Money don’t make you smart…

There was for a long time been a widespread belief that the guys who were cashing in on Wall Street were the best and the brightest. Now, as we mark the anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers we have yet another form of proof it just ain’t so.  But the deus ex machina arrival of new U.S. ambassador ...

There was for a long time been a widespread belief that the guys who were cashing in on Wall Street were the best and the brightest. Now, as we mark the anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers we have yet another form of proof it just ain't so. 

There was for a long time been a widespread belief that the guys who were cashing in on Wall Street were the best and the brightest. Now, as we mark the anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers we have yet another form of proof it just ain’t so. 

But the deus ex machina arrival of new U.S. ambassador to Germany Philip D. Murphy really is in a class by itself — stupid, thoughtless and arrogant on so many levels it deserves some kind of an award. 

Perhaps State ought to consider some kinds of guidelines for the fat cats who are being plunked down in important embassies around the world. Like: "Don’t be a pig with your money." Or: "Try to remember you represent the United States of America and not the sovereign principality of Goldman Sachs anymore."

But you do have to give the White House credit. Getting someone from Goldman to serve in the government is a real coup. Who thought of that? They also deserve a medal.   

David Rothkopf is visiting professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His latest book is The Great Questions of Tomorrow. He has been a longtime contributor to Foreign Policy and was CEO and editor of the FP Group from 2012 to May 2017. Twitter: @djrothkopf

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