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The Mirage of Foreign Policy; ENN Opinion
Topic Started: Mar 25 2017, 11:00 PM (782 Views)
Sopo
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Opinion - "The Mirage of Foreign Policy"
Written by Sopo
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I recently had the privilege to be one of the sole viewers of an EBC Radio broadcast simply titled "FA Discussion." The broadcast featured Kuramia (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Cerian Quilor (fired FA Deputy and current Minister of Communications), and Common-Sense Politics (Grand Admiral). The following clip left me speechless:

CSP: "What are the foreign policy aims of this administration? Why are we talking about ambassador systems and foreign updates?"

Kuramia: "Probably because that's my foreign policy right now, and I haven't received any feedback as to what our foreign policy could be."

Listen to the clip here!

An ambassador system and a foreign update do not a foreign policy make. The onus of crafting and implementing a foreign policy lies squarely on the shoulders of the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Apparently, they have failed to do that.

Since this broadcast, President Aexnidaral Seymour has signed and the Senate has approved a Non-Aggression Pact with the Kingdom of Great Britain. I hope they've come a long way since they attempted to raid Kantrias last year and nearly destroyed relations with the LKE, our close ally, after a series of immature and spiteful decisions. The KGB has been pushing to move relations between our regions forward since I was last President in 2015. This was not a difficult get. We should strive for more.

What is more? Firstly, we should be cooperating with the allies we already have on cultural and military pursuits. The former is vastly more important for regions with which we've enjoyed rocky relations recently, such as The South Pacific. Cultural collaboration leads to mutual understanding and a deeper more profound regional friendship. Just as traveling informs us as individuals about people in other countries, so do we learn about our friends and allies when we actually take the time to interact with them. As far as I can tell, we haven't been doing that.

Secondly, we should be seeking out and engaging young, upstart regions with values similar to ours. We should form bonds with them early on in order to have a greater say in their development and increase the likelihood that they'll be a suitable partner down the road. Much like President Anumia's Great Architecture Project sought to use Europeian resources--time, knowledge, and connections--to develop potential partners, we should continue in that spirit by unofficially mentoring promising regions while pushing them toward our sphere. We don't need a fancy scheme to do that (as we learned, the fancy scheme doesn't work anyway), we just need a series of thoughtful interactions and a bit of investment where necessary.

Thirdly, we should be cultivating the next generation of foreign affairs leaders so they know the difference between foreign policy and bureaucracy. Our ambassador is a mail delivery service, but I believe it could be more, and that it could be meaningful. Rather than having all possible ambassador posts filled by anyone in the Foreign Ministry who is willing, we could promote AMs to "Ambassador" when they show promise either through the course of training, mentoring, or World Affairs Hub discussions. Older members with a specific interest or notable connections could serve as well. They would act as a mini-deputy in one assigned region that the administration would like to focus on with more specific aims and higher expectations than under the current system. Realistically, they would be a combination intelligence officer and traditional ambassador: making connections and posting updates, but gleaning useful information like who the power players are, who represents the region in Gameplay, how the regional community is trending ideologically, and who their current/future partners are. These goals would obviously differ between regions depending on whether they were big or small, a UCR or GCR, etc. I served in a similar role when Skizzy was the President back in 2012 as a "special envoy" to The South Pacific, resulting in our treaty there. Making the ambassador position both desirable and meaningful would go a look way toward making the system worthwhile for both the administration and the participants.

Fourthly, we can use our advantages as they are meant to be used. Radio has been a boon for Europeia since it was established by President Malashaan in 2014. We've had many foreign guests on our broadcasts of years past that brought in large foreign audiences interested in witnessing their friends take part in our innovation. Since the early days of radio, broadcasts featuring non-Europeians have dropped off considerably, and we've been reaching an almost exclusively domestic audience. These foreign-inclusive broadcasts served as the sort of propaganda that our foreign update can only dream of being. They guaranteed interaction between Europeians and non-Europeians both on and off-air, bringing in foreign citizens for games and interviews with big name guests like Todd McCloud, Raven, and Xoriet. These successful broadcasts subsequently brought people into our IRC channel and even onto our forums.

Finally, we should hold our government accountable when they steer us out to sea and set us adrift. We are in dire need of a president with a vision for our foreign policy beyond foreign updates and a milquetoast ambassador system. If you're reading this and thinking of running for president, I ask you: look at the myriad of ways that we aren't projecting our influence and figure out how to do it. Think outside the box. There's no one right answer. I am hopeful that the coming presidential election will see our foreign policy righted and defined, but I am certain that we cannot survive on our current path long-term. With no defined goals, all we're headed toward is a mirage.
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The Right Honorable Sopo
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Kylia Quilor
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The thing is Sopo, what you're proposing for Ambassadors is the intent behind the current system.
The Rt. Hon. Commodore Kylia Quilor, Dux Emeritus, Legatus, Quartius, Primus Pilus, Praefectus Vigilum Noctu, ERN
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Never underestimate the power of cynicism, pessimism and negativity to prevent terrible things from happening. Only idealists try to build the future on a mountain of bodies.
Unfocused populism is just as dangerous, if not more so, to a Republic's survival as creeping authoritarianism.
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Sopo
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Cerian Quilor
Mar 25 2017, 11:18 PM
The thing is Sopo, what you're proposing for Ambassadors is the intent behind the current system.
And my intent was to eat vegetables for lunch, but instead I ate crackers and chocolate.

Edit: What I mean is, either the system is a very warped version of what I suggest or it has been so poorly executed that it is rendered useless.
Edited by Sopo, Mar 25 2017, 11:29 PM.
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Kylia Quilor
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Sopo
Mar 25 2017, 11:28 PM
Cerian Quilor
Mar 25 2017, 11:18 PM
The thing is Sopo, what you're proposing for Ambassadors is the intent behind the current system.
And my intent was to eat vegetables for lunch, but instead I ate crackers and chocolate.

Edit: What I mean is, either the system is a very warped version of what I suggest or it has been so poorly executed that it is rendered useless.
It wasn't deliberately modeled off your suggestion, but the idea of having our Ambassadors be there to keep abreast of regional events and report on them, become the experts on their assigned regions, etc, is what we're working under. We're not using them as just mail-carriers.
The Rt. Hon. Commodore Kylia Quilor, Dux Emeritus, Legatus, Quartius, Primus Pilus, Praefectus Vigilum Noctu, ERN
Posted Image
I. Am. Not. A. Nice. Person.
Never underestimate the power of cynicism, pessimism and negativity to prevent terrible things from happening. Only idealists try to build the future on a mountain of bodies.
Unfocused populism is just as dangerous, if not more so, to a Republic's survival as creeping authoritarianism.
Tell people how you feel, honestly and frankly. If you like someone, tell them. If you don't like them, tell them - the world would be a better place if we all knew where we stood.
Professional Credentials

Testimonials To My Character
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Sopo
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Cerian Quilor
Mar 26 2017, 12:51 AM
Sopo
Mar 25 2017, 11:28 PM
Cerian Quilor
Mar 25 2017, 11:18 PM
The thing is Sopo, what you're proposing for Ambassadors is the intent behind the current system.
And my intent was to eat vegetables for lunch, but instead I ate crackers and chocolate.

Edit: What I mean is, either the system is a very warped version of what I suggest or it has been so poorly executed that it is rendered useless.
It wasn't deliberately modeled off your suggestion, but the idea of having our Ambassadors be there to keep abreast of regional events and report on them, become the experts on their assigned regions, etc, is what we're working under. We're not using them as just mail-carriers.
Is that actually happening though?
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Rach
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I agree with the critique and the critique is pretty much my viewpoint as well. The nuts and bolts are doing well, but our foreign policy is only working due to people like Trinnien (WALL) as well as Malashaan & Isaris (CAIN). We could and should be playing more of a leading role, particularly when it comes to cultivating our relationships with other regions. I do disagree however with some of your suggestions, particularly with The South Pacific given that Glen-Rhodes continues to play a major role in that region after sabotaging Europeia and her interests as their Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Edited by Rach, Mar 26 2017, 01:09 PM.
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Sopo
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Rach
Mar 26 2017, 02:20 AM
I do disagree however with some of your suggestions, particularly with The South Pacific given that Glen-Rhodes continues to play a major role in that region after sabotaging Europeia and her interests as their Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Unless we're going to chalk it up to a loss and repeal the treaty, we need to actively pursue a more positive relationship. It may not be what we once hoped it would be, but cultural cooperation is still possible. We have at least a few dual citizens and a lot more in common than we sometimes think. There will always be people like GR who have a vested interest in disconnecting TSP from Euro, but we've held on this long for a reason.
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Rach
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Sopo
Mar 25 2017, 11:00 PM
Since this broadcast, President Aexnidaral Seymour has signed and the Senate has approved a Non-Aggression Pact with the Kingdom of Great Britain. I hope they've come a long way since they attempted to raid Kantrias last year and nearly destroyed relations with the LKE, our close ally, after a series of immature and spiteful decisions.
It's funny you say this given that they have just posted an update announcing the NAP... and used a picture of the Nazis signing a NAP with Estonia... :P

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hyanygo


Bwhahaha NAZI THIS COMING.

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Kylia Quilor
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I'm fairly certain whoever was behind that just google searched treaty signing.
The Rt. Hon. Commodore Kylia Quilor, Dux Emeritus, Legatus, Quartius, Primus Pilus, Praefectus Vigilum Noctu, ERN
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I. Am. Not. A. Nice. Person.
Never underestimate the power of cynicism, pessimism and negativity to prevent terrible things from happening. Only idealists try to build the future on a mountain of bodies.
Unfocused populism is just as dangerous, if not more so, to a Republic's survival as creeping authoritarianism.
Tell people how you feel, honestly and frankly. If you like someone, tell them. If you don't like them, tell them - the world would be a better place if we all knew where we stood.
Professional Credentials

Testimonials To My Character
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Rach
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Cerian Quilor
Mar 26 2017, 08:36 PM
I'm fairly certain whoever was behind that just google searched treaty signing.
Nearly all the picture searches for Non Aggression Pact are of Nazis & Soviets xD
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Sopo
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Rach
Mar 26 2017, 08:06 PM
Sopo
Mar 25 2017, 11:00 PM
Since this broadcast, President Aexnidaral Seymour has signed and the Senate has approved a Non-Aggression Pact with the Kingdom of Great Britain. I hope they've come a long way since they attempted to raid Kantrias last year and nearly destroyed relations with the LKE, our close ally, after a series of immature and spiteful decisions.
It's funny you say this given that they have just posted an update announcing the NAP... and used a picture of the Nazis signing a NAP with Estonia... :P

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That's pretty rich. And disappointing.
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JayDee
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The KoGB has corrected that mistake.
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Drexlore Greyjoy
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Rach
Mar 26 2017, 08:44 PM
Cerian Quilor
Mar 26 2017, 08:36 PM
I'm fairly certain whoever was behind that just google searched treaty signing.
Nearly all the picture searches for Non Aggression Pact are of Nazis & Soviets xD
They literally just picked the first result for non aggression! This is just......I have no idea.
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Ervald
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Not non-aggression but it reminded me of the Camp David Accords.
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