American Diplomat Special Envoys: Cleanup on Aisle Seven
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Feb 19, 2026 John Bass, a career U.S. diplomat who served as ambassador to Afghanistan, Turkey, and Georgia, reflects on why diplomatic tradecraft matters in an age of business-style appointees and social media noise. He explores how AI can aid reporting and translation without replacing persuasion, why confidentiality and impartiality remain essential, and how diplomacy adapts to combat disinformation and build coalitions.
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Winning A UN Vote Behind The Scenes
- P. Romero described walking into Secretary Powell's meeting and receiving a standing ovation after a successful UN vote on Cuba human rights.
- He credited personal relationships and behind-the-scenes persuasion with swaying Ecuador's position.
Adapt Private Skills To Public Roles
- Do cultivate self-awareness and willingness to learn when moving from private-sector deals into public diplomacy.
- Avoid assuming private negotiation skills automatically map onto complex public-policy environments.
Government Isn’t A Business
- Running government like a business misses public goods, multiple stakeholders, and constitutional duties.
- Profit-driven models can undermine services like healthcare and rural infrastructure.