The Diplomacy of the Dollar

Political appointments in public service are part and parcel of the political process. In some cases, such as diplomatic posts, appointing someone on the basis of political considerations and not professional qualifications can be problematic. Some of Obama's picks in this regard have come under heavy criticism, and experience has shown that the individuals were ill-suited for the job. The spectacular rise of a fund-raiser and media executive to the level of assistant secretary of state in just four years is a case in point of someone who seems to have "bought" his success in the diplomatic world without having to come up through the ranks.

In Europe, people buy titles of nobility. In the U.S., they buy political office and government posts.

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