Another random Oxfam purchase, really had little idea of the content aside from reading the sleeve. Turned out to be a part-insider, part journalistic account of the hollowing out of the US diplomatic service. Worrying stuff particularly given what has happened since so far under the second Trump presidency.
The first section of the book centres largely on the post 9-11 war in Afghanistan, and how the balance of power between the US Military and the State Department had been tipping steadily away from the diplomats for years. This led to policy decisions becoming dominated by the CIA/military to focus on counterinsurgency, thus pushing negotiation and talks to a back seat.
The theory aligns with the outcome (America’s longest war ending in failure) albeit I’m not sure the US has a glorious prior record of its diplomats preventing/shortening horrendous wars.
The latter section then covers the first Trump term, and the rather less subtle gutting of the diplomatic core. Malicious stripping of thousands of experienced experts covering all areas of the globe, senior posts left unfilled, chaotic and contradictory messaging from the top, a complete lack of interest in serious long term strategy… it’s easy to forget this all already happened back in 2016-2020.
Perhaps a little niche, but a decent read.
