(AlterNet) -- Rex Tillerson, fossil fuel magnate-turned-diplomat, has proved a bust in his first—and last—year as Secretary of State. It is true that the former Exxon CEO has the burden of working for a man he once described as a "moron" (make that a "f**king moron") in the White House. But Donald Trump is no excuse for Tillerson’s vandalism of the U.S. State Department.
Whether acting at Trump’s behest or not, Tillerson’s tenure has demoralized and embittered America’s diplomatic corps while crippling the U.S. government’s ability to respond to life-and-death situations. When one critic called him the "worst secretary of state in modern memory," no one bothered to dispute the point.
The damage Tillerson has done is visible around the world. As the New York Timesnotes, the United States has no ambassadors to Saudi Arabia, Germany or France, let alone representatives to the European Union or the International Atomic Energy Agency.