The Ugly American William J. Lederer And Eugene Burdick

Diplomacy is the art of dealing with foreign countries and their people in a sensitive and effective way. The ability to influence people and situations contributes to effective American diplomacy. In The Ugly American William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick comment on the nature of American diplomacy in 1950s Southeast Asia. They identify the characteristics and effects of both inept and skilled diplomacy. The book highlights knowledge of language, history, and culture as critical components to the ability to influence indigenous populations. In many ways the situations and characters described in the book mirror situations and challenges faced by Special Operations Forces (SOF) today. Special Operations Imperatives are a planning tool that SOF use to influence people and situations they encounter. In order to understand the influence and effects of proper application of the Special Operations Imperatives the stories of Homer Atkins, Colonel Hillandale and Solomon Asch provide a set ting to compare and contrast with my own experiences in Afghanistan, Iraq and Jordan. Homer Atkins understood the needs of the Sarkhanese people. He identified small-scale local options to address challenges affecting the day-to-day lives of the local population. He used local materials and sought out and accepted input from the local population to ensure long-term sustainment of a bicycle-operated water pump system. Homer Atkins treated the Sarkhanese with respect and as equals. Whether it wasShow MoreRelatedSpecial Forces Soldiers Used in Book, The Ugly American by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick1331 Words   |  6 Pages Through this essay I will use the novel â€Å"The Ugly American† (William J. Lederer Eugene Burdick) to provide context to the benefits of applying such imperatives and the consequences of improper application. I will bring to light the actions of the characters and depict the reasons why the application of the imperative made the character succeed or fail in his desired goal. The first character that I will discuss is Honorable Louis Sears, American Ambassador to Sarkhan. He received the AmbassadorshipRead MoreUgly, Ugly American, By Robert J. Lederer And Eugene Burdick s Genius Novel, The Ugly1732 Words   |  7 PagesZachery Ringstrom Professor Sullivan English 5-01 10/2/14 Ugly, Ugly Americans At the heart of nearly every world conflict, the United States of America is either at the epicenter, or in some way, majorly involved; this has caused disdain among many nations of the world—and their disdain for the United States and her means has been demonstrated in various attacks, kidnappings, and other acts of terror. And while there are plenty of Americans going off into the world making effective, meaningful changeRead MoreThe Ugly American By William J. Deming And Eugene Burdick1284 Words   |  6 PagesThe Ugly American, published in 1958, by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick, depicts the many United States foreign policy errors of the time. Counterinsurgency is a parallel to the novel while the novel depicts the failures of American diplomats during a time in which Communism was succeeding. The diplomats’ lack of knowledge and sensitivity to the culture caused the U.S diplomatic corps to fail. Communism was particularly succeeding in Southeast Asia when Vietnam split in two along the 17thRead MoreThe Ugly Americ Influence And Effects2054 Words   |  9 PagesThe Ugly American: Influence and Effects Diplomacy is the art of dealing with foreign countries in a sensitive and effective way. The ability to influence the people contributes to effective American diplomacy. In, The Ugly American, William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick, comment on the nature of American diplomacy in 1950s Southeast Asia. They identify the characteristics and effects of both inept and skilled diplomacy. The book highlights knowledge of the language, history, and culture as critical