Comments on: Arx Americana http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/ EthanZ's musings on Africa, media and international development Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:45:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Brian Clappier http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/comment-page-1/#comment-526986 Brian Clappier Fri, 07 Sep 2007 23:32:00 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/#comment-526986 I enjoyed reading your article and found your observations to be right on the mark. In the summer of 2006 I attended the grand opening of the new US Embassy facility in Conakry, Guinea, relocated from the center of the downtown peninsula to the outer fringe of the city. Although the structure seemed enormous to all of us, we were surprised to find out it was one of the smaller models being built throughout West Africa. The days of seeing street vendors selling fried plantains from the shade of the building are clearly over. I enjoyed reading your article and found your observations to be right on the mark. In the summer of 2006 I attended the grand opening of the new US Embassy facility in Conakry, Guinea, relocated from the center of the downtown peninsula to the outer fringe of the city. Although the structure seemed enormous to all of us, we were surprised to find out it was one of the smaller models being built throughout West Africa. The days of seeing street vendors selling fried plantains from the shade of the building are clearly over.

]]> By: johne http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/comment-page-1/#comment-514704 johne Sun, 02 Sep 2007 18:10:45 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/#comment-514704 It's interesting how much the US's new embassy design policy resembles the USSR's. Soviet embassies, while close to city centers or in "embassy districts," were always tightly closed compounds. In Latin America during Soviet times, I was told that their closed character extended even to support personnel -- not only office workers and mid-managers, but janitors, cooks and the like -- who were all part of the Soviet foreign affairs establishment. One also never saw embassy personnel in less than pairs -- even an embassy limousine, I saw parked one night in an upscale Quito neighborhood, had a both a chauffer and an assistant dozing in the front seat, while their superiors were inside at a private party whose noise and laughter reached the street. On the other hand, Soviet policy rewarded personnel for such things as proficiency in the language of the country where they were stationed, with raises for each level of increasing fluency. That, at least, is an incentive the US could well adopt -- perhaps it has, since. It’s interesting how much the US’s new embassy design policy resembles the USSR’s. Soviet embassies, while close to city centers or in “embassy districts,” were always tightly closed compounds. In Latin America during Soviet times, I was told that their closed character extended even to support personnel — not only office workers and mid-managers, but janitors, cooks and the like — who were all part of the Soviet foreign affairs establishment.

One also never saw embassy personnel in less than pairs — even an embassy limousine, I saw parked one night in an upscale Quito neighborhood, had a both a chauffer and an assistant dozing in the front seat, while their superiors were inside at a private party whose noise and laughter reached the street.

On the other hand, Soviet policy rewarded personnel for such things as proficiency in the language of the country where they were stationed, with raises for each level of increasing fluency. That, at least, is an incentive the US could well adopt — perhaps it has, since.

]]> By: Canadian http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/comment-page-1/#comment-514657 Canadian Sun, 02 Sep 2007 17:01:28 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/#comment-514657 Interesting article. My friend recently went to the US embassy in Poland to get a visa. I stood outside the bars and waited to see him being treated respectfully under shady trees and dealt with respectfully throughout, he told me. In contrast, when he had tried to get a visa to come to Canada, he was shunted around like cattle, the person going with him couldn't see him at all after he started the process, and he was treated poorly. As a Canadian, I felt odd standing looking through bars at my friend in a sort of grand cage, but I understand the security is needed, and it wasn't much more than the usual bars people have here in Poland if they can afford them. The main thing, he was treated much better than at the Canadian embassy, and that surprises me and cuts across some assumptions, doesn't it. The fact that he got the US visa and not the Canadian one just underscores it all, as well. Interesting article. My friend recently went to the US embassy in Poland to get a visa. I stood outside the bars and waited to see him being treated respectfully under shady trees and dealt with respectfully throughout, he told me. In contrast, when he had tried to get a visa to come to Canada, he was shunted around like cattle, the person going with him couldn’t see him at all after he started the process, and he was treated poorly. As a Canadian, I felt odd standing looking through bars at my friend in a sort of grand cage, but I understand the security is needed, and it wasn’t much more than the usual bars people have here in Poland if they can afford them. The main thing, he was treated much better than at the Canadian embassy, and that surprises me and cuts across some assumptions, doesn’t it. The fact that he got the US visa and not the Canadian one just underscores it all, as well.

]]> By: Wayan http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/comment-page-1/#comment-511157 Wayan Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:20:54 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/#comment-511157 I too am saddened with the bunker-style embassies. I see them as showing an arrogance and imperialisms that insults the openness and warmth of America's citizens. I too am saddened with the bunker-style embassies. I see them as showing an arrogance and imperialisms that insults the openness and warmth of America’s citizens.

]]> By: Ethan http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/comment-page-1/#comment-510983 Ethan Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:37:08 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/#comment-510983 That's a really interesting idea, Amy. My general sense is that it's hard for people to take photos in most embassies nowadays - looking through my personal photo streams, I have almost none. But it would be worth a search on Flickr. That’s a really interesting idea, Amy. My general sense is that it’s hard for people to take photos in most embassies nowadays – looking through my personal photo streams, I have almost none. But it would be worth a search on Flickr.

]]> By: contentious.com - links for 2007-08-31 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/comment-page-1/#comment-510942 contentious.com - links for 2007-08-31 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:29:40 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/#comment-510942 [...] …My heart’s in Accra » Arx Americana A different kind of communication in today’s world — the architecture of US embassies is sending important and highly mixed messages abroad. Excellent essay by Ethan Zuckerman (tags: world architecture government perceptions problems) [...] [...] …My heart’s in Accra » Arx Americana A different kind of communication in today’s world — the architecture of US embassies is sending important and highly mixed messages abroad. Excellent essay by Ethan Zuckerman (tags: world architecture government perceptions problems) [...]

]]> By: Amy Gahran http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/comment-page-1/#comment-510685 Amy Gahran Fri, 31 Aug 2007 07:56:16 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/#comment-510685 Excellent essay, Ethan I wonder if there are any Flickr groups for US embassy photos? Would be interesting to compare, and mash up the images with data about when the embassy was constructed and characterizing current US relations with the host country... - Amy Gahran Excellent essay, Ethan

I wonder if there are any Flickr groups for US embassy photos? Would be interesting to compare, and mash up the images with data about when the embassy was constructed and characterizing current US relations with the host country…

- Amy Gahran

]]> By: Kwasi Appiah http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/comment-page-1/#comment-509588 Kwasi Appiah Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:39:05 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/#comment-509588 I forgot to add; here is the link to a photo of the new embassy http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/photo.day.php?ID=124606 I forgot to add; here is the link to a photo of the new embassy
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/photo.day.php?ID=124606

]]> By: Kwasi Appiah http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/comment-page-1/#comment-509579 Kwasi Appiah Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:33:25 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/30/arx-americana/#comment-509579 Welcome back, my good friend. Here is some update for you: there is a new US embassy in Accra. A $60m behemoth that resembles the Alcatraz more than the Marriott. Very intimidating, the security around and inside it. Welcome back, my good friend. Here is some update for you: there is a new US embassy in Accra. A $60m behemoth that resembles the Alcatraz more than the Marriott. Very intimidating, the security around and inside it.

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