What would you do?
So let’s just think for a second about what it is like to work for the US government at the moment. Perhaps you are an experienced diplomat at the State department, or an expert on South Africa, perhaps you work for the CIA or one of the many other US intelligence agencies.
And then the President who is the ultimate recipient of all that knowledge, expertise and intelligence, ambushes the South African President with totally false claims and a picture of a mass grave in the DRC. Claiming that it proves white farmers are being slaughtered in a racist genocide in South Africa.
The point of the attack is obvious Trump is a racist who is pandering to the pathetic conspiracy loving bigots who support him. But he has also just driven SA further towards China, he has also just told every other non white country what to expect, who their friends are, who they can trust, that they are likely to suffer under his racist policies and what an idiot is in charge of America.
All as I have said based on false information, lies and bigotry.
What do you do? Do you try to stay on and influence the administration, educate it and inform it; even though you know it is not in the least interested in facts?
Do you try to maintain contacts with SA and other countries, tell them this storm will pass and urge them to stay close to America and that China and Russia are false friends? Even when you own administration is happily destroying your work?
Or do you leave and abandon the administration to stew in its own juice?
Because to try to stay and fight for your country’s best interests is now a mug’s game, it cannot be done, you are wasting your time. You would have to be a saint to stay and you’d still be wasting your time, so the intelligence gathering and expertise of the American government will diminish, wither on the vine and die.
The people who cannot find America on a map, and who think Africa is one country have won, there is no one to correct or inform the President, he does not care. He enjoys spreading lies, conspiracy theories and bigotry; it helps him keep his supporters onside and his opponents always reacting to his moves.
He is an ignorant racist and he loves his job.
So what should a patriotic, intelligent American foreign policy expert do?
Crying in your beer is not a career option.
From Jonty Bloom Media Ltd
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
Stay on?????? Not a cat in hell’s chance (once started looking for a new job the day after a new boss was appointed and left a few weeks after they started - best decision ever)
I'd start looking for another job, but it'll be a crowded market where, realistically, it's only governments and presumably "consultancies" who would value those skills. Or re-train, not an option for everyone. In the meantime, keep my head down and keep my fingers crossed that I stay under the radar.