Threadbare Striped Pants : Diplomacy: Our economic success and the health of democracy overseas depend on a Foreign Service so poor that it can’t afford language training.

While we debate how much of our post-Cold War budget to reallocate to domestic uses, we also need to rethink how we spend for international activities. For instance, during the Cold War, while the Pentagon took pride in its costly new weapons and the CIA swam in a sea of secret cash, the State Department and its Foreign Service became the poor relations.

In contrast to the popular picture of American diplomats in striped pants living the high life in Paris and London, the real world of the Foreign Service is one of dangerous duty in hellish places, families torn apart by constant transfers, isolation, unremitting economic hardship and official ingratitude.

Cuts in the State Department have reached the point where its people are no longer required to be fluent in foreign languages--the rock-bottom requirement of any diplomatic service. An estimated one-third of language-designated positions are filled by staff lacking the necessary proficiency.

The language skills and regional expertise of the diplomatic corps are pivotal to the quality and effectiveness of American foreign policy. This was clearly illustrated by the example of five Americans who were central to the Mideast peace talks in Madrid--William Burns, Richard Haass, Daniel Kurtzer, Aaron Miller and Dennis Ross. Each one holds a doctorate; together, they have decades of experience at the State Department, the National Security Council and the Department of Defense. In the future, we will need even more intelligence and talent of this high caliber.

The Foreign Service is fast becoming the key American institution for constructing a post-Cold War world. With increasing global interdependence, diplomacy is sure to grow in importance relative to other instruments of national power, especially when it comes to cooperation through the United Nations, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and other international institutions.

As our military presence abroad is reduced, the Foreign Service will also become the principal institution protecting our international economic position. Considering its new importance to our national security structure, it deserves more resources and more respect.

Something more is required, however. We must be prepared to offer a compelling vision for America’s continued participation and leadership in this new world.

Democracy is just such a vision. A cornerstone of American foreign policy should be the support of democratic developments throughout the world. This priority builds on our most important national values. For if we cherish the tenets of democracy, we have a responsibility to share our values and experiences. The total national budget for democracy activities is less than $130 million, a fraction of the $865 million price tag for a single, now largely useless, B-2 bomber.

The end of the Cold War offers an unprecedented opportunity to support democratic forces worldwide. The support must be more than lofty rhetoric, however. This is a critical moment; the pressures and temptations of authoritarianism are still very much with us.

The yearning for democracy is strong in many countries, but they are unsure how to institutionalize it. We can help to close this gap between the desire and the practical ability to make democracy work.

In places like South Africa, Eastern Europe and even the former Soviet Union, carefully designed American aid and technical assistance can make a difference. The United States has begun to help in such areas as election monitoring, political party-building, civic education, legislative training and government management. But the current resources are far too limited for the tremendous challenges.

To help nations with their political development is an important complement to economic development efforts. Prosperity, freedom and stability will remain elusive without democracy.

A foreign policy that promotes democracy is a cost-effective way to serve both American interests and values. Expanding and strengthening the democratic community of nations will help ensure a more stable, peaceful world for the United States. Democracy also provides a rationale for getting our own house in order, advancing the cause of prosperity and social justice for all Americans.

Historically a nation of eternal optimism and boundless energy, America may need to learn a new sense of limits in the post-Cold War world. Diplomacy and cooperation with other nations will be essential virtues. Applying these virtues in support of democracy will help to ensure America’s continuing leadership in the world.