I learned something funny today, from Gunny P, who spent a couple of years being the boss of Marine Security Guard details, the Marines that protect American embassies. (I'm going to loan Gunny P some Retief novels when I get a chance.)

Any embassy have an Economics Officer and a Political Officer, and bigger embassies have several. Both are civilians, working for the State Department. The Political guy talks to the local govermental types, and the Economics guy talks to businessmen and keeps track of trade, tarrifs, that sort of thing.

The funny bit is, all the Economics Officers that Gunny P met had political science degrees. And most of the Political Officers had economics degrees. Gunny's theory, which I subscribe to, is thus: Poly Sci types that join the State Department tend to be idealists, looking forward to international harmony and cooperation when diplomats of good will get together. Those guys get torn apart by the corrupt sharks that provide the upper-level bureucracy of the typical corrupt nation. But they do fine talking to businessmen in international trade, who have to face facts on the bottom line. So the idealistic types end up in the Economics branch.

Meanwhile, the graduates with economics degrees join the State Department with the knowledge that international trade is ruthless and nasty- the weak die, the wounded are eaten. So they're all suspicious, constantly on the lookout for ultior motives and double-dealing. That makes them well prepared to deal with the nasty corrupt governments that control most non-first world nations.

This came up, incidentally, because while Gunny P would like me to stay a Marine, if he can't get that he wants me to join the State Department. I like Gunny P, and I trust his judgement, so I've been considering his opinions. Despite what I've learned from reading the Retief novels.

Posted by: Boviate at 05:07 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 309 words, total size 2 kb.