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Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#284051: Jun 28th 2019 at 2:43:09 PM

Warren has done it again, she's a released a comprehensive bundle of policies aimed at addressing an issue in the United States. This time it's about the State Department and working to not just rectify Trump's damage but genuinely expand it.

Revitalizing Diplomacy: A 21st Century Foreign Service

She wants to work on hiring more professionals to improve the State Department's capabilities, specifically through expanding the Peace Corps and creating a diplomatic ROTC. She is also going to be increasing pay for mid-career professionals and offer more opportunities for lateral entry.

The other changes she's mentioned are:

-Diversifying the workforce by hiring people of color, GSM people, women, and others who can offer a more unique perspective.

-Ending the practice of giving ambassadorship to people for their patronage connections instead of their actual merit.

-Ensuring that the senior positions of the State Department are always staffed by experienced professionals.

In short, it's a bold, substantive, and clear statement of intent that would be amazing from any other candidate but is fairly normal by Warren's standard.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Jun 28th 2019 at 2:53:48 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#284052: Jun 28th 2019 at 2:46:58 PM

I intend to join the State Department so this news pleases me. And may get her my vote, come time for the primary if no one else also impresses me.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#284053: Jun 28th 2019 at 2:47:35 PM

Nice, on both your possible support and career choice [tup]

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#284054: Jun 28th 2019 at 2:48:41 PM

I’m impressed by her ability to identify long-standing systemic problems. These appointments have been basically a gift to donors for years, under Dems and Republicans. Shockingly, this makes us bad at diplomacy.

FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#284055: Jun 28th 2019 at 2:49:35 PM

[up][up]Been interested for years. Put it on ice when the burnt orange came to power. But thank you. smile

To be fair, the political appointees were usually given bs postings where policy was made at the mid level anyway, but it simply looks better for it to be fully professional, so it's good to do regardless.

Edited by FFShinra on Jun 28th 2019 at 2:51:05 AM

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#284056: Jun 28th 2019 at 2:50:59 PM

To someone like me this particular platform sounds startlingly obvious enough (particularly the aspect of diversifying diplomats; for international relations, if you have a relatively diverse populace you probably want people whose experiences allow them to already be familiar with a foreign culture) that I'm surprised I haven't seen it coming from all the other candidates, but I'm glad it's being laid out anyway.

Edited by AlleyOop on Jun 28th 2019 at 5:52:06 AM

FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#284057: Jun 28th 2019 at 2:52:35 PM

It is, but its not advertised because most Americans neither know or care what happens beyond the borders. That she put this out there is great to draw attention to the institution, which I appreciate.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#284058: Jun 28th 2019 at 3:25:42 PM

creating a diplomatic ROTC

Now that is interesting. I was interested in a public administration course at college but it wasn't offered at the undergrad level. Sadly, I know I don't have the necessary people skills for the kind of people she wants for the State Department, but getting a pipeline of people into government service is a good idea.

Ending the practice of giving ambassadorship to people for their patronage connections instead of their actual merit.

While this is a generally good idea, there are places where it's worth creating an ambassadorship just to send people you don't want anywhere else. The James Buchanan backfire aside...

Edited by Ramidel on Jun 28th 2019 at 2:27:40 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#284059: Jun 28th 2019 at 3:26:41 PM

I'm glad that someone is talking about the need to rebuild America's diplomatic corps.

And good fucking God, does Marianne Williamson need to purge her old Tweets. Tons of "great" content including; overweight people lacking spiritual intelligence (whatever the fuck that means), and advising people to pray away radiation poisoning and swine flu. She out quacks the Greens by a country mile.

Edited by Rationalinsanity on Jun 28th 2019 at 7:30:22 AM

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#284060: Jun 28th 2019 at 3:29:08 PM

[up][up] There’s a lot more to international diplomacy than just the work people do dealing with other diplomats, any good government department will have a good staff of researchers, analysts, administrators, trainers, managers and such, so if you’re interested in that path look into it.

Edited by Silasw on Jun 28th 2019 at 10:29:52 AM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#284061: Jun 28th 2019 at 3:44:13 PM

And good fucking God, does Marianne Williamson need to purge her old Tweets. Tons of "great" content including; overweight people lacking spiritual intelligence (whatever the fuck that means), and advising people to pray away radiation poisoning and swine flu. She out quacks the Greens by a country mile.

A person on another forum I visit made a rather insightful point, she's probably the most legitimate contender to the title of "the Trump of the Left" in that Trump is your crazy racist uncle intensified and she's your crazy hippy aunt intensified.

In other words, she's an absolute trash candidate and I hope her campaign crashes and burns.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#284062: Jun 28th 2019 at 3:59:25 PM

Not that I expect her to go anywhere, just wanted to vent a little bit.

To be honest, she's probably trying to up her book sales with a vanity run.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#284063: Jun 28th 2019 at 4:05:12 PM

Yeah, I don't expect her to ever be a serious contender, and while full of legitimately troublesome ideas I also don't consider her as dangerous as Gabbard. She just wanted her moment in the sun and to become a meme for self-promotion purposes, and seems to have gotten it.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#284064: Jun 28th 2019 at 4:26:47 PM

Yeah Gabbard and Williamson represent the two halves of Trump, the crazy TV fraud older relative who is detached from reality half and the bigot with a dictator fetish that doesn’t care about the rest of the world half.

Gabbard worries me especially because she’s a prime candidate for the Russians to try and support, Bernie is hopefully smart enough to turn down Russian advances, I don’t think Gabbard is.

Edited by Silasw on Jun 28th 2019 at 11:31:43 AM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#284065: Jun 28th 2019 at 4:40:19 PM

...I'm going to amend what I said before.

My new "nightmare worst case scenario" is a hypothetical Gabbard/Williamson ticket.

I know that's totally unlikely, but it's the very worst possible ticket.

It still worries me that people think Williamson is harmless. I wouldn't be surprised if people have actually died following her advice.

Edited by M84 on Jun 28th 2019 at 7:42:51 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#284066: Jun 28th 2019 at 4:52:24 PM

> Bernie is hopefully smart enough to turn down Russian advances, I don’t think Gabbard is.

Like making a deal with the devil it's very tempting and anyone would stuggle against the urge,especially if it means the presidency

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#284067: Jun 28th 2019 at 4:54:40 PM

Right now most of the response to Williamson is acknowledging her as Snark Bait, so so far I doubt it's really going to earn her any more suckers than the kinds of people who are already prone to it.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#284068: Jun 28th 2019 at 5:06:05 PM

[up][up] I’d hope that Bernie would be smart enough to not just see that Russian help would be immoral but also that it wouldn’t get him the presidency, they’d help him get the nomination then blow the whole operation up at the end of October, letting Trump call Bernie a puppet and get re-elected.

Gabbard I worry might be immoral enough to want Russian help and stupid enough to think the offer was genuine.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#284069: Jun 28th 2019 at 5:12:50 PM

Sanders/Gabbard is my worst democratic ticket, its possible unlike anything involving Williamson but still highly unlikely.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#284070: Jun 28th 2019 at 5:23:58 PM

Florida governor signs new felony voting bill.

The bill would require felons to pay court-ordered financial obligations before being allowed to vote. It seems to be an attempt to counter an amendment that passed last year to restore voting rights to all felons except murderers and sex offenders.

Edited by LSBK on Jun 28th 2019 at 7:25:44 AM

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#284071: Jun 28th 2019 at 5:25:45 PM

Thursday's debate ratings shatter previous Dem record, NBC says – The event drew 18.1 million viewers over three broadcasts on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/28/democratic-debate-ratings-record-1390382

wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#284072: Jun 28th 2019 at 5:26:05 PM

I mean, Gabbard does interviews with Breitbart and their ilk on purpose, so...

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#284073: Jun 28th 2019 at 5:48:07 PM

Speaking of which, Breitbart, a bunch of other right wing outlets, and a few that should have known better, used a 4chan spammed poll from the Drudge Report that said Gabbard and Yang were the winners of the debates.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#284074: Jun 28th 2019 at 5:48:58 PM

One of her monikers is "The GOP's Favorite Democrat". If US politics had ways to enforce party discipline, she'd be long gone.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#284075: Jun 28th 2019 at 5:52:06 PM

She's a DINO.

The debates shattering ratings records is a good sign, right? I'll take it as a good sign.

Do not obey in advance.

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