It is good to have friends but sometimes you need to tell them the truth, if for example, they have used poor judgment or are exhibiting destructive behavior. Now might be the time! Nigerian Army killing protestors: Firing directly into an unarmed crowd at close range as they tried to flee. President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to control military abuse and restore security but has done very little since elected in 2015. In fact, the military has detained children, raped . . .
Category: Diplomacy
Maybe it Works?
Could the commander’s basal instincts make the world better? Iran? China? North Korea As David Brooks mentions in NYT, the commander: “…understands the thug mind a whole lot better than the people who attended our prestigious Foreign Service academies.” Maybe thug on thug negotiations will work and the commander’s feral cunning is needed at this moment in history. We should be open. Giving odds on success in any of the three current hot spots, I would be very careful. The . . .
The Coy Commander
The commander is being coy according to the New York Times in a recent article about reneging on the Iran nuclear agreement (JCPOA). coy /koi/ adjective: reluctant to give details, especially about something regarded as sensitive. “he is coy about his size” Why be coy? Could it be that there is no plan for after the bluster? Or is it just a passive aggressive cry for attention? Is there a middle east strategy? We deserve to know what is going . . .
Can We Try Diplomacy?
New leadership is coming to the enfeebled State Department. Unfortunately, it is coming from the militaristic, Death by China school of diplomacy. Diplomacy requires work, to understand what we need, what they want and then to find a compromise that benefits everyone. Here are a few items that require attention regarding our trade relationship with China: China charges a 25% tariff on autos imported from the U.S. and the U.S. has a 2.5% tariff going the other way (China is . . .
Commander of Fear
Fear of: Competition Russian Dictator Mockery Adulation Lost Others There is a pattern! The commander thinks that the rest of the world is kicking our trade butt with their cruel competition. How are they getting away with this perfidy: Hard work? Sacrifice? Survival instinct? The message that we are taking a beating and the “playing field needs to be leveled” is coming from fear stirred up by the commander telling us we are losers. What about the unconscionable shelling of . . .
The Petulant Vice Commander
Our Vice “commander” is on a mission of togetherness while attending the Olympics. Not Quite: “Together with Japan and our allies, let the world know this: We will continue to intensify our maximum pressure campaign until North Korea takes steps … we will not allow North Korean propaganda to hijack the message and imagery of the Olympic games” We know the vice “commander” won’t be meeting with Kim’s sister and definitely not alone, just in case she would succumb to . . .