Waging War Against The Deep State At The State Department
BY Herschel Smith7 years, 4 months ago
The deconstruction of the State Department is well underway.
I recently returned to Foggy Bottom for the first time since January 20 to attend the departure of a former colleague and career midlevel official—something that had sadly become routine. In my six years at State as a political appointee, under the Obama administration, I had gone to countless of these events. They usually followed a similar pattern: slightly awkward, but endearing formalities, a sense of melancholy at the loss of a valued teammate. But, in the end, a rather jovial celebration of a colleague’s work. These events usually petered out quickly, since there is work to do. At the State Department, the unspoken mantra is: The mission goes on, and no one is irreplaceable. But this event did not follow that pattern. It felt more like a funeral, not for the departing colleague, but for the dying organization they were leaving behind.
As I made the rounds and spoke with usually buttoned-up career officials, some who I knew well, some who I didn’t, from a cross section of offices covering various regions and functions, no one held back. To a person, I heard that the State Department was in “chaos,” “a disaster,” “terrible,” the leadership “totally incompetent.” This reflected what I had been hearing the past few months from friends still inside the department, but hearing it in rapid fire made my stomach churn. As I walked through the halls once stalked by diplomatic giants like Dean Acheson and James Baker, the deconstruction was literally visible. Furniture from now-closed offices crowded the hallways. Dropping in on one of my old offices, I expected to see a former colleague—a career senior foreign service officer—but was stunned to find out she had been abruptly forced into retirement and had departed the previous week. This office, once bustling, had just one person present, keeping on the lights.
When Rex Tillerson was announced as secretary of state, there was a general feeling of excitement and relief in the department. After eight years of high-profile, jet-setting secretaries, the building was genuinely looking forward to having someone experienced in corporate management. Like all large, sprawling organizations, the State Department’s structure is in perpetual need of an organizational rethink. That was what was hoped for, but that is not what is happening. Tillerson is not reorganizing, he’s downsizing.
An “organizational rethink.” He’s shocked to find downsizing. Shocked. But was happy to see someone with corporate experience take the helm. What does he think happens in the corporate world?
This kind of report makes me happy. I see that Tillerson is draining the swamp and warring against the deep state. Good for him. Let me assist just a bit. Everyone who went to college where they were trained by America-hating Marxists, and everyone who is a political appointee of Obama, just go ahead and turn in your resignations now.
Save us the hassle of rooting you out later. We might fill the positions, we might not. Either way, ridding ourselves of people who want to destroy America makes us better, not worse. So go cry me a river, and market that “experience” in international affairs. Let me know when you land a job.
On July 12, 2017 at 2:06 pm, Jack Crabb said:
A helluva lot more .gov titsuckers need to go before a real difference is made, I’m afraid.
On July 17, 2017 at 2:09 pm, Randolph Scott said:
Start off with a 30% across the board firing of every except military. At the NSA and CIA the number should be 60% firing on the spot, immediately. Make no plans to ever re-hire these people. Who knows with these assholes not working or causing trouble in the world maybe our military can be downsized as well.
On November 30, 2017 at 10:59 am, 60Gunuh said:
Well Hersch, today is 30 November and I’m watching the morning talking heads on fox claiming tillerson has been tried and found wanting. So, any updates or current takeaways from the gilded halls of state behind this? I’ve never been there, but I do know a lawyer here who worked on Trumps transition. who “somewhat supports him, who for sure knows some there. He states it’s still rife with bh0bama parasites.
On November 30, 2017 at 11:10 am, Herschel Smith said:
@60,
Yea, this whole thing has been a huge disappointment. Not just at State, but everywhere else too. Every Obama appointed lawyer with DoJ should have been given the pink slip on day 1, as well as ATF employees, DOE, EPA, etc.
Why Trump left Comey in charge I’ll never know, and why McCabe is STILL IN CHARGE boggles the mind.