Appointment: McChimp as Director of Public Relations

[joWhatup]

That may be. While I do not deny your successes during your term, there were, from my perspective at least, certainly also some issues and I consider it worth the time and effort to request clarification about what your ideas are to prevent such issues from occurring in the future.

We don't have all that many ambassadors. Do you have an idea how to advertise the Department more, and recruit new ones?

The only thing about my term I would regard as unsuccessful was my failure to appoint ambassadors. It wasn't ideal but I think you've overblown it massively. The department wasn't a mess under me: it can't've been, it achieved a great deal with foreign regions. That is its mission. Ambassadors are-except in cases where they're required by treaties-a nicety, not a necessity. That said, if there is a shortage of them at the minute that will be solved in short order now we have a government that intends to re-engage with the region. I think that if we ask people, they will come.

Treaties require only a single person to draft and a second person to agree. It is not a show of a vibrant department.

It is mildly concerning to me that you disregard ambassadors as mere “niceties”, while they are what primarily makes up the department. While it is most certainly more flashy and significant to sign treaties, letting our allies and partners know what we’re up to, that we have not fallen inactive and that we are, in fact, a valuable and active partner and ally should not be underestimated or disregarded. It is also not exactly an inspiring recruitment message to call the majority of the department a mere “nicety”.

Agreed, but they also need to know when the time is to remain silent and calm. That is my primary concern - I know you can put your foot down, you have demonstrated as much on multiple occasions.

Doing so has served me well domestically. On the interregional stage, however, compromises are more practical.

Compromises are, as you say, more practical. I have never known you to be particularly careful or compromising, though, which is my primary concern.

My energy for the department was often wasted trying to dissuade Sylven from making the mistakes she was making. This is why second priorities like ambassador programs fell by the wayside.

I agree that things like inviting Unibot or the lack of communication between her and her MoFA were mistakes, but the tone of your post suggested you disagreed with her on broad policy. It is your job to further the agenda the Prime Minister sets, as well as advice the Prime Minister on matters of foreign policy, but not to dictate what that agenda should be.

If you're going to accuse me of leaving the department "inactive and disorganised", Jo, I think you can probably sit and take a bit of what you're giving.

Completely fair, but not particularly relevant. After all, it’s not me who is nominated for MoFA

TSP is the most obvious candidate for an alliance because we already have an NAP with them and because, unless something has changed drastically, there should be a clear road to one.

I can see that the road is open, but what in TSP tells you that we should take that particular road?

We should aim to build ties with that section of the world because we're a neutral region. We already have at least two raider allies, we ought to diversify.

First, we are allied with Osiris, which is raider, Thalassia, which is neutral, and TWP, which is independent. I am not sure what our second raider ally is.

Secondly, this sounds like a “friends for the sake of friends” argument. Sure, we can tie ourselves to as many foreign interests as we can, but why would we do that? How does it benefit us?

I regard them as reliable because they've always been reliable in the past.

Can you cite examples?

Plans for UCR alliances, which I did not disregard last time, are currently being handled by somebody else.

I have never heard you speak with particular care for alliances with UCRs. It is not hard to get to the conclusion you disregarded them. Furthermore, “I’ve told someone else to handle it” doesn’t strengthen your argument that you do care for alliances with UCRs.

Do our ties with these regions need strengthening? I will work to maintain them, certainly.

Strengthening ties never hurts every once in a while.