It looks like a crystalline Borg ship, but it's a picture of the proposed $1B US embassy in London. That got me thinking about the our diplomatic corps and the value we get nearly $20B a year. Really, living in the age of information, do we really need to have these vulnerable outposts spread around the world? We should be contracting out visa work from FEDEX offices. Wouldn't an automated kiosk do? As for London, why do we spend so much money on for a new embassy for in the backyard of poorer cousins. We're just rubbing it in their faces that they have no exports besides actors and a few aging rock 'n' acts. Worse, do we need "diplomats, who, quite literally can't even ward off any the animosity directed towards us. They should all be replaced by Disney Theme Park cast members. The current cast seem unable to convince anyone including themselves that we are the good guys.
Since I'm bashing the diplomatic corps, what's an appropriate dish? Maybe something stuffed with nice cheeses. So, we choose Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells with a Marinera, because the diplomatic corps (pronounced "core" not "corpse") in their pomposity are stuffed shirts.
At this writing, Hillary Clinton is the Secretary of State, she succeeded Condoleeza Rice who succeeded Colin Powell as Secretary of State. For those who remember who was humilitated by State Department he headed. You may recall that General Powell was a masterful military-political smoozemeister who worked very hard against an institution that finally had him convinced that their worldview was right and that his was wrong. In the final analysis he was out smoozed. He started out guns blazing and in the end as a champion of the status quo world order: Europe good, Third World misunderstood and America bad. Colin Powell was a victim of the Stockholm Syndrome. Powell’s training as a soldier did not prepare him for the group think that happens at State. A soldiers training in decision making, involves action and the process always involves heated debate presentation of facts, argument and then courses of possible action. All debate stops when the commander makes the decision and then action follows. The diplomatic process rarely include action, but the debates are endless. The most severe diplomatic action amounts to telling someone to leave the country, which results in someone having to pack and which contraband to take in their diplomatic satchel. The worst thing that can happen is to break diplomatic relations, which amounts to leaving a wretched country, where you couldn't do anything any way. General Powell was ultimately exhausted with the endless chattering, foot-dragging and downright diplomatic insubordination and his resignation was, I'm sure cheered as a victory of bureaucracy over leadership.
Under Madame Rice, they tried the same tricks, but failed. Why did she win, where Powell failed. She was all ready a master of the byzantine politics of academia. She knew how weasels worked. She'd survived the back-stabbings and circumvention tactics for defying authority and the state department did not break her. Ultimately, she had to face the problem of staffing the Baghdad embassy in that hottest period Iraq war. There were few volunteers, so she laid down the law. Serve as you signed up for or face dismissal. There was a lot of protest, but in the end she won.
Worse, for the corps, is that the world’s greatest power is not inclined to lavish the diplomatic corps of other nations. The heartland America, with its simple ways and meat loaf dinners simply does not want to wine and dine the world of bon vivant diplomats with champagne and oysters. Some administrations accept this fact graciously and use corporate sponsors to supplement their entertainment budgets much like PBS. This makes our diplomats down right furious. "Why do we have to look like corporate shills" American thrift does not please our professional diplomatic corps and they are forever trying to distance themselves from Americana. The diplomatic corps probably since Jefferson was in Paris, is more French than American, in language and sensibility. The name you need to remember is Tallyrand. This connoisseur of connoisseurs was a Catholic bishop, lover and high ranking diplomat under Louis XVI, the Reign of Terror and Napoleon. He lived by his wit and was the master who taught each group of tyrants how to eat well, while the people starved. He lived to a ripe old age and through it all, ate well. Tallyrand was the master of modern diplomacy. The diplomatic corps because they choose to work outside of the continental united states cannot help but be foreign.
State Department at times resembles a haven for 1960’s leftists who’ve found a way to travel the world at government expense. With few exceptions you will find that corps personnel, are of this sort, though of course not out front about it, they are diplomatic. Make up your own test, but they do wear their hearts on their sleeves, when pushed by the regular points of political contention. This was never truer than when “Madame Secretary” as in Bordello Madame Albright pimped anti-Americanism around the globe during the Clinton years.
The Clinton years will produce about a much as Ms. Albright, and mark a true deterioration of American diplomatic prestige, as opposed to public relations.
Cannelone Al Forno
1 lbs Cannelone or Manicotti shells cooked al dente
1 lbs riccota
1 lbs mozzarella cheese
¼ cup chopped parsley
½ lbs parmesan cheese
1 quart marinara sauce
Combine cheeses and pasley and stuff the mixture into shells with a tea spoon lay Lay shells into an ovenproof baking dish and cover shells with marinara sauce. Option: American love melted cheese and it is appropriate to cover the entire dish with cheeses.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Serve immediately. I like it with a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.
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