Plus: Flag of the day
IN TODAY’S EDITION
1️⃣ Are diplomatic services in trouble? |
2️⃣ Ex-royals land in Colombia |
3️⃣ Flag of the day |
Hi Intriguer. Four years ago, a survey revealed that 45% of Americans considered moving house to be the most stressful event of their lives—ranking higher than getting divorced (44%), having children (31%), or switching careers (27%).
I’m in the midst of moving house right now, and frankly, I’m shocked that only 45% of folks described it that way.
In contrast, when I was in the foreign service, my move from Australia to Beijing was a breeze. I simply packed a suitcase of essentials and left while a team of movers packed up my life, shipped it 6,000 miles to China, managed customs, and delivered it all to my Beijing apartment, which had been thoughtfully prepared for me with a welcome kit by my attentive colleagues at the embassy.
My point is twofold: 1) never move house ever, for any reason, and 2) while diplomatic service doesn’t always pay the best, it comes with some pretty sweet perks. I offer that without judgment as we dive into today’s top story about Argentine and Brazilian diplomats on strike—perhaps motivated by our recent diplomatic pay report 😉?
WHO declares mpox emergency.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an outbreak in Africa of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) as “a public health emergency of international concern”. Details are still emerging, but this is the same alert the WHO has used previously for Covid, Ebola, and a 2022 mpox surge in Europe.
Ukraine claims more advances into Russia.
President Zelensky says Ukrainian troops have advanced another 1-2km further into Russian territory, capturing 100 more Russian soldiers, while Russia is now claiming it’s stopped the advances. Ukrainian officials have also described plans for a “security zone” in Russia to protect Ukraine’s borders. Meanwhile, Russia has begun moving some troops from Ukraine to respond to the incursion.
US markets rise as inflation cools.
The Fed is now widely expected to start lowering rates next month, after the latest US consumer price index data reinforced the recent trend of disinflation. Fed Bank of Chicago chief Austan Goolsbee says he’s now growing more concerned about the labour market than inflation.
Monthly inflation keeps dropping in Argentina.
President Milei is claiming vindication for his economic shock therapy after Argentina recorded its lowest monthly inflation since early 2022. Consumer prices rose 4% in July, as annual inflation slowed to 263.4%.
Columbia University president resigns.
Nemat Shafik is now the third Ivy League leader to resign in eight months, citing the university’s recent period of turmoil “where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community” regarding the Israel-Hamas war. She’s now taking a job to lead a review of the UK’s overseas aid program. Meanwhile, Gaza negotiations are due to resume in Qatar today (Thursday), with officials from the US, Qatar, Egypt and Israel participating, while Hamas is opting out. Israel and Hamas blame each other for delays in reaching an agreement.
TOP STORY
Diplomats from Argentina and Brazil on strike
The strike notice on display at Argentina’s consulate in Guangzhou, China. Image source: Friends of Intrigue via WhatsApp
Diplomats don't usually want to make headlines – in fact, it's often a career-limiting move if you do! But diplomats from Argentina and Brazil are now in the headlines because, for the first time in history, they've just voted to go on strike.
Their joint timing is coincidental, though (ahem) it does come a week after we published the first-ever diplomat industry salary report (💅). So we've spoken to some of our friends in both services and, without getting too much into the weeds, the basic situation is this:
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Brazilians say there's "widespread dissatisfaction among diplomats", particularly around pay (eroded by inflation) and career progression (glacial). It's just a vote at this stage – the actual strike details are still being hashed out and could be averted if negotiations succeed. In the meantime, they’ve legit just dropped an epic diss track 🤘 which they're now blasting outside their foreign ministry (known as 'Itamaraty').
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Argentine diplomats aren't well paid: a $35k mid-career salary doesn’t get you far if you’re serving in (say) New York – they pay their own rent, schooling, medical, etc. There's an extra allowance, but their government is now taxing it, meaning an instant 20-30% pay cut. So Argentine diplomats are legit now figuring out which kid to pull out of school, or when they'll be evicted, and they're working reduced hours in protest.
So the details are a little different, and the national contexts are, too:
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For Brazil, this all comes at a time when its government is positioning itself at the centre of just about every conversation: whether that's hosting this year's G20, or next year's COP and BRICS summits. So its diplomats are arguing you can't push for that kind of heft on the world stage but then stiff the very people you're tasking with getting it done.
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For Argentina, this all comes after President Milei swept to power on promises to cut spending, curb inflation, and halt the economic crises. His diplomats are steering clear of the politics, but it's worth noting their pay cut comes despite Milei arguably making Argentina more active abroad, whether seeking: investment, the release of the 15 Argentinians held by Hamas, or the finalisation of the big EU-Mercosur trade deal.
Now, we'll leave folks to make up their own minds on all the specific issues above, but they do raise some interesting questions below. First, the risks of striking:
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Will anyone notice? Unlike (say) striking nurses or train drivers, diplomats won’t bring a city to its knees. In fact, most citizens won't even notice unless it hits their newsfeed. Which then raises the question…
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Will anyone care? Diplomats don't naturally garner a lot of sympathy given their reputation as cocktail-swilling jet-setters. Yes, we've swilled the occasional cocktail (in the national interest) and set the occasional jet (in the national interest), but the career is much more complicated in our experience. Still, to the extent these strikes get attention, there's the risk it won't be kind – Brazilian media has been sympathetic so far. It might be a tougher sell in Argentina given the broad hardship there.
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Should diplomats strike? Each country has its own philosophy here, but many foreign ministries have no right to strike because as a national security agency, industrial action could theoretically harm the national interest. Critics of past strikes have also highlighted the risk of (say) visa delays causing a drop in visits by tourists, students, and investors.
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And has it ever worked? French diplomats went on strike without success in 2022, when Macron merged their centuries-old senior corps with a broader stream of civil servants. The Canadians had more luck a decade ago with their strike to close a wage gap. And Israeli diplomats went on strike last year against Netanyahu's judicial reforms. For now, the Argentinians are hopeful the courts will side with them, while the Brazilians are hopeful they'll reach a deal.
Second, the risks in not listening to them:
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Diplomats have access to classified material, and the ones in financial strife (and/or toxic workplaces) are more vulnerable to espionage
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The risk of WWIII is now openly debated by world leaders, and diplomats must inevitably be a part of figuring out how we avoid it, and
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A foreign service’s influence takes decades or more to build, but can be lost in a flash. That’s partly why the protesting French diplomats used lines like, “There’s no long-term diplomacy with short-term diplomats”
To close? Most foreign ministries are pretty cautious by nature, so for two to go on strike in a week – by an 80%+ majority vote in Argentina and 95% in Brazil – really suggests all's not well. And that’s potentially a problem for everyone.
INTRIGUE’S TAKE
We loved our time in the foreign service. It’s an honour to serve, and we were often amazed by the work ethic, skills, and compassion we saw there. So we didn't leave because we were disgruntled. In fact, you could call us ‘gruntled’.
But beyond the specifics of Argentina or Brazil, our sense is that this is all downstream of a few bigger issues that've been brewing for a while.
First, globalisation has meant foreign services no longer have a monopoly over presence, access, insight, or influence. That's made their role (and value) harder to identify. So diplomats need to better articulate that to citizens back home.
But second, after the Cold War, many capitals lost their clarity of purpose and allowed their foreign services to atrophy, pushing them to irrelevance at home and impotence abroad. But now that the world's gotten scarier again, it's the national security agencies rather than diplomatic services that've grown, often proffering sharper solutions no matter how blurry the problems.
And third, against that backdrop, many ministries have become shackled by quirky subcultures that provide fodder for our resident meme lord (Jeremy), but which need to go: risk aversion, blame aspersion, waitocracy, over-servicing ("the soy milk not to your liking, minister?"), assumed incompetence (“my draft tweet is ready for your approval, ambassador”), learned helplessness (admiring rather than solving the problem), and so on.
The end result can resemble a sheltered workshop for the gifted and talented.
But all that aside, the last few years have been a reminder that there's nothing impervious nor inevitable about our modern world's bubble of relative security and prosperity. And so while there are valid criticisms of diplomats today, our world is not only going to need them more – it’s also going to need them at their best.
Also worth noting:
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Argentine diplomats already pay tax on their salaries. This new tax is on their allowances which enable them to survive abroad.
MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE…
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🇦🇿 Azerbaijan: The business world is planning to have a smaller presence at the COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan this November, with Politico reporting that execs are wary of the logistical challenges and the host nation's oil-dependent regime. Many instead seem to be shifting to other events like Climate Week in New York City next month.
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🇷🇺 Russia: A Moscow court has sentenced US citizen Joseph Tater to 15 days in jail for petty hooliganism, according to a Telegram channel that monitors the city's courts. It comes two weeks after the biggest Russia-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War, involving 24 individuals and months of negotiations and concessions.
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🇲🇲 Myanmar: China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, has visited Myanmar to meet its military rulers, as China continues to voice concern over instability along its border from Myanmar’s ongoing civil war. The visit follows allegations from Myanmar's junta leader that foreign countries, including China, are supporting some of the ethnic militias.
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🇨🇴 Colombia: Prince Harry and Meghan will arrive in Colombia today (Thursday) at the invitation of Vice President Francia Márquez, to participate in events including a forum on cyberbullying. It’ll be the first visit to Colombia by the former working royals, with stops in Bogotá, Cartagena, and Cali.
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🇪🇬 Egypt: Magnom Properties, a Saudi-controlled real estate firm, plans to begin construction early next year on a $1bn, 50-storey office tower in Egypt's new capital, powered by clean hydrogen. It’s a big bet that the new city, being built in the desert east of Cairo for 6 million people, will be able to attract development and international clientele.
EXTRA INTRIGUE
What’s happening in other worlds
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Architecture: It turns out folks have strong feelings about brutalism, with many DC locals wanting the FBI’s famed J. Edgar Hoover Building gone.
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Artefacts: They might not have the door that Rose couldn’t fit Jack on, but a secret warehouse full of Titanic artefacts contains all kinds of items from the original shipwreck, including a half-full champagne bottle, an alligator bag, and perfume vials.
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Sports: One of the many interesting stories to emerge out of the Paris Olympics was that of Cindy Ngambia, the Cameroon-born and UK-based boxer who became the first-ever medallist for the Refugee Olympic Team.
FLAG OF THE DAY
It’s election season in the remote Pacific Island nation of Kiribati, so let’s take a look at their flag, shall we?
Those soothing wavy stripes represent both the ocean and the three archipelagos (Gilbert, Phoenix and Line Islands), while the 17 golden rays of sun are for the 16 Gilbert Islands plus Banaba over in the West.
Oh, and that yellow frigatebird up top? It represents power, freedom, and local dance patterns, while the sun is all about the nation’s position on the Equator.
And you know what? In addition to all the symbolism, it also just really looks like a tropical postcard, practically shouting, "welcome to paradise!"
Intrigue’s score? Our first-ever 10/10!
DAILY POLL
What do you think about these strikes by Argentine and Brazilian diplomats? |
Yesterday’s poll: Do you think Iran will accept a ceasefire in lieu of retaliation?
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ ✅ Yep, the regime knows it can't win an all-out war (40%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ❌ No, it needs to restore its own credibility (55%)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ✍️ Other (write in!) (5%)
Your two cents:
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❌ M.A: “It won't start a full scale war, but it can't pretend nothing happened, so it needs to do something.”
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✅ M.G: “Iran always telegraphs any attack on Israel as it's only symbolic and for domestic play. It knows a real attack would bring regime destruction.”
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✍️ L.G: “It will wait for the right timing and keep everyone on their toes while concentrating to help end the Gaza conflict. After all, retaliation like vengeance is a dish you eat cold.”
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