Mahatma Gandhi is said to have invented nonviolence but he claimed Truth-Force or Satyagraha, which is in part a genuine attempt to befriend your enemies. Even years after winning a bitter struggle, Gandhi would do a needed favor to someone he had struggled against. Never giving an enemy a favor he couldn't afford. This unfortunately is something Obama never learned. Anyway the crowds cheered Obama and Gandhi for the same reasons, but Obama can only fail if his supporters don't lobby him when he decides wrong.
Libertarians are mute in the struggle for a better cabinet, far-lefties struggling to pop Obama's appeal. Obama loves to seek the middle ground, but since his supporters won't lobby, for a better cabinet, the apparent middle ground shifts dramatically. Foreign policy posts are supposed to require experience, Condoleezza humbled herself with proud foreign rulers. Madeline Albright went so far as to ware a head scarf in Moslem lands. Hillary's demeanor alone could disrupt Obama's middle east policy. Why aren't foreign policy insiders publically shocked and demand competence. Peace Action and also Rabbi Learner's peace group urged members to lobby the transmission team, against Gates but Gates like Huckabee, undid the horrors he at first helped sponsor, and could be retired in a year with a rousing thank you. Not so with Hillary, any tension with Obama could remind her that she could still be Secretary of State,
There are Questions We Should Insist Hillary Answer Before It's Too Late for Her to Return being Senator of NY
QUESTION 1. Hillary please tell us how the fact that you differ with Obama on certain policy affect how you perform at the Department of State. During the debates you strongly differed with Obama desire not to aid the Death-Squad government in Columbia. You and McCain also argued against human-rights requirements being written into future trade laws. Will you willing go along with Obama's trade and Colombian policy? Have you and Obama recently discussed this?
Establishment interests were trying to push Richard Holbrooke on Obama as Secretary of State, but Obama's transition team thought him too conservative. Hillary decided to save the idea of consistency in US foreign policy by lobbying to be Secretary of State. Only Hispanics have been determinably lobbying for Obama with Obama partially humoring them by offering Commerce secretary instead. New Mexicans should scream against loosening their Governor and hold out the possibility of Richardson returning for at least two more months.
QUESTION 2. Condoleezza Rice humbled herself before Arab monarchs, Madeleine Albright wore a head scarf while visiting Arab lands. Do you think your role as top diplomat is to hold your head high and let the world know that a Secretary of State is equal to any foreign leader, that the US doesn't cow down to backward customs? Could your interfere with Obama's Middle East goals by your demeaner?
QUESTION 3. How angry will you be at President Obama for destroying your life if you don't last with Obama, or the head of the State Department becomes a very limited position?
QUESTION 4. Obama wants to work for human rights around the world, but at the same time fears the US getting in over its head. How willing are you, like was Bill Richardson (his original choice) to caution against sending US troops back to places like Somalia, if they are again dragged though the street and the US people feel that we are obligated to stay until the culprits are punished? The economy is in danger of total collapse with the dollar becoming just junk currency. Incredibly expensive smart weapons could make US history resemble Ancient Rome's collapse, rather than the US, as with England, slowly retiring in the sunset.
I admire the way Hillary gave up a lucrative legal career to become a child advocate, earlier the way, as a law student she struggled for fair trials. And her noble response to her husband's personal transgressions. I saw merit in her policy of exposing the domestic right-wing. But don't think someone with no foreign policy experience, without a please help me learn attitude, has any business being Secretary of State. Her friends should lobby for her to be able to go back to the Senate until a newly elected Senator gets in the way, and for her not to make a fool out of herself.
Libertarians want Richardson's cautionary foreign policy, so do peace idealists and leftists. The Hispanic lobby as well. Hispanics are keenly aware of US policy toward the drug dealer government of Columbia. Most foreign policy experts want someone with experience or at least thought and wrote extensively on foreign policy issues. If we all say "no" in unison to Hillary risking making a fool of herself, we will be a powerful force. Let's all resolve to try to block someone without foreign policy experience becoming Secretary of State.
Obama has a flaw that it is hard for people who admire him, to disagree with him on some issue strongly. When Hamas endorsed him, Obama, he suddenly said he wasn't going to negotiate with Hamas. This limits the way people with strong views can praise Obama's idea of bringing us together. Let's make Obama a great President, despite his desire to too often head for the middle ground.
All Americans, let's demand that no Senator, Representative or Governor quit serving in their job until confirmed in another one. And be able to go back to that job if not confirmed in a new one, until at least a new replacement would be unwillingly, have to be removed from office. It's shocking the way foreign policy experts haven't spoken up about incompetence
Obama can only be a great President if those who admire him can loudly disagree with him when he is wrong.
Lively discussion in the earliest page of comments at the Washington Post, click over to the first comments,
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IN ORDER TO GET LINK WITHOUT SIGNING INTO WASHINGTON POST:
I had to go the fire fox and wait 20 seconds for comments to post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Gates is like Hickabee, working against the excesses he once helped sponsor,
http://www.fpif.org/...
Related comment,
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RichardKanePA (@aol.com)