. Why it matters: The purpose of the modeling is…

  • Swiss-US Science Cooperation Meeting

    Swiss-US Science Cooperation Meeting

    The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States and Switzerland at the first U.S.-Swiss Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology. Begin Text: On May 24, 2024, the United States and Switzerland convened in Bern for the inaugural Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on…