We need a kinder, humbler diplomatic corps

I am paid to learn about the Middle East and North Africa. I am paid to learn the languages, to study the culture, and to understand the politics of the region. In the three months I have lived in Cairo, I have made a few observations. Not all of them have been about the "natives," however. Much of what I've learned while living in Egypt has been about us, the Americans. And some of it isn't pretty.

The arrogance. The chauvinism. The bigotry. Nearly all my life I assumed those working in the Foreign Service and other diplomatic services represented the best of what our country is about. On balance, it seems diplomatic status brings out some of the uglier aspects of our society. My observations may seem harsh to some. Of course, I am speaking strictly about Foreign Service Officers stationed here in Cairo, but there are so many others who are as bad or worse.

Although my indictment of the collective character of the Foreign Service will seem exaggerated and anti-American, I should state for the record that I am passionate about what the old America stood for -- minus the slavery, the racism, the sexism, the elitism, the organized crime and corruption, the exploitation, and the odd foreign adventure for profiteering. I love my country. I would give my life to defend it. In fact, I have sworn an oath to do so. So to all the Ann Coulter types who are thinking about questioning my patriotism, or any of that psuedo-fascist drivel: Don't go there. My observations and attributions are harsh, but they are accurate.

Unravelling the reasons for my disillusionment is a bit complicated. I am at times guilty of what I find offensive in others. In some cases, I'm not even aware of my behavior. In other cases, I am not trying hard enough to do what I demand of others. I am also on the receiving end of the sniffishness commonly observed of Foreign Service Officers, which I admit may affect the color of my observations. Despite my faults and biases, the points made below are important. There is definitely a disconnect between what the Foreign Service as an institution represents and the attitudes of the individuals who work for it. Like most issues that are more social than institutional, the disconnect is found within the informal interstices of workaday life, during which unbecoming behaviors are revealed, if only fleetingly. However, these moments are what create the lasting impressions, shaping the interpersonal relationships that are the backbone of our diplomatic relations.

Which leads me back to the arrogance, chauvinism and bigotry. It doens't take a lot of looking to see how our career diplomats regard themselves in comparison to others. Their inflated sense of importance would never pass for acceptable behavior in their native land. To the more affluent and worldly of Cairo's Egyptian population, the act is very transparent. They seem bemused and cynical when conversation turns to members of the US diplomatic mission. Mid-level economic and social status, combined with a mediocre education (despite the Ivy League pedigrees), combined with a sense of entitlement befitting political royalty, and you have all the makings of a parody. For those of the Egyptian elite I have talked to, the comportment of many in the US Foreign Service inspires a subtle derision I would expect from the British or the French.

To poor Egyptians and other foreigners working in Cairo, it is not a laughing matter. The authority diplomats wield with impunity in society at large is, in fact, much like that of the Egyptian elite. The exclusionary practices of American diplomatic expats is notorious. If you're not a Foreign Service Officer, you're not as smart as they are -- unless you're richer than they are, or more educated, in which case you're a commodity. If you're Filipino, or Malaysian, or Sri Lankan, or of any other ethnicity, you must be the hired help -- another kind of commodity, to be sure. Forget any sort of acknowledgement on the street from a Foreign Service Officer, much less any invitation to join them for lunch in their sequestered and somewhat shabby clubs. Even if you are an American citizen, enjoying the same diplomatic status, and happen to have an "ethnic" background, you should just assume second-class treatment. And if you're a poor Egyptian, you're dirty, stupid, untrustworthy, and worse.

But these people aren't just bigoted toward the poor and toward people from the Asian subcontinent. They take aim at anyone who isn't in the Foreign Service. And within their ranks, there are very fine distinctions between who is worthy of respect and who is not. For example, a political officer will not consider a consular officer of the same rank as his or her equal. In a similar way, Foreign Service Officers consider their military counterparts as lacking depth and intelligence. It is pretty clear, from my observations and from those of other people I have talked to, that they have little regard for others they consider to be cut from lesser cloth.

Their sense of civic responsibility and respect for the larger society they live in is lacking, as well. They take on pets when they are here in Cairo and leave them to languish on the streets when they move to another post. (There is a huge problem with stray animals in Cairo.) They allow their servants to dump rotting garbage on street corners in their posh neighborhoods. They hire nannies to take care of their children and to work long hours besides, and then pay them a pittance. To be fair, all the other expat communities do this as well, and the worst of the whole lot are the Egyptian elites. In the defense of Americans, all the domestic workers I have talked to prefer to work for them. Americans, it should be noted, pay more on average for domestic help in the home. American women do not keep their maids and nannies in a virtual prison. American men don't sexually assault them. If we're keeping score, the Americans are certainly not the worst offenders. But we are not keeping score.

There are notable examples of Americans who really do make a difference in their communities in Cairo. There are some who represent what it truly means to be an American -- I do not refer to individual pursuit of the American dream, but to the more down-to-earth values we find in small towns across the United States that are best summed up in France's motto: Liberté, égalité, and fraternité. They volunteer at local churches and other non-governmental organizations. They spay, neuter, feed and shelter stray animals. They teach english and vocational skills to Sudanese refugees, and give them financial and material assistance. They organize cooperatives for the working poor and help get their products to fair-price markets. And some of them are doing much more. But these typically aren't Foreign Service Officers, or their spouses. They are usually teachers, charity workers, and the like and they are accompanied by many other expats not of diplomatic status. While Foreign Service workers do important work in advocating for human rights, democracy, and economic development, they are paid to do this as professionals. This does not entitle them to behave so badly.

Frankly, my opinion of them would change if they could be a little more civil to others. I don't think they will ever shed their bigotted attitudes toward those who are "different," but they can at least keep those attitudes to themselves and uphold what the embassy touts as its high standards of personal comportment. They would earn my admiration and respect by putting a little more effort into cleaning up their streets and alleviating some of the public ills of their neighborhoods. They certainly have the means and the time to do so. If a few more of these "important people" could demonstrate more civility, I could look past their petty intra- and interoffice politics. I might even look past the silly comments and subtle brushoffs my own kind experience in their company.

In a way, this is very emblematic of how the United States is perceived -- we come to a foreign country, we boss everyone around and act as if we're better than they, and when we have what we want, we leave them to clean up the mess. There are few exceptions to this rule from the perspective of our hosts. We have got to change this perception. And even if the current administration has no desire to do so at the policy level, Americans in the Foreign Service can make a tremendous impact on the ground, just by being a little more involved and a little kinder. We Americans are, really, so much better than the world believes. And we have so much more to offer. We need to give the rest of the world a reason to believe in us now more than ever.

Hi, I'm an angry Marine. Nice to meet you.

I want to state up front that I do not represent the United States Marine Corps or the United States government in this blog. So why call the blog "The Angry Marine?" A Marine is more than just a lethal weapon in the arsenal of the finest fighting force in recorded history. A Marine is more than a soldier, a sailor and a rogue nation breaker. A Marine is more than a code of conduct. It is not about rank or occupation. A Marine is a special kind of awareness, an identity, at once acutely individual and at the same time committed in mind, body and spirit to fellow Marines and to the mission.

And so I emphatically state that, while I am opposed to some of the foreign and domestic policies of my Commander in Chief, I am bound by my oath as a Marine to follow lawful orders. No matter what I might think or feel personally, I must execute my orders faithfully. Please understand that although there is great tension inherent in this arrangement, there is no hypocrisy. I am an angry Marine, but I am a faithful Marine and I do not engage in subterfuge. Some readers will wonder whether this blog, at times, might contradict my oath and betray my loyalty. My criticisms of American politics and society may give that impression to some -- but in addition to being willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in the service of my country, I regard as my civic responsibility the questioning of those policies which, if left unchecked, would compromise our constitution, our body politic, and our privileged place of leadership in the international arena. Of course, this is only one man's opinion.

This blog is about a Marine who is angry at the turn of events in his country and in the world. It is about a Marine deeply concerned about the challenges we face as a society and a nation, and about the impact our choices have on citizens of the United States and the other six and a half billion souls beyond our borders. I hope this blog inspires you to vigorously debate the issues raised here. This is, in part, what democracy is about. Most of all, I hope this blog inspires you to act. I'm doing my part. I very much hope you do yours.