Are Diplomats Becoming More Careful On What They Are Saying

The British embassy in Washington, D.C.Jim Bourg / Reuters

The Atlantic: Leaks Are Changing How Diplomats Talk

In the era of WikiLeaks, hostile-state cyberwarfare, and leaks such as the Darroch incident, the diplomatic cable’s primacy is being threatened, changing the way foreign policy is being conducted.

“Every one is agreed that he is a man of his word,” the British diplomatic telegram reads, referring to the American president, “and the only man who counts in the Administration,” before going on to outline how the White House has “by its own mistakes, got itself into a difficult position” and that if London could “do any thing to help the President, he will be most appreciative.”

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WNU editor: Diplomats by nature are always socializing and talking. They are also communicating back to their foreign ministry on what they have seen, heard, and learn. Are leaks changing how they talk? My answer would be yes. Technology has changed everything, and news and information can be transmitted globally in an instant. Privacy is also a thing of the past, and as for keeping secrets, I would say that it is now almost impossible to keep any diplomatic discussion confidential.