uncle arnie wrote:

Cronyism in ambassadorships is hardly new. Nor is having an
ambassador who is completely ignorant about the country he is
representing the U.S. in.

It's an unfortunate, but true fact.

It speaks volumes about our education system, the myopia of "powerful"
people in this country, and the distain shown to other countries.

Telamon wrote:

In article ,
uncle arnie unclearnie@nknowledgeablel wrote:

David Wilkins was interviewed on CBC/RCI show "As it Happens". He
doesn't know anything about the country he has been appointed ambassador
to. Nothing. He deflected all questions about Canada, apparently b/c his
qualification for the job is that he is about as informed as the
appointer. He knows no geography, no idea of the national anthem, let
alone being
smart enough to turn down an interview until he gets briefed. Those with
low expectations for an appointee could not have imagined such an idiot
in their wildest dreams.

Oh, and it is important to you if you're an American. Wilkins doesn't
know
why. Do you?

So the way it works here in the US is that ordinary people run for
office or are appointed in this case to an office in the government as
opposed to having a ruling elite. I have an imported body builder for my
governor for instance. Hopefully Wilkins will do well after some on the
job training.


Interesting. Such people don't get elected in other countries. They have to
be intelligent and knowledgeable first. They get stupid later after
temptation of office.

--
Eric F. Richards

"Nature abhors a vacuum tube." -- Myron Glass,
often attributed to J. R. Pierce, Bell Labs, c. 1940