I just spent the last five days in Washington. First, I did not fly commercial, we flew on a Challenger, and the immigration and customs reception was fine, polite even. Goes to show that some pigs are more equal than others.
The trip itself was a favor for a friend, the conversations were with the government, some of the biggest players in the administration. My observations are general:
- People I've met were polite but generally clueless and uninterested in the work.
- It was evident that despite my counterparts being very senior, they had no authority. Not only that, they absolutely did not want authority
- The discussions were about very serious topics that impinge the relationship between the UK and the US, and yet there was no sense of urgency, or even a desire to correct what was clearly incorrect information.
- The knowledge base was shockingly shallow, and the American bench was very thin.
On my return to the UK after a week in DC, where the national guards were obviously on rubbish duty, my impression is that those in power have no idea how to move the conversations forward. It may explain why so many foreign heads of state or negotiators are now cancelling meetings in Washington. There's no one to talk to!
It is the first time in my life that I return from the US and feel that I've just spent a week in a banana republic.
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