President Obama sent the nomination for US ambassador to Japan of Caroline Kennedy to the Senate today. Perhaps the best question one could ask here is a simple one: Why?
Let's look at Kennedy's qualifications for this important foreign policy post. That was fast; she does not have any. Living in the White House as a child does not really teach much about how to be an ambassador. Will Obama name Sasha or Malia to be ambassador to Canada? How about Jena Bush as ambassador to Germany? Will Chelsea become ambassador to India? It is all nonsense; being the child of a president is not a qualification to be an ambassador.
Remember, Japan is not a backwater. It has the third largest economy in the world and it is presently in a confrontation with China over some disputed islands. The Chinese navy and air force have been consistently intruding into the Japanese territory near the islands. While unlikely, there actually could be a war there. Even aside from the threat of war, Japan is one of our most important allies and trading partners. There are frequently important negotiations that have to be undertaken between our two countries. Wouldn't it make more sense to have an ambassador with some experience at diplomacy? And how does the Japanese government feel about this appointment? Those folks don't have fond memories of Caroline's father; they probably have no memories of him at all. All they know is that a celebrity is being appointed ambassador, just as if Japan were some small unimportant country where ambassadorships could be used as political prizes without much problem.
I have nothing against Caroline Kennedy being an ambassador, just not to an important country like Japan. Luxembourg might do well. So would Slovenia or Macedonia. Maybe she could go to Belize or the Ivory Coast. Just not Japan; it is too important a post.
Let's look at Kennedy's qualifications for this important foreign policy post. That was fast; she does not have any. Living in the White House as a child does not really teach much about how to be an ambassador. Will Obama name Sasha or Malia to be ambassador to Canada? How about Jena Bush as ambassador to Germany? Will Chelsea become ambassador to India? It is all nonsense; being the child of a president is not a qualification to be an ambassador.
Remember, Japan is not a backwater. It has the third largest economy in the world and it is presently in a confrontation with China over some disputed islands. The Chinese navy and air force have been consistently intruding into the Japanese territory near the islands. While unlikely, there actually could be a war there. Even aside from the threat of war, Japan is one of our most important allies and trading partners. There are frequently important negotiations that have to be undertaken between our two countries. Wouldn't it make more sense to have an ambassador with some experience at diplomacy? And how does the Japanese government feel about this appointment? Those folks don't have fond memories of Caroline's father; they probably have no memories of him at all. All they know is that a celebrity is being appointed ambassador, just as if Japan were some small unimportant country where ambassadorships could be used as political prizes without much problem.
I have nothing against Caroline Kennedy being an ambassador, just not to an important country like Japan. Luxembourg might do well. So would Slovenia or Macedonia. Maybe she could go to Belize or the Ivory Coast. Just not Japan; it is too important a post.
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