[GHFigs]

If I say in an email something unfavorable or slanderous about another company's CEO, and it gets out, then I must face the consequences.

The key difference here is that making honest assessments about the character of foreign government officials is part of the job description for diplomats.

[tibbon]

Agreed- If the assessments are honest and unbiased, then I think few will mind them- although world leaders are known to have overinflated egos and not tolerate any critique well.

Some jobs have risks associated with them. This is one of them. Time and time again our government has told us that we are made safer by having less privacy, but now when it comes to the government having less privacy, they don't like that feeling.

In either case- why wouldn't what is said and done by diplomats carry consequence? Politicians always talk about responsibility and accountability. This seems to be a ripe time for it.