I squirmed in my chair with the little desk attached that was just a bit too small. I almost spilled my coffee as I glanced at the sign on the wall that said NO FOOD OR DRINK. My palms were sweating. I found myself trying to avoid eye contact with the professor worried that I might get called on to answer a question. And then he said it…actually I still don’t know what he said. Something about the apple not falling far from the tree, or that there was a striking resemblance, or that we must go to the same barber. I don’t know what he said, but I had to respond, and it had to be funny or charming or insightful. It was my introduction to my oldest son

I was one of 20 people in the room and all the attention was on Mitchell and I. I just didn’t want to embarrass him. I also don’t know what I said, something like… “I had this haircut first” or something else dumb. Then the professor said, “What was Mitchell like as a kid?” Still feeling like I was on the spot I responded that he was the same as he is now and that he has always been a gregarious guy. Now, that statement is not not true, he IS gregarious, but I have never used that word in my life. There were so many much better things I could have said. I spent the next few minutes in my head wondering why I said what I said as the professor started the class.

The class was “Statecraft, Diplomacy, and World Order (POLI:3428)” taught by Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen. Mitchell has been taking classes with Ambassador McMullen since he started at Iowa and has always mentioned him as one of his favorite professors of his college career. Early on, Mitchell said I should try to attend one of his classes sometime. Mitchell graduates in less than a month so the clock was ticking. Ambassador McMullen has had a fascinating life as a foreign services officer. What an amazing opportunity for Mitchell and his fellow students to be able to learn about world affairs from a person who has had his boots on the ground, a front row seat as well as a peak behind the curtain. He may have even been pulling the strings a time or two.

Course Description: This course explores the interaction of statecraft, diplomacy, and changing perceptions of world order. Given the significant changes to traditional diplomacy and statecraft wrought by advances in technology, globalization, domestic political inputs, and requirements of conflict management, how does a state foster its interests and values vis-à-vis the world's other nations, international organizations, and non-state actors? How have conceptions of world order influenced the behavior of states and other international actors?

This class was fascinating. While I am sure it was designed to have a long view approach to understanding the world order by comparing and contrasting to history there is no way of avoiding the clown car parade of current events sending the world into chaos more and more every day. What a time to be alive. What a time to be an expert in this field. I would love to sit down with Ambassador McMullen and get his candid take on the spinning nose dive our country’s reputation is taking with regards to diplomacy and our current standing in world affairs.

The course material will range broadly in scope, ranging from the long arc of regional competition over thousands of years, to the nuts and bolts of modern-day diplomacy. Course participants will garner an in-depth understanding of U.S. statecraft and the emerging debate about the ongoing evolution of the current world order. The course will touch on many aspects of political science, including American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and other aspects of the discipline.

I did the assigned reading. One of the assignments was this article from The Economist. And the other was this article from Foreign Affairs Magazine. Both of these articles written before the current administration began its blunderbuss style of total dismantlement of the U.S. position in the long standing world order. At one time I might have read these articles and considered them Chicken Littleesque and accused them of trying to make everyone think the sky was falling. Now, 100 days into this strategy I think their warnings weren’t profound enough. There is no way the authors of these articles could have predicted the catastrophe that was about to befall us, like a giant continent size sinkhole that opened up and swallowed years of work, knowledge, relationships, networks and fortifications that were so carefully crafted by people like Ambassador McMullen.

Class Procedures: This course will be highly participative, with class members expected to come prepared to engage in active classroom discussions and activities. A typical class meeting will entail a discussion of assigned readings, student presentations and projects, and usually an instructor-led topical discussion. Students will lead discussions on various readings and will be asked to undertake short projects and several short simulations illuminating issues and techniques of statecraft and diplomacy. Everyone is encouraged to read The Economist and a major national newspaper daily.

Like I said, I did the assigned reading. I wanted to be prepared to participate in meaningful conversation in class. This is a subject I care about and having done a bit of traveling around the world throughout my life I feel I have a pretty knowledgeable understanding of the way we all relate to each other. Mostly what I learned is that what I have gained in experience with age I have lost in absorption and elasticity of my brain when it comes to new material. Listening to all of these students talk about the finer details made me, once again, squirm in my seat and avoid eye contact in hopes I wouldn’t get called on for an interpretation of an aspect or detail of one of the articles.

Since Mitchell was in middle school it was as if Nostradamus himself had predicted his path towards diplomacy and a career as a foreign services officer with the state department. We got him a subscription to The Economist when he was in the 6th grade. He has a knack for understanding the history, economics, language and culture of various countries and how they all relate to each other. His path has always been working towards a career in this field. He is graduating with a double major in International Relations and German with a minor in Writing. Speaking of which check our his new Substack here:

Pictures from a few times Mitchell and I shared the stage in Iowa City while he was a student.

Lately, it has looked like that long path towards becoming a diplomat has led to an apparent dead end for Mitchell. Changes in our government with the current administration have closed those doors to working in foreign relations as the U.S. continues to sever relations with our allies and bolster our ties to former enemies and adversaries. The path is no longer that clear for Mitchell but he is taking it in stride. He is looking locally in Iowa for a summer internship for after he graduates. He is applying to grad school in Germany and plans to move overseas. Luckily, his brain is still absorptive and full of elasticity so he can roll with punches and see where life takes him next.

As for me, It was fun going Back to School, but maybe only for a day.

Upgrade to Paid

I am a proud member of the Iowa Writer’s Collaborative. To find more stories and insights across the state of Iowa, please consider following and supporting the many talented journalists and storytellers of the Iowa Writer’s Collaborative.

You can find more about me at www.jasonwalsmithstoryteller.com or www.jasonwalsmith.com.

Also, here is the Zoom link for this month’s Office Lounge for paid subscribers to the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. It’s a lively conversation always held on the last Friday of the month at noon, except for November and December, and hosted by Robert Leonard.