Shrinking State Dept. 11-27-2017

27 November 2017                      Shrinking State Dept.

Secretary of State Tillerson has launched a “fast and furious” war on his own State Department. Tillerson’s disdain and arrogance was in full display when he fired his chief of security, Bill Miller in response to Miller’s insistence that he has unrestricted access to his boss mandated by a Congressional edict.

There are growing concerns over Tillerson’s aloofness and lack of communication with his staff which is causing seething resentment. More and more diplomats are heading for the exits which seem to suit Tillerson who is determined to impose an autocrat stamp on his department.

Finally, alarm bells are ringing in the halls of Congress prompting Democratic members of the House Foreign Relations Committee, to express concerns over “the exodus of more than 100 senior Foreign Service officers from the State Department since January,” which appeared to be a concerted effort “to hollow-out senior diplomatic ranks.”

A hiring freeze has intensified the low morale. A $25,000 buyout has been offered to “encourage” more than 2,000 career diplomats and civil servants to leave by October 2018.

Our wealthiest allies in Europe and Asia are turning away. Smaller powers are turning to regional hegemons for security and safety, realizing that Americans have only one tool in their toolbox, military might not soft power.

The Chinese are quietly building, through diplomacy and economic power, a power structure designed to supplant American power within the next 10 years.