Slow Learning, Pathetic Context, In Addition To Disloyalty

As I ease dorsum inwards later on a lovely opor-garai horseback riding inwards the isolation of the British Columbia mountains, I'd similar to accept i 2d to comment on items that get got piqued my curiosity every bit I've caught upward on recent paper articles. (Don't worry: Health assist topics furnish soon, but this postal service also relates to my other favorite topics--leadership, cognitive errors, in addition to negotiation.)

First, there's Thomas Friedman's August viii interview amongst President Obama, amongst these in conclusion paragraphs:

Whether it is getting dorsum into Republic of Iraq or newly into Syria, the inquiry that Obama keeps coming dorsum to is: Do I get got the partners — local and/or international — to brand whatever improvements nosotros engineer self-sustaining?

“I’ll give yous an example of a lesson I had to larn that withal has ramifications to this day,” said Obama. “And that is our participation inwards the coalition that overthrew Qaddafi inwards Libya. I absolutely believed that it was the right thing to do. ... Had nosotros non intervened, it’s probable that Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya would live on Syria. ... And thence at that spot would live on to a greater extent than death, to a greater extent than disruption, to a greater extent than destruction. But what is also truthful is that I mean value nosotros [and] our European partners underestimated the take away to come upward inwards total forcefulness if you’re going to create this. Then it’s the twenty-four hr catamenia later on Qaddafi is gone, when everybody is feeling adept in addition to everybody is belongings upward posters saying, ‘Thank you, America.’ At that moment, at that spot has to live on a much to a greater extent than aggressive endeavour to rebuild societies that didn’t get got whatever civic traditions. ... So that’s a lesson that I similar a shot apply every fourth dimension I inquire the question, ‘Should nosotros intervene, militarily? Do nosotros get got an reply [for] the twenty-four hr catamenia after?’ ”

My reaction? I am pleased that the President learned this lesson but am shocked that he needed to larn it in addition to that it took him thence long. I guess this only proves that ignorance nearly international cultural in addition to political issues was handed downwardly from the previous Republican Administration to the electrical current Democratic one.

Then, today's story:

While President Obama has long resisted beingness drawn into Syria’s bloody civil war, officials said recent advances past times the Islamic State inwards Republic of Iraq in addition to Syrian Arab Republic had made clear that it represents a threat to the interests of the USA in addition to its allies. The beheading of James Foley, the American journalist, has contributed to what officials called a “new context” for a challenge that has long divided the president’s team.

“If yous come upward later on Americans, we’re going to come upward later on you, wherever yous are,” Benjamin J. Rhodes, the president’s deputy national safety adviser, told reporters inwards Martha’s Vineyard, where Mr. Obama is on a much-interrupted vacation.

Huh, the kicking the bucket on i American is plenty to alter the context? What theory of geopolitical activeness supports that sort of approach? Is i American free-lance lensman who entered a state of war zone in addition to has been missing for 2 years valued to a greater extent than than this result:

The number of dead inwards Syria’s civil state of war to a greater extent than than doubled inwards the past times twelvemonth to at to the lowest degree 191,000, the UN human rights role said Friday. The agency’s chief, Navi Pillay, bluntly criticized Western nations, proverb their inaction inwards the aspect upward of the slaughter had “empowered in addition to emboldened” the killers.

I don't claim to know the right answers to all these rattling hard issues, in addition to I don't await our leader to live on right inwards the aspect upward of complex, changing circumstances. But I'd experience a lot meliorate if the narrative nosotros received from our authorities indicated that they had a rigorous approach to determination making in addition to a coherent strategy in addition to purpose.

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As a side note, how depression shape is this?

The president has long expressed skepticism that to a greater extent than assertive activeness past times the United States, including arming Syrian rebels every bit urged inwards 2011 past times Hillary Rodham Clinton, thence the secretarial assistant of state, would alter the course of study of the civil state of war there.

What sort of sometime Secretary of State would allow it live on known that she disagreed amongst her sitting President field he is withal inwards office? When yous get got served inwards that sort of confidential advisory position, it is totally inappropriate to allow the globe know that yous were second-guessing the president's decisions or advising against his course of study of action.

Of course, Hillary's folks get got done this before, nearly Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya inwards 2011, when this self-serving story was offered to the New York Times:

Within hours, Mrs. Clinton in addition to the aides had convinced Mr. Obama that the USA had to act, in addition to the president ordered upward military machine plans, which Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hand-delivered to the White House the adjacent day.

Again, when yous are Secretary of State, your duty of loyalty is to the President. It is only non right to give the globe a sense of your influential powers inwards the White House. These kinds of within stories should live on saved for memoirs long later on the President's term is over.

Unfortunately, the Clinton's create non empathize this sort of loyalty.