I stumbled upon a suggested reading list put out by the US State Department for those interested in careers in the foreign service.
What does Yea Forums think about this list?
>Current Affairs - Periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The Economist, Time, The Atlantic, Newsweek, Forbes, The New Yorker - A major daily newspaper such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times - Journals such as Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy, and The New York Review of Books
>English Usage - Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers - The Elements of Style
>United States (culture, foreign policy, history, politics) - Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy since 1938 - Stephen Ambrose and Douglas Brinkley - Nation of Nations: A Narrative History of the American Republic - J.W Davidson - Racial and Ethnic Relations - J.R. Feagin and C.B. Feagin - International Relations - J.S. Goldstein and J.S. Pevehouse - The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy - E.D. Hirsch, J.F. Kett, and J. Trefil - American Foreign Policy: The Dynamics of Choice in the 21st Century - Bruce W. Jentleson - American Diplomats: The Foreign Service at Work - William D. Morgan, and Charles Stuart - A People and a Nation: A History of the United States - M.B. Norton - American Foreign Relations : A History - Thomas Paterson - The Politics of United States Foreign Policy - J. Rosati - Women and the American Experience - N. Woloch
>World History and Geography - Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty - Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson - Atlas of the World - International History of the Twentieth Century and beyond - Antony Best - The Heritage of World Civilizations - A.M. Craig - Guns, Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond - The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies throughout the World -Jared Diamond - Civilization: The West and the Rest - Niall Ferguson - A History of the Twentieth Century - Martin Gilbert - From the Ruins of Empire: The Revolt against the West and the Remaking of Asia - Pankaj Mishra
>Area Studies - Modern South Asia: History, Culture, and Political Economy - Sugata Bose and Jalal Ayesha - Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, From the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 - Steven Coll - The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know - James Gelvin - Understanding Contemporary Africa - April Gordon and Donald L. Gordon - Postwar: A History of Europe since 1945 - Tony Judt - The Ghost of Freedom: A History of the Caucasus - Charles King - Russia since 1980: Wrestling with Westernization - Steven, Rosefielde and Stefan Hedlund - Afghanistan from the Cold War through the War on Terror - Barnett Rubin - Central Asia: The Challenges of Independence - B. Rumer and S. Zhukov - Wealth and Power: China's Long March to the Twenty-first Century - Orville Schell and John Delury - China Goes Global: The Partial Power - David Shambaugh - The Quest: Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World - Daniel Yergin
>Consular and Immigration - Immigrants and the Right to Stay - Joseph Carens - Citizenship and Immigration - Christian Joppke - Deportation Nation: Outsiders in American History - Dan Kanstroom - Immigration Stories - David Martin and Peter H. Schuck - Americans in Waiting, The Lost Story of Immigration and Citizenship in the United States - Hiroshi Motomura - A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America - Ronald Takaki
>Economics and Public Policy - Macroeconomics: economic growth, fluctuations, and policy - R.E. Hall and D.H. Papell - Principles of Microeconomics - G. Mankiw - The Shaping of Grand Strategy: Policy, Diplomacy, and War - Richard Hart and Jim Lacey - Public Policy in the United States: At the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century, M.E. Rushefsky - Economic Policy Beyond the Headlines - G.P. Shultz and K.W. Dam
>Management and Human Behavior - Psychology and Life R.J. Gerrig - Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking - Malcolm Gladwell - Psychology - H. Gleitman, J. Gross, and D. Reisberg - Fundamentals of Management: Core Concepts and Applications - R.W. Griffin - Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations - G. Moorhead and R.W. Griffin - Managing Across Cultures - S. Schneider and J. Barsoux - Employment Discrimination Law: A Manager’s Guide: Text & Cases - D.P. Twomey
Asher Hughes
>Public Affairs and the Media - The Dynamics of Mass Communication: Media in the Digital Age - J.R. Dominick - The investigative reporter’s handbook: a guide to documents, databases, and techniques - B. Houston - News Writing and Reporting for Today’s Media - B.D. Itule and D.A. Anderson - Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands - T. Morrison and W.A. Conaway - Public Speaking - M. Osborn and S. Osborn - Intercultural Communication: A reader - L.A. Samovar, R.E. Porter, and E.R. McDaniel - Understanding Intercultural Communication - Stella Ting-Toomey and Leeva C. Chung
>Computer Applications - New Perspectives on Computer Concepts: Comprehensive - J.J. Parson and D. Oja - The Longman Guide to Style and Writing on the Internet - M.C. Sammons
None of these books particularly stick out to me. Is this standard reading for poli-sci University students?
Parker Hill
it's basically how to become a midwit bugman: the reading list
>Current Affairs AKA keeping up to date with the narrative from Cathedral-approved publications. Stay in the bubble.
>English usage The Elements of Style is full of arbitrary bullshit with zero basis in either grammar or good prose.
>United States (culture, foreign policy, history, politics) The perfect recipe to become another priggish and politically correct agent for American imperialism. And you won't have to be part of any "deep state conspiracy" because you will naturally follow the whims of your higher-ups without questioning them because you think it's the right thing to do.
Aaron Bell
HOLY FUCKING SHIT, I hadn't seen any of these posts yet when I first clicked on the thread. I haven't read all of these books but some of them stand out as being particularly atrocious. >fucking Guns, Germs and Steel LMFAO
Tyler Ross
If you're interested in joining the foreign service, you should try taking the online foreign service practice test. careers.state.gov/fsopracticetest/ See which areas are weak for you and work on those. Remember, the test is in three parts: >General Knowledge That includes everything from math to art, so study up. >English You need to score what would be the equivalent of an Interagency Language Roundtable 5/5 in English. Native, college level English. >Professional Skills Use paperclips. Guns Germs and Steel is a meme. I would recommend Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger.
Jaxon Ross
>fucking Guns, Germs and Steel LMFAO That meme book stuck out to me too
Essentially this. It seems like standard programming for producing bureaucrat bugs.
Related, has anyone know anyone involved in diplomacy? I have a friend that worked as a analyst (motherfucker could speak like 5 languages), and he told me that without exception all of the American big shot (non-technical) diplomat people have connections to Congressmen or state governors.
>moldbug le cathedral XD the only midwit here, is you.
Cooper Garcia
Yes, diplomatic posts are politically appointed. You find that a lot of ambassadors are large campaign donors
Austin King
I expected something from Kissinger, McNamara and Rove on the list. Really strange.
Ian Baker
>joining the foreign service lmao I missed that boat the moment I was born. The two paths to joining the foreign service are basically: >Be born into a politically powerful family Or >Grow up in a multilingual home, essentially have native-level fluently in English as well as either Russian, Chinese, Farsi, Arabic, etc. >Attend an elite, ivy-league school. >Don't be a white man.
>anyone know anyone involved in diplomacy My dad is an FSO (generalist). Most of the big shot diplomats who you see on the news are political appointees, not career diplomats. That being said, many career diplomats can rise quite far. Ambassadors to big countries are almost always appointed, but you can become CM to smaller places, like Haiti or Uzbekistan, without those connections. If you're really smart about it you make those connections as a career diplomat. Then you can land Deputy Assistant Secretary jobs, etc.
I'm and you can't enter the State department as a career diplomat with connections. The chances are slim as only about 5% pass the FSOT but if you're smart, it's possible. Granted, I grew up in a multilingual home so it is going to seem easier to me but you can always learn another language. When you get into the foreign service they will pay you to learn. There are no education requirements except a high school diploma, although it is easier to jump ahead if you have higher education (I believe PhDs start at a 4). Virtually everyone in the Foreign Service who I know is white. They don't have diversity quotas. I would not recommend joining if you are racist, of course. The govt. can't really have white supremacist CAOs in Nigeria.
Oliver Martinez
I don't endorse everything that Moldbug says, but his concept of the Cathedral makes a lot of sense. He's basically a diluted, right-leaning version of Gramsci, but since Moldbug is more influential than Gramsci and uses more more relevant applications to today's institutions, he's a better reference to use.
Dismissing ideas based off of their origin despite their validity is one of the most midwit things that you can do. Don't do it. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
HOLY SHIT. I thought you were kidding, but look at the requirements >Working closely with foreign governments on issues of global importance (e.g., protecting peace, eliminating hunger, promoting free enterprise, etc.) >promoting free enterprise
Connor Nelson
Lmao what the fuck? You don’t even need a college degree to be an FSO.
You literally just take the FSOT than do well in the follow on stages. Nobody gives a fuck if you went to Harvard or studied Mandarin for 15 years. The State Dept has their own language schools for that shit and sends people to GWU for masters and PHDs.
Brayden Rivera
lol, the US gov't pays farmers to not overproduce, since when is eliminating hunger a serious goal for US foreign policy?
Nolan Ortiz
>working for the state department means you have to advance US interests on the international stage Woah, you sure did crack that fucking mystery.
Its probably a combination of environmental factors, genetics, and culture.
Hudson Peterson
Let's take and make a better version of this list guys.
Kayden Anderson
okay, you go first
Caleb Peterson
Not right now, maybe later. I want to see what other people on here can come up with though.
Robert Richardson
can't even come up with a book or two for one particular category? lame entitled faggot. whatever. I'll do you a big favor and be the change I wish to see in this world.
>Public Affairs and the Media Amusing Ourselves to Death - Neil Postman Propaganda - Jacques Ellul Understanding Media - Marshal McLuhan
Jeremiah Johnson
>ctrl-f >no Mueller Report terrible post, please kill yourself
Gabriel Anderson
what about fiction i don't want to read all this boring shit
Landon Phillips
>Periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The Economist, Time, The Atlantic, >Newsweek, Forbes, The New Yorker LOL
i mean you're not wrong, there are a lot of retards in positions of great responsibility that read those rags. achievement is not an indication of intelligence or good sense.
yeah that was poorly written. moldbug is not more influential than gramsci in the grand scheme of things (at least not yet). but more people here are familiar with moldbug's ideas than gramsci's ideas. it makes sense to communicate with the metaphor that people are most likely to understand. you're supposed to write with your audience in mind, you know?
Eli Morgan
I think most people here understand the words "hegemony" and "hegemonic" even if they haven't read Gramsci. I would hope so anyway.
Gabriel Mitchell
I suggest academic journals on IR theory to add to the Foreign Policy and Foreign Affairs which the government recommends.
Jace Wood
I am in for the white house's guard, I have an electricity bill of 1m for start.
Fine if there are any IR journals free of the American geopolitics agenda or liberal democracy spin. Know any?
Aaron Fisher
This would actually be kind of based
I want to know what the Yea Forums ways of consuming news are. Every time I try to consume a "periodical" or any other newspaper, even the highbrow ones, it's so clearly simplified that I can't read it. But the response can't be just to not know what's happening at any time
Cameron Long
It wouldn’t have the same focus on the “institutional”, “ideological”, and “self-policing” aspects of the establishment. It’s okay to admit that Moldbug came up with a good metaphor for modern politics. His main problem is that he’s a verbose writer who also doesn’t go into enough detail, but reading his work definitely scratches the same itches as reading Gramsci’s work.
Gabriel Hughes
World Order, Nuclear Weaponsvand Foreign Policy, and Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger.
Like him or hate him, his writings are fantastic primers to IR.
Kissinger looking plump from all the blood of gentile children he has beem imbibing
Josiah James
Moldbug's problem is that he's not popular anymore. We used to have retards on here arguing that Moldbug was ACKSHUYUALLY a Commie, no really for srs guys!
It's flavor of the month, and Moldbug ain't it.
Jayden Mitchell
Have you read his dissertation yet user? What about On China?
I don't but I'm interested if any exist. If you are looking for that I'd suggest books by authors on the subject honestly.
Sebastian Fisher
Neither is Gramsci. But Moldbug made his mark here (and is going through a small revival), and both of their ideas should be talked about more and expanded upon. It’s an interesting blend of sociology and political science that I don’t think is done as often as it should.
Anyway, enough of the pedantry. I had my appendix taken out a few hours ago and I just want to read some cool books to kill the time until I can hobble out of this decrepit hospital.
Liam Morales
Get well soon. I'm looking to get the complete Gramasci myself sometime.
Jack Reyes
I was about to post something similar to this.
OP, if you think there is some secret sauce from these types of organisations then you are mistaken.
Jaxson Jones
On China has a nice discussion on the US-China rapprochement, (in which Kissinger was an essential component) as well as a look into how the two states' core world views/how they conduct diplomacy. Very very interesting. But I felt it portrayed Mao in too much of a positive light, this may be my personal anti-mao pro-deng bias though.
Overall worth reading if you want to know more about US-Chinese relations.
Charles Thompson
thanks, enjoy your reads
Xavier Evans
>mises >serious Consider fucking suicide.
Eli Butler
imagine working for a back stabbing ass kissing cesspool like the state dep
Samuel Young
Any other goods books for this that I should read? I think we tried having general Spengler and Kissinger sort of threads here before but they never went very far, especially after his dissertation was finally posted.
Michael Rivera
pretty sure state dept is on a freeze for foreseeable future
Jeremiah Reed
William Blum "Killing Hope" 1995.
Justin Smith
I don't think there is a complete English translation of the prison notebooks yet. Plus, a majority of his comments in the Notebooks that have been translated in full are filled with quotes he made of other works annotated with [ ! ]'s to show his shock that people would write something so dumb, him essentially calling his contemporaries midwits, and miscellaneous information on all sorts of topics completely unrelated to politics. I think a selection will always be better for reading him, based on the character of his work (a my diary desu).
Dominic Powell
Cringe, good riddance Blum.
Nolan Perry
I like "A World Restored" by Kissinger. It redpilled me about diplomatic shenanigans
Carter Hughes
Agreed, I feel like with should revive the Kissinger threads of maybe make something like an /IR/ or /Diplomacy/ general in the future for reading lists and guides.
Jack Carter
Not an argument
Jason Miller
Fascinating thread OP
Joshua Morales
boomp
Camden Howard
Isn't the Art of War required reading for the CIA? Other military strategy would likley be the focus of various military departments as well.
Daniel Rodriguez
is GGaS that bad? i've actually got it downloaded, was planning on reading it soon. what's wrong with it?
Nathan Murphy
Yes it is. Can't tell if genuine or sarcastic.
Hunter Clark
The book isn't serious
Asher Murphy
not an argument
Aaron Sanchez
yeah, but what's wrong with it?
Jose Diaz
heavy emphasis on geography to the point of dooming races even though he set out to combat racism
Kayden Harris
Which would be fine it’s just babbies first “wow it looks like having coastlines and good agrarian land was useful in antiquity holy fuck I’m a genius”
Dominic Scott
this. “geographic realism” was a failed centrist project to avoid racism. the right tore it apart for avoiding the obvious but politically correct answers while the left tore it apart because they realized that it led any person with a brain straight to the same unpleasant conclusion
Luis Miller
Same senpai. Bloomberg Businessweek is a decent periodical for world news, but at the same time I don't want to consume just one. However, either I'm getting older or The Nation is getting shitter with every damn issue. At the moment I read periodicals on my Kindle, but at some point I would like to enjoy having them delivered to my home. I did pick up the latest copy of New Left Review, but I haven't gotten very far through it yet desu. I need to also read my current copy of 2600. The only time I want to read Lapham's Quarterly is when it is themed after something that interests me. I liked reading Financial Times for a newspaper solution but it's not cheap. When I tried out New York Times, it was okay, too shitlib tho and there's no Kindle+Crossword subscription option, which is disappointing because the NYT Crossword is the best part of NYT, followed by the food and the art section. Fuck Washington Post, stupid fake piece of shit "newspaper". I'll spare you the details of my opinions on /fa/shion mags that I pick up, but the only good USA ones are Vogue and Elle.
Sorry for blogposting, but I genuinely want to know how Yea Forums keeps up with current events and what kind of periodicals this board can agree are decent reads.
