When regimes lose legitimacy in the eyes of their citizens, it is not reasonable to derive one’s information mainly from that regime’s servants and sycophants. In such cases, diplomats will too often merely report the regime’s reassuring yet biased analysis.
当政权在民众眼中丧失合法性的时候，单纯从政府的仆役和谄媚者那里了解信息就成为不智之举。 在这种情况下，外交官常常不过是专制政权偏颇但令人放心分析的传声筒。