Multi-Layered Diplomacy in a Global State: The International Relations of California

244 Pages·2020·3.84 MB·English

by  Alison R. Holmes

STUDIES IN DIPLOMACY AND
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Multi-Layered Diplomacy
in a Global State
The International Relations of California
Alison R. Holmes
Studies in Diplomacy and International Relations
Series Editors
Donna Lee
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester, UK
Paul Sharp
College of Liberal Arts
University of Minnesota
Duluth, USA
Marcus Holmes
College of William & Mary
Williamsburg, USA
More information about this series at
http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/14471
Alison R. Holmes
Multi-Layered
Diplomacy
in a Global State
The International Relations of California
Alison R. Holmes
Humboldt State University
Arcata, CA, USA
Studies in Diplomacy and International Relations
ISBN 978-3-030-54131-6 ISBN 978-3-030-54132-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54132-3
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For Paddy.
Paddy always relished huge ideas and had a keen and constant eye on the
future, but it was an article of faith for him that his job as a politician
was to “do things” rather than to “be something”. A true
internationalist, Paddy understood that to be global is not to operate
“above” other levels, but to be connected from the bottom to the top - and
back again and truly lived his belief that we are stronger together because
our humanity is indivisible. This is the flame we must tend because the
light of this Truth reveals our only protection against the Darkness.
“Ashdown’s third law is that in the modern age, where everything is
connected to everything, the most important thing about what you can do,
is what you can do with others. The most important bit about your
structure…[is] your capacity to network with others…we are now locked
together…we share a destiny with each other…It used to be the case
that if my tribe was more powerful than their tribe, I was safe; if
my country was more powerful than their country, I was safe; if my
alliance…was more powerful than their alliance, I was safe. The advent
of…interconnectedness…means that…I share a destiny with my enemy.”
TEDxBrussels. December 2011
Jeremy John Durham Ashdown. Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon.
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George.
Companion of Honour.
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom.
(27 February 1941–22 December 2018)
A Note About The Cover Photo
Redwoods are known for being the tallest trees on earth, often reaching
heights over 300 feet, a diameter of 24 feet, and living well over 600
years.Theyhavesurvivedbecauseoftheirabilitytoresistfire,diseaseand
insects,whiletheirhomealongthefoggyCaliforniacoastlineaddsasense
of mystery to these natural wonders.
This image illustrates one of the redwood’s more remarkable regen-
eration strategies. After a redwood is cut down, new ones sprout from
the roots of the fallen tree in a near-perfect circle, officially identified as a
“fairyring”,andevokingthecircleofflagscommonlyseenatbodiessuch
astheUnitedNationsortheEuropeanUnionasasymboloftheirshared
governance.
For California, its tribes, cities and counties remain connected to the
old state system, but as traditional sovereign power diminishes, these
subnational entities are finding new connections and developing new
networks. The old state system has effectively been “logged out”, but if
wetakethisopportunitytoembraceourmanyindentities—fromthelocal
to the global and back again—we could take our place in a global world
and make all of California’s constituent parts stronger in the process.
ix
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I would like to extend my deep and heartfelt thanks
to all the people interviewed for this project. Without exception, every
person I spoke to was unstinting with their time, patient with my ques-
tions, and generous with their rich insights and observations (and their
staff tremendously helpful in setting up appointments and making the
logistics work). I am profoundly grateful, not only for your support for
this research, but for the work you do every day as diplomats to our
country, and as representatives of all the sovereign entities that make up
these united states to the world beyond.
The once steady and bright spirit of internationalism is suffering the
“slingsandarrowsofoutrageousfortune”.Torepresentaforeigncountry
in the United States—or to welcome diplomats and international visi-
tors to our shores for business, politics and intellectual exchange—was
already becoming more of a challenge, but the advent of a pandemic has
shakenusalltoourcore.Thismakestheworkdonebythediplomaticand
consular corps, together with all those who represent the cities, counties,
tribes(andstates)thatmakeupthegreatRepublicofCalifornia(andour
country as a whole) more urgent than ever.
If anything stands out from this research on subnational diplomacy—
and what is, effectively, a form of identity politics—I hope it is the need
to build a shared understanding of the benefits of multiple sovereignties
and to use our diversity as the foundation of unity. My fear is that our
differencescouldbeequallyusedtosowdissentandprecipitatethedemise
xi
xii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
of a cosmopolitan worldview. Up and down what I have called here the
vertical axis of California, we need to understand that to be “global” is
to see ourselves as connected, and as sharing a destiny—even with our
enemies.
∗ ∗ ∗
There are a number of other people who have helped carry this load and
I am very proud that many are current or former students. Jaycob Bytel
and Alex Hawthorne, both Political Science (PSCI) alums, are making
theirmarkinthepoliticsofSacramento,butgenerouslytooktimetohelp
a former professor connect in the capitol. International Studies (INTL)
students,CrystalBetances,LylaGodfredaswellasLilyO’Connellhelped
with transcriptions while Kai Cooper and Hailey LeJoie offered yeoman
service on dull, but necessary background work. Harlee Keller, an INTL
alum, provided insightful comments and applied her adept editing pen
to the entire text. I dare not ask if this was because of, or despite, her
experience with a previous manuscript—but once again she went above
and beyond and I am in her debt.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be a jobbing blogger and jour-
nalist for The American magazine in London at the Climate Change
ActionSummitinSanFranciscoinSeptemberof2018,andhonoredtobe
allowed as an observer at the 18th Session of the United Nations Perma-
nentForumonIndigenousIssues(UNPFII)inMayof2019.TheCenter
for California Studies at Sacramento State University hosted me as a
VisitingScholarforapresentationofthisworkinAugust2019.Thisevent
included a distinguished panel of Jamie Callahan, Deputy Cabinet Secre-
tary in Governor Newsom’s office, Anka Lee, Director of International
Relations for the California Assembly and Douglas Smurr of Gordon &
Rees Scully Mansukhani and formerly the head of the California Office
in Mexico City who all provided invaluable insight. The University of
Southern California’s Center for Public Diplomacy’ Director, Jay Wang,
and the Deputy Mayor for International Affairs of Los Angeles, Nina
Hachigian, kindly invited me to participate in a private event on City
Diplomacy in November of 2019. In a timely way, the event reminded
me that research is never done as I met a whole new group of people
dedicated to California’s global network.
Professional colleagues Abe Lowenthal, author of Global California,
encouraged me to believe it was time to refresh at his original question