Eugene Burdick and William Lederer’s seminal novel The Ugly American is a sobering and detailed depiction of the disasters and complications of American foreign policy, as Ambassadors Louis Sears and Gilbert MacWhite demonstrate markedly different approaches to US relations with the fictional country of Sarkhan. While Ambassador Sears showcases the exact wrong way to engage with the peoples of a foreign nation by isolating himself from them and not engaging with any new ideas, MacWhite is much more engaged with the populace and their culture. Because of their different approaches, MacWhite and Sears showcase the complexities of American foreign policy, the foibles of the Cold War, and the importance of creating small-scale, relatable progress within a foreign society to advance relations.
Louis Sears, from the beginning, is a hard-line, deeply entrenched political insider, much more concerned with the high-class problems of the elite than he is in improving conditions for the people of Sarkhan, where he is stationed. He is very image-conscious, and all-consumed by any potential criticism the press might have against him. Sears spends the vast majority of his time in the Embassy, which is an ornate palace in which he can remain comfortable, far away from the people he is meant to interact with and serve. This is the fundamental problem of Sears’ administration, as illustrated throughout the book – he cares little for the Sarkhan people. He refers to them as “strange little monkeys,” and views their cultural traditions and daily life dimly (Burdick and Lederer 12).
Ambassador MacWhite, however, is much more mindful of the diplomatic need to ingratiate himself to the people of Sarkhan. Instead of spending his time with the political elite, MacWhite cultivates a highly motivated staff of original thinkers, works on small-scale projects to benefit the people, and has a generally kinder and more engaged attitude toward the Sarkhans than Sears, possibly due to his military background. As his friend Magsayay points out:
“I know you’re a diplomat and that warfare is not supposed to be your game; but you’ll discover soon enough out here that statesmanship, diplomacy, economics, and warfare just can’t be separated from one another. And if you keep your eyes and ears open, you’ll start to see some of the connections between them. It’s not something you can learn from textbooks. It’s a feel for the thing” (Burdick and Lederer 109).
As MacWhite demonstrates throughout the book, he has a much greater ‘feel’ for these connections than Sears, who is only concerned with himself, his own prestige, and the beneficial relationships he can make within the political elite.
One of the most prominent examples of Sears’ incompetence and inability to invest in the problems of US-Sarkhan relations is his reaction to the severe beating of powdered milk man John Colvin. When informed of this news, Sears’ initial reaction is exasperation at having to deal with the issue: “Why does this kind of thing always have to happen so early in the morning? Why did they beat him up?” (Burdick and Lederer 15). Sears is, at all turns, begrudging about having to deal with the Colvin situation, and never believes it to be a serious threat to US presence in the country. Reacting to political cartoons, Sears says to Prince Ngong, “It doesn’t mean anything to me personally, but cartoons like this are damned disrespectful, and hurt relations between our countries” (Burdick and Lederer 29). Despite the reader being regaled with Colvin’s harrowing account, Sears is unmoved and more concerned with the bad press he will get than the welfare of his people.
At al turns, Sears demonstrates a notable lack of concern for anything else besides his own career, as noted when visiting Colvin - the only reason Sears was in a good mood was that he learned he would be flattered in a newspaper. Even his interaction with Colvin is dismissive, focused more on making America look good than relating well with the Sarkhans: “Now, son, remember I warned you about free-wheeling here in the hills. This kind of stuff puts America in a bad light” (Burdick and Lederer 31-32). Right from the beginning, Sears demonstrates a lack of tact and consideration that makes him a poor ambassador and advocate for America in Sarkhan.
In contrast to Sears’ lack of care, MacWhite’s incredible political and diplomatic savvy is demonstrated when he invites Colonel Edwin B. Hillandale to Sarkhan to help the diplomatic process. An expert in palmistry, or the art of reading palms, Hillandale proves to be a wonderful resource in forming connections between the American and Sarkhan peoples. MacWhite understands that palmistry is important to them, and that Hillandale has the expertise to cultivate that interest. In bringing him over, MacWhite demonstrates a strong sense of leadership in picking a team based on the skills they have to offer.
MacWhite, unlike Sears, has a keen understanding of military and diplomatic tactics, and is the most willing, open and honest to hearing about ways to improve. When he first meets Col. “Tex” Wolchek, he makes an immediate impression by starting off by asking Tex himself what they were doing wrong. Tex realizes that MacWhite “understood tactics and fighting. He asked tough questions and expected hard answers” (Burdick and Lederer 123). MacWhite’s willingness to use unconventional tactics, to familiarize himself with the writings of Mao, and more leads them to a decisive victory against the Communists, thus earning the respect of his men. This is yet another instance of MacWhite’s ability to adapt to his surroundings and achieve his goals through comprehension of the land and people he is working with and, alternatively, fighting.
Even when MacWhite’s staff get into trouble, he is able to elegantly negotiate both parties’ grievances without making the situation worse, something Sears is incapable of doing. For instance, Swift’s fight with Hillandale is treated with a kind of joviality that is meant to defuse the situation, rather than Sears’ seeming lack of concern. At the same time, he is decisive and firm, immediately calling for Swift’s transfer after hearing the whole story of the fight from MacWhite. As he tells Swift when he demonstrates skepticism about the people’s belief in palmistry, “Your business is not to judge whether or not things are fakes, but who believes them and why and what it means” (Burdick and Lederer 189). This is a fantastic illustration of MacWhite’s skills as a diplomat – he does not look at Sarkhan culture and tradition from a jaundiced American eye, but rather hopes to learn and understand them in a nonjudgmental way. He also expects that of his people, which is why his decisive transfer of Swift following his skepticism makes him a strong leader.
Despite MacWhite’s valiant efforts, the tragedy of the book is America’s refusal to allow him to continue doing his job. When he is asked to resign as ambassador to Sarkhan, his replacement is Burma-based information officer Joe Bing; unlike the deeply contemplative consideration that MacWhite offers the Sarkhans, Bing is loud, boisterous and arrogant – attributes that would not enamor the Sarkhans to him. It seems as though MacWhite’s resignation is also closely tied to Bing’s announcement of his transfer to Sarkhan, as if he was aware of the problems Bing would bring to his office. This is yet another point of difference between MacWhite and Sears, as earlier in the book Sears speaks highly of Bing, calling him a “sharp cookie with his eye on the ball” (Burdick and Lederer 76). MacWhite’s greater sense of savvy in feeling out Bing’s unsuitability for the job is yet another feather in his cap towards being the more effective ambassador in this book.
Judging from the contrasting approaches of Sears and MacWhite in The Ugly American, the latter can be championed as a paragon of sound diplomacy, while the former is a lamentable political insider who is only concerned with how events will affect him and his own career. The book places a high priority on the need for a foreign country to pay respect to the culture they are working with, understand their priorities, and serve to improve on those aspects in small but significant ways. Sears, however, treats his own position with contempt, refusing to truly engage with the citizens of Sarkhan in favor of the political elite who enter his own comfortable living space. The dichotomy between Sears and MacWhite shows the two differing paths American foreign policy can take – that of the imperialistic superpower making sweeping changes without the consent or interest of the people (Sears) and the boots-on-the-ground collaboration with the people to find workable solutions for economic and infrastructural problems together (MacWhite). Through these two characters, The Ugly American shows the very different roads foreign policy can take during tense political situations.
Works Cited
Burdick, Eugene, and William Lederer. The Ugly American. Norton, 1958. Print.
