Kerry or Kardashian for US Secretary of State?
Re: “Thai interests now lie in friendship with China, not US,” Letters, Jan 20
With my Cold War reference point, I have watched professional US foreign policy devolve into pure pandering to US domestic interests.
For instance, if Kim Kardashian or the like were to declare her undying love for Thailand, then Thailand would shoot straight up to No 1 at the US State Department.
Ms Kardashian might even do a better job in directing US foreign affairs, despite having minimal qualifications. She could do no worse than the current incumbents.
As for the reported quote, this has been my impression of overall Thai diplomacy: Thais can be your friends now, or Thais can be your potential friends until later, at your discretion.
Discretion really has been lost in US foreign diplomacy, superseded by the insatiable desire to be momentary “new items” rather than anything effective.
Andy Warhol’s (or Marshall McLuhan’s) “15 minutes of fame” has replaced the enduring legacy that a superpower would pursue.
Guy Baker
