Anonymous
04/20/2025 10:01
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Eliminating embassies and consulates in sub-Sahara Africa only. Is there any explanation for this other than straight-up racism?
Yes, MAGA doesn’t see the region as a strategic priority. Which is shortsighted because that’s where a lot of population growth will occur in the future.
Africans really need to control their population if they want any kind of economic development.
The GOP (and more recently, Trump) have been fighting against US efforts to educate and provide birth control in Africa for decades.
Anonymous
04/20/2025 10:00
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Seems like these changes cannot occur without a slash to the budget and to the workforce. How bad is this going to be? How many jobs are we talking? 20k?
They will still spend the money, but just not on diplomatic salary. It will be spent on AI and the other garbage in the executive order.
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:59
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Complete reorganization. Getting rid of FSO test.
Wonder if they are going to do what Congressman Wayne Hays tried to do in the 70s and make all State employees be part of the FS?
They want to do hiring based on “charisma” and ideological agreement with POTUS’s foreign policy agenda. Not a joke.
Of course, what happens when a POTUS changes and staff no longer align?
So the State Dept staff should only allign with democrat administrations? I mean, I realize that’s been the defacto standard until now, but why should it be?
You have this backwards. The FSO is neutral and career. Trump is the one creating the loyalty tests, not democrats or liberals.
Agree but realistically, Statw skews very li real (and I am a liberal).
It's called self-selection. MAGAs are too selfish for things like the Peace Corps, which along with Vets and college international relations majors, forms the cornerstone of State Department employees.
So, I guess we just end soft power and diplomacy all together then.
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:55
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Eliminating embassies and consulates in sub-Sahara Africa only. Is there any explanation for this other than straight-up racism?
Yes, MAGA doesn’t see the region as a strategic priority. Which is shortsighted because that’s where a lot of population growth will occur in the future.
Africans really need to control their population if they want any kind of economic development.
Go tell them that.
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:54
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Seems like these changes cannot occur without a slash to the budget and to the workforce. How bad is this going to be? How many jobs are we talking? 20k?
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:52
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Eliminating embassies and consulates in sub-Sahara Africa only. Is there any explanation for this other than straight-up racism?
Yes, MAGA doesn’t see the region as a strategic priority. Which is shortsighted because that’s where a lot of population growth will occur in the future.
Africans really need to control their population if they want any kind of economic development.
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:50
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Complete reorganization. Getting rid of FSO test.
Wonder if they are going to do what Congressman Wayne Hays tried to do in the 70s and make all State employees be part of the FS?
They want to do hiring based on “charisma” and ideological agreement with POTUS’s foreign policy agenda. Not a joke.
Of course, what happens when a POTUS changes and staff no longer align?
So the State Dept staff should only allign with democrat administrations? I mean, I realize that’s been the defacto standard until now, but why should it be?
You have this backwards. The FSO is neutral and career. Trump is the one creating the loyalty tests, not democrats or liberals.
Agree but realistically, Statw skews very li real (and I am a liberal).
No it doesn't. It skews pro-international relations but that is not the same thing and should be somewhat expected.
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:46
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Complete reorganization. Getting rid of FSO test.
Wonder if they are going to do what Congressman Wayne Hays tried to do in the 70s and make all State employees be part of the FS?
They want to do hiring based on “charisma” and ideological agreement with POTUS’s foreign policy agenda. Not a joke.
Of course, what happens when a POTUS changes and staff no longer align?
So the State Dept staff should only allign with democrat administrations? I mean, I realize that’s been the defacto standard until now, but why should it be?
You have this backwards. The FSO is neutral and career. Trump is the one creating the loyalty tests, not democrats or liberals.
Agree but realistically, Statw skews very li real (and I am a liberal).
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:38
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Eliminating embassies and consulates in sub-Sahara Africa only. Is there any explanation for this other than straight-up racism?
Yes, MAGA doesn’t see the region as a strategic priority. Which is shortsighted because that’s where a lot of population growth will occur in the future.
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:37
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Eliminating embassies and consulates in sub-Sahara Africa only. Is there any explanation for this other than straight-up racism?
Ceding soft power to China and Russia.
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:35
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Eliminating embassies and consulates in sub-Sahara Africa only. Is there any explanation for this other than straight-up racism?
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:25
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What about folks living abroad with their families. Isn't that expensive?
Do you know what is more expensive? Conducting world wars.
The Post WW2 order has worked to evolve the human condition moreso than any other time in this history of the world. Yes, there have been wars, but nothing of the scale of what preceeded and ended with WW2. And in the meantime, innovations in technology, health, medicine, etc has made the lives of humans much better. If humankind falls back into using war to settle differences rather than diplomacy, then we are moving backwards as a species.
I wasn't being critical. Was concerned for those families in those locations being viewed for budget cuts.
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:24
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Getting rid of the exam is wild. The best people.
There have long been complaints about the exam. A republican-tied career ambassador told me that he found it impossible to get his best people through it and they were limited to other functions. In general, the selection process does seem to favor bland personalities.
Because the GOP hates competency and intelligence. The FSO exam separates the wheat from the chaff in terms of weighing knowledge and temperment to ensure the career diplomats truly represent the best of our country and not partisan loyalty.
The exam is biased towards liberal world view.
Reality has a well-known liberal bias.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/?redirect=no&title=Reality_has_a_well_known_liberal_bias
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:23
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Rubio is calling the NYT report fake news. But I’m not so sure. They clearly have major changes planned for State. Maybe they plan to implement them under the radar in a slow drip sort of fashion?
Is Rubio willing to quit over this? Or is he going to be craven and oversee its implementation?
"Little Marco" is 100% craven. Teaspoon dictator
Anonymous
04/20/2025 09:18
Subject: Something “big” dropping this week ahead at Dept. State
Anonymous wrote:Rubio is calling the NYT report fake news. But I’m not so sure. They clearly have major changes planned for State. Maybe they plan to implement them under the radar in a slow drip sort of fashion?
Is Rubio willing to quit over this? Or is he going to be craven and oversee its implementation?