My understanding of diplomacy today

At the start of this module I was not entirely sure what "New Diplomacy" was going to give me at the end of the day. But after reading this very interesting module i have become more and more interested in diplomacy, but also more confused.

New Diplomacy or diplomacy in general is very complex and I believe i does not have to be that way. It has become evident that different skills are required in different diplomatic situations. Instead of dividing it into many categories it ought to be less complex. International Relations in general is a complex area and it becomes contagious on the components within in it. Many of these different ways of diplomacy are intertwined with each other with few differences.

Moving on and disregarding from the the different sub-categories within diplomacy it clearly shows a difference between old and new diplomacy. Old diplomacy will probably never die out entirely. But it is changing. Influences from non-actors are ever increasing and they have become so influential that they cannot be disregarded. Wikileaks recent revelations about the U.S diplomats and their statements has given diplomacy a smaller crisis and Wikileaks a dream situation. French President is an emperor without clothes. Germany's chancellor is made of Teflon. Sweden's Foreign Minister is a medium sized dog. Russian President is Robin and Prime Minister Putin is Batman. Abu Dhabi's crown prince calls Iran's president to Hitler. Chinese diplomats call North Korea a spoiled child and so on

Privacy is an absolute condition in the intimate conversation between states that represent the core of classical diplomacy. Trust has decreased around the world and it is likely some time before diplomats dare to speak openly with their American colleagues again. Certainly there are talented American diplomats, but they rarely have a strong position. U.S. State Department has a weaker role in the administration compared to the Pentagon [defense] and CIA [intelligence]. Of those working in American embassies is less than half of employees in the State Department. And American diplomats often work on entirely different qualifications than diplomatic skills. This is called "spoils system" and has old roots in the United States and means that a politician who won an election thank his party colleagues by giving them jobs in the administration, such as diplomats.

As a trained diplomat you have to know everything you say and do, or you will fail and that is how your counter-party will interpret you. This means that one must be very careful what you say. Especially when it is said and put down in writing and filed. Yet i believe Wikileaks are unlikely to cause harm in the long run. Even in the future, the world's nations will try to resolve conflicts by talking confidentially out of the limelight.

I never thought diplomacy played such an significant role in today's international relations as it does and this module has definitely given me a broader and new perspective on what diplomacy contains.