American Diplomat

Out with the old, in with the new?  Will Claudia Sheinbaum, new (and first female) President of Mexico, allow the departing leader AMLO to control her presidency, as designated successors of autocrats often do, or will she govern on her own terms?  What will happen with all of those door-to-door check giveaways?  Sheinbaum does not tip her hand.  Amb. (Ret.) John Feeley guides us through Mexico’s new frontier.  We watch with interest.

And what does Behghazi have to do with our withdrawal from Afghanistan, and why are people investigating our exit from that country on the third anniversary of the withdrawal, not, say, on the first or second anniversary?  Ambassador Dennis Jett has a thing or two to say about this. 

Prominent Brazilian journalist Cecilia Tornaghi shares the major struggle between Elon Musk and Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, after the judge shut down X.  The episode begs the question: Since these platforms have become a public service, do they bear responsibility for who uses them?  Who decides what is truth, disinformation, or that which is likely to incite?

Janessa Goldbeck, ex-Marine, CEO of Vet Voice Foundation and producer of the new film War Game, explains what a war game is and how it became the basis for this unusual and highly effective film.  What will happen if we experience another insurrection at the coming inauguration?  Why are vets and servicemembers special targets of foreign disinformation campaigns?  Join us and learn in depth what the Insurrection Act is, why it exists, and how powerful and potentially dangerous it is.  Now in theaters, streaming on September 27.  Go to https://wargamefilm.com for more info. 

FSO Chad Houghton takes us back to 2020 when John Kerry, the first Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, brought the US back into the Paris agreement. Quiz: Which is worse, methane or CO2? Also, what argument won people over diplomatically (hint – not the moral or scientific angle)? And how do we work with adversaries like China to cool things down? And why would a petrostate like the UAE host a global climate conference? Join us, and see also this month’s Foreign Service Journal for more. 

David Thomas, Executive Director of ASU’s Milo Space Science Institute, describes the global stability benefits of providing countries of the world access to space through education (what’s it like to mine ice water on the shadow region of the moon?) and ridesharing (yes, ridesharing) to space. Prada is making space suits and Hilton is designing crew quarters. Milo fosters global opportunity to join the space economy and in so doing, fosters the creation of values-based laws and policies.  Prepare to be inspired.

Steve Herman, author of Behind the White House Curtain, is back to tell the tale of the time the Trump administration tried to seize editorial control of the Voice of America and turn it into a propaganda agency.  Why is it in our interests as Americans for VOA to remain an independent, credible source worldwide, even covering negative events in the US?  What are the risks to those, like Steve, who resisted the takeover?  See also a review of his book in June's Foreign Service Journal.  

The Maduro regime told breathtaking lies about voting tallies, but the opposition has proof.  What are diplomats doing to promote a democratic outcome?  Keith Mines, Vice President of the Latin America Program at the US Institute for Peace, explores the options and shares first-hand tales of similar instances in the region.  Over seven million Venezuelans have fled poverty and mass misery already.  What will happen if no one can help?

Journalist and FSO (you read that correctly!) Steve Herman’s new book Behind the White House Curtain delves into the balance between, as Pete says, being the pitcher and the umpire at the same time.  Especially during the Trump White House, what was it like to be “the enemy of the people”?  Trump’s priority was to feed his base red meat, was he really out of control?  Join us to hear Steve talk about his experience in this extraordinary dual role.

General Brook Leonard is back to focus on China as our competitor in space.  What is rivalry in space – economic, military, both?  And what can we learn from China’s holistic approach to space?  The technological environment is rapidly changing and the stakes are very high.  We are not the leader.  How does diplomacy address this?