>And that’s even discounting the remote possibility that the funding countries come along and say “Ok guys, the show’s been great, now pack it up and go home, you’re not needed anymore.”
Hah! That will never happen. World governments need a place to send embarrassing brothers-in-law, blowhards, and idiots who can't, for political reasons, simply be drowned in a tub.
I think that is to some degree also how most of the other diplomatic posts are filled, the people that get the job usually have very strong ties to the political system and aren't particularly bright or qualified. For example the current ambassador of Germany to the vatican Annette Schavan lost her doctoral degree and position as minister for education because she plagiarized large parts of her dissertation. Obviously someone like that should represent a country.
Hah! That will never happen. World governments need a place to send embarrassing brothers-in-law, blowhards, and idiots who can't, for political reasons, simply be drowned in a tub.