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The Ugly American is widely considered to be a landmark text in American political science, one that altered the face of American diplomacy after its publication in 1958. The novel was a smash-hit when it was first published, and eventually turned into a film starring Marlon Brando in 1963. It is also widely credited as an influence on President Kennedy’s Peace Corps diplomatic mission, W.W. Norton reissued the book in 2019, and in the 60 years since its original publication, it hasn’t lost its freshness, bite, or unfortunately, its relevancy. The novel, written by a political scientist and a former Navy officer, is a work of satirical political fiction that explores the many failures of the American diplomatic missions in southeast Asia during the Cold War. The novel is set in the fictional nation of Sarkhan, and while the characters named in the novel are fictional, the authors are insistent upon the factual nature of many of the situations that play out.
The Ugly American‘s main project is to condemn the flaws of the American diplomatic structure, and the ignorant individuals who participated in diplomatic missions. These individuals, with the endorsement of their superiors, refuse to learn any of the Sarkhanese language, show total disregard for local customs, throw money at problems instead of offering solutions, and spend all their time at pompous cocktail hours with other diplomats instead of becoming more familiar with the locals. Unsuccessful ambassadors like Lou Sears and Joe Bing are widely disdained by the Sarkhanese, and fail to inspire any positive progress despite wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars. In a classic scene that opens the book, Ambassador Lou Sears finds out that a Sarkhanese paper published a piece criticizing him, but is not able to actually read the piece as he does not understand Sarkahanese.
For all of the uninspired and corrupt foreign diplomats in the novel, Lederer and Burdick include examples of Americans who model ideal diplomatic behavior. It is important that most of these figures operate outside of the American political machine, and include a Catholic priest who finds success disseminating anti-communist newspapers with the help of locals, an American dairy farmer who brings powdered milk to an Asian countryside in need of a stronger diet, and a construction worker who builds a successful water transport system in partnership with local workers. What each of these individuals has in common is that they consult locals in their efforts, and they actually listen to and incorporate the knowledge that is inherent to the local population, further forging equal partnerships between Americans and southeastern Asians. (Needless to say that they are all also fluent in Sarkhanese.) What emerges from these partnerships are mutually beneficial ventures that improve life for the locals, and offer financially viable solutions to real world problems. The book seeks to demonstrate that their are no “hacks” to diplomacy, if America wants to win the hearts and minds of other nations, it must commit to the local lifestyle and culture through integration.
As the Phillipino ambassador tells an American diplomat, “The simple fact is, Mr. Ambassador, that average Americans, in their natural state, if you will excuse the phrase, are the best ambassadors a country can have…They are not suspicious, they are eager to share their skills, they are generous. But something happens to most Americans when they go abroad.” It is thus frustrating that the Lou Sears’ and Joe Bing’s of the world always seem to win out in matters of foreign policies, as the successful engineers, political activists, and ambassadors are continuously thwarted by the inefficient and ignorant American political system.
For all its sophisticated satire and political jargon, this is a novel about humanity. Its authors argue that treating everyone with human dignity and respect is the secret to forming successful political and personal relationships. This is why it feels so fresh today, in an era where political opponents refuse each other basic human decency, and non-white individuals are refused basic human rights and political protections. This novel remains as clever and digestible as it was before the Vietnam War, and the perfect re-read for anyone concerned about the onset of World War III. As the Sunday Book Review put it ten years ago, “as the battle for hearts and minds has shifted to the Middle East, we still can’t speak Sarkhanese.”