Freedom to Travel

The Foreign Service Act of 1924 folded consular activities into the diplomatic service. It was a terrible mistake for lots of reasons, and hopefully someday will be repealed such that US diplomats and consular officials no longer are interchangeable. Nevertheless, all too often consular concerns do get short shrift when, in the bigger picture, they can fundamentally shape our relations with other countries. In the dispute, for example, between the US and EU over post-9/11 US 'security' requirements for airlines' passenger data, the European Court of Justice has now ruled the requirements illegal, setting up a potential major obstacle for foreign visitors. If the US and EU can't resolve their differences the US will suffer a noticeable degree of isolation, not so different in kind from that self-imposed by the old Soviet bloc. The fight isn't over, the US may yet prevail, but an important marker is on the table. US 'security' concerns, so-called, are not really compatible with a free society or amicable external relations or, indeed, a civilized approach to life.