Wednesday, July 23, 2014

When Hard Choices Equal Poor Choices

Posted by Joe at 12:00 AM

8 comments:

sue hanes said...

Joe - I think Hillary did a good job as Secretary of State. I say more power to her if she can earn all that money in speaking engagements.

I'm almost finished with her latest book. I know she didn't write it word for word but it's a good book - very informative.

July 23, 2014 at 9:54 AM
Joe said...

sh: What were her three most important accomplishments during her tenure as SoS?

July 23, 2014 at 10:41 AM
Xavier Onassis said...

Joe - Can you name ANY "important accomplishments" by ANY Secretary of State other than maybe William Seward or Henry Kissenger?

Secretary of State is an office that is always constrained by the policies of the Administration on one side and prevailing world events on the other.

Any accomplishments by the SoS is going to be a direct result of the confluence of these fators that are out of the diirect control of the SoS.

July 23, 2014 at 11:40 AM
Shaw Kenawe said...

1) "The opening-up of Myanmar
In 2012,

Clinton became the first secretary of state in 50 years to make an official visit to Myanmar, part of the Obama administration's efforts to reward the ruling military junta for taking concrete steps toward a freer society. Clinton met with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi (pictured), a pro-democracy activist who had been recently released from house arrest. Clinton's visit to Myanmar also fell under the Obama administration's much-publicized pivot to Asia, following years of perceived neglect of the region under President Bush, whose foreign policy agenda was largely absorbed by terrorism and the Iraq War."

2) "Freeing a Chinese dissident

Clinton's May 2012 visit to China, ostensibly about mutual economic and security concerns, was ensnared in a full-blown diplomatic emergency, after human-rights dissident Chen Guangcheng escaped house arrest and took refuge at the U.S. Embassy. For the benefit of her media-sensitive hosts, Clinton continued to meet then-Chinese President Hu Jintao and to perform other duties as if nothing were amiss, while she and her team negotiated Chen's release behind the scenes."

3) "Playing peacemaker in the Middle East

In late 2012, Clinton brought all her diplomatic resources to bear during a bloody outbreak of violence between Israel and Arab militants in the Gaza Strip, performing a whirlwind tour of the region that many credited with helping prevent an all-out war. Clinton reportedly spent hours negotiating with Egypt's newly elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, to cement the deal, which had the added benefit of reaffirming Egypt's continued support for a peace treaty with Israel."


There's more, but you asked for only three.

July 23, 2014 at 4:35 PM
Joe said...

SK: "Freeing a Chinese dissident."

That is not how this played out.

"The opening-up of Myanmar"

Been watching events there lately?

"Playing peacemaker in the Middle East."

That one is still a total bust.

July 23, 2014 at 5:30 PM
Shaw Kenawe said...

You asked for what she accomplished, and those are some of her accomplishments. What happened after she left State has nothing to do with it. Global events can undo all the best laid plans of mice and men and women.

Example: President Cheney's Excellent Adventure in Iraq.

July 23, 2014 at 7:13 PM
Bunkerville said...

Oh Goodie. Now we can have Liz Warren screaming at us.

July 23, 2014 at 8:31 PM
Joe said...

SK: Cheney didn't become president, did he?

Bunkerville: Thanks for the visit. Don't you yearn for the day when we can hear her? I hope she screams at us in a "Native American" language.

July 24, 2014 at 4:38 AM

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