Friday, March 16, 2018

Lawrence Wilkerson — The Most Important Hearings of the Young Century

On MSNBC’s “All In” on March 13, I discussed how the removal of Rex Tillerson from the position of secretary of state was the final triumph of largely Republican efforts—but with complicit Democrats as well—to consolidate the making of foreign and security policy exclusively in the White House. Since the 1947 National Security Act, there has been institutional momentum for this shift. It is important to be aware of this institutional momentum because to reverse the shift will require much more than just a new president and administration. It will take statutory change by the Congress. Such change must be highly deliberative and thus will take time. Immediately, however, the damage to U.S. foreign and security policy—and the country in turn—could be so immense that temporary, non-statutory actions are essential....
Democracy or empire?

LobeLog
The Most Important Hearings of the Young Century
Lawrence Wilkerson, Col (ret.), US Army, former chief of staff for Gen. Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State and presently Distinguished Visiting Professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of William and Mary

8 comments:

lastgreek said...

Tom, the daughter/wife of the president, Ivanka (!), is scheduled to meet with the South Korean foreign minister. Why? Well obviously because you now have no secretary of state. (Please don't bother asking yourself why not a qualified seasoned diplomat; you'll just get angry for nothing.) And what will be on the agenda? "The forthcoming summits between the two Koreas and between the U.S. and the North."

http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_In_detail.htm?No=134713

Democracy or empire? With this administration you have neither -- more like a "reality tv/bizarro world" form of government (as you so correctly stated the other day, Tom).

Matt Franko said...

“don't bother asking yourself why not a qualified seasoned diplomat”

LOL you guys are ones saying everything is F-ed up and then you want to send the same people who’ve F-ed it all up ! Better call Darwin and complain....

Mike: “if you want to break the mould you have to break the mould”

He trusts his daughter more than anyone at the State Dept those assholes are the ones who’ve F-ed it all up in the first place...

Tom Hickey said...

I am actually OK with Trump and Kim having a private one-on-one with no interference from the experts. I so am also OK with Ivanka being involved.

Both want a deal badly. I don't expect a deal to emerge from the meeting if it takes place, but I do think that Trump and Kim will hit it off and the beginnings of a deal will be made.

Of course, the entire US establishment will attempt to blow it up.

So far the experts have completely screwed this up and I don't think Trump meeting with Kim could make it any worse — and there could be a surprising and welcome outcome.

If that happens, Trump will go down as a great president no matter what else.

Of course, Trump's enemies know that will try to scuttle any deal before it gets off the ground.

Matt Franko said...

“I don't think Trump meeting with Kim could make it any worse ”

Exactly...

Matt Franko said...

“Trump's enemies know that will try to scuttle any deal”

And Trump knows that too hence he is sending his daughter instead of the usual suspects...

Noah Way said...

The article blames it all on Trump when he is clearly the victim of a coordinated campaign by the corporate-financial-congressional-military-industrial complex. This is not to defend his tRumpiness, just to point out that he's not in charge and is at best just trying to survive a full term.

lastgreek said...

"Ivanka"

Matt Franko said...

Btw now Syrian “chemical depot” has come up empty... so looks like McMaster is going to get canned... trump called their bluff and bomber it now sniffers coming back empty...

He’s playing 4d chess and they’re playing checkers...