Posted on 03/13/2018 5:52:22 AM PDT by C19fan
President Trump has ousted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replaced him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, orchestrating a major change to his national security team amid delicate negotiations with North Korea, White House officials said Tuesday.
Trump last Friday asked Tillerson to step aside, and the embattled top diplomat cut short his trip to Africa on Monday to return to Washington.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
It's a bit odd, but there seems to be a lot of people in your part of the country who are political posers. You seem to fit right in.
So was Obama, maybe you and him are playing on the wrong team.
You don't change organizational cultures overnight, especially in the government where it is next to impossible to fire someone. The best political appointees can hope for is to make a few significant changes. I was in charge of making a major change across all agencies having a presence abroad at our diplomatic missions. It took three years from conception to roll out, which is lightning fast for the government.
What the heck did we pay these people for all these years? Pres. Trump could and they couldn't?
The conventional wisdom is more often than not wrong. I was in Berlin when Reagan made his speech at the wall. The State Department advised Reagan not to include the "Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall" because it was too confrontational and might frighten the Berliners. Reagan left it in and history was made.
I have no problem with Trump making the decision. My point is that Tillerson's policy differences with the President are more of a reflection of the State Department's views and the effect they have on Tillerson than anything else. Pompeo will have to deal with the same kinds of problems. Will he buck the institution's views thus engendering a backlash among the bureaucrats who will then seek to undermine him or will he go along to get along recognizing that his perceived success depends on the support of the bureaucrats?
The bureaucracy has many ways to knife the political appointees in the back without being held accountable. Leaking is a very powerful weapon.
‘Ineffectual’ is a great word to describe Sec Tillerson.
I can’t think of a single foreign policy accomplishment that can be attributed to him.
“One thing Trump has done is to cause all the Pat Buchanan 1930’s Republican isolationists to come out of the closet”
No, sugar. He’s also shook loose a lot of Woodrow Wilson progressive dingleberries as well.
Precisely along the lines of what I have been suspecting since the story broke. Still, Tillerson and Trump differed on some pretty big issues. So, Rex as apparently unwilling to come to the President’s POV and now he’s gone.
Tillerson resisted moving the embassy to Jerusalem, Rush Limbaugh reported today.
“You don’t change organizational cultures overnight, especially in the government where it is next to impossible to fire someone.”
##################
That must change.
‘The King of Wu, said “I have thoroughly read your thirteen chapters. May I submit your theory of managing soldiers to a small test?”
Sun Tzu replied, “Sir, you may.”
The King of Wu asked, “Can the test be applied to women?” Sun Tzu replied that it could, so arrangements were made to bring 180 beautiful women from the palace. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies with one of the King’s favorite concubines at the head of each. He then made all of them take spears in their hands and spoke to them: “I presume you know the difference between front and back, right hand, and left hand?”
The women replied, “Yes.”
Sun Tzu continued, “When to the sound of drums I order ‘eyes front,’ look straight ahead. When I order ‘left turn,’ face toward your left hand. When I order ‘right turn,’ face toward your right hand. When I order ‘about turn,’ face around to the back.”
After the words of command had been explained, the women agreed they understood. He gave them spears so he could begin the drill. To the sound of drums, Sun Tzu ordered “right turn.”
In response, the women burst out in laughter.
With great patience, Sun Tzu said, “If the instructions and words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame.” He then repeated the explanations several times. This time he ordered the drums to signal “left turn,” and again the women burst into laughter.
Then Sun Tzu said, “If the instructions and words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if commands are clear and the soldiers disobey, then it is the fault of the officers.” He immediately ordered the women who were at the head of the two companies to be beheaded.
Of course, the King was watching from a raised pavilion, and when he saw that his two favorite concubines were about to be executed, he was alarmed and swiftly sent down a message:
“We are now quite satisfied as to the general’s ability to manage troops. Without these concubines, my food and drink will not taste good. It is the King’s wish that they not be beheaded.”
Sun Tzu replied, “Having received the sovereign’s commission to take charge and direct these troops, there are certain orders I cannot accept.” He immediately had the two concubines beheaded as an example and appointed the two next in line as the new leaders.
Now the drums were sounded again and the drill began. The women performed all the maneuvers exactly as commanded, turning to the right or left, marching ahead, turning around, kneeling, or rising. They drilled perfectly in precision and did not utter a single sound.’
Maybe Pompeo will finally drain the State Dept. swamp. Get rid of all the nobama holdovers. Reduce size, etc.
Bingo. Hadn't had a "big boss" in too long a time.
As for his heart not being in it, when Tillerson, as president of the Boy Scouts, led the decision to admit gay scouts, I'd say his heart wasn't really in that organization, either.
...as opposed to Woodrow Wilson 1910's internationalists such as the Clintons and the Bushes?
Ouch! Good one!
Just use a different browser - I have 3 of them installed on my machine.
I noticed that, too. Unusual announcement; if it had been business as usual, he could have rescheduled meetings or sent aides to do a preliminary, and not have had to "make an announcement." Being "sick" was a cover for suspended operations because he was no longer in charge.
The article also mentioned that he asked to return to the U.S. before the announcent was made. This was very good thinking. There is great danger to Americans anywhere these days. He could have been kidnapped.
They don't understand that they've made us mad enough to want ALL their heads on stakes...
They used the IRS and the spying apparatus on us during The Brown Klown's reign, and they'll do it again if they get back in power.
So, they can't be allowed to get back in power.
It's an actual existential issue for the Deplorables.
Oh, please. Think a little deeper than the first 1/8th of an inch.
Tillerson was attempting to undermined Trumps agenda regarding Iran.
Tillerson had to go. End of story.
It's for darn sure that Trump does not appoint an agency head to be the tail wagged by the dog, the agency being the dog. He definitely believes in hierarchal organization, and wants his agency heads to be in charge. And he definitely wants to be in charge of his agency heads. His antidote to this is that he is long reputed to be a good listener who takes advice. But he is clear that the role of the executor is to spearhead policy, make the critcal decisions after receiving research and advice, and see that they are carried out.
Things are not always as they appear in movies, political drama and propaganda from political factions. Clinton policies have been in effect for more than 20 years and are continuing; it’s an extension of the pushes of the years around 1970.
You can add that Tillerson was working secretly with the Europeans to undermine Trump on the Iran nuclear weapons deal.
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