Tillerson’s exit can only begin to fix US foreign policy

NY Post ^ | November 30, 2017 | Ralph Peters

[Oshkalaboomboom]

If the rumor proves true that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is about to lose his job, he’ll doubtless regret leaving far less than accepting the post in the first place. He tried, but he was the wrong man for the wrong job in the wrong administration.

Despite the public embarrassment of his dismissal, Tillerson likely will be relieved to hand off his thankless Cabinet post to his bruited replacement, CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

Tillerson’s former tenure atop Exxon did not prepare him for this role. Even a multinational’s CEO has only to deliver one bottom line. By contrast, an American secretary of state answers to competing interests on hundreds of “bottom lines.” Nor did Tillerson bother to learn State’s culture — so different from that of the corporate world. And while that culture needs serious rehab, it’s hard to fix a problem you don’t understand.

Credit Tillerson with trying, but his lack of government experience wasn’t an asset (contrary to pop myths). Nor did it help that President Trump often shot from the hip in unexpected directions, undercutting Tillerson’s painstaking efforts. Or that Tillerson’s nominal subordinate, UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, outshone him on the global stage, in the media and in the White House knife-fighting.

Tillerson grew in the job and finally took a firm stand against Russian intrigues — but that did not endear him to his boss.

And to be fair: The fundamental problem facing the White House will still be there after Tillerson packs up and leaves. The challenge Foggy Bottom faces is less “who” (the person in the secretary’s chair) than “what” (our lack of a coherent foreign policy). Our enemies script five-act plays; we do improvisational skits.

Outside of the Pentagon, the administration seems to have little grip on today’s immense strategic realignments.

[MAGAthon]

Tillerson would be dealing with politics even if he had stayed at Exxon:

30 Nov: InsideClimateNews: Judge Questions Exxon’s Attempt to Block Climate Fraud Investigations
The hearing edged a federal judge closer to deciding whether to dismiss the oil giant’s case against the attorneys general of New York and Massachusetts
By Nicholas Kusnetz & David Hasemyer
ExxonMobil drew tough questions and skeptical responses from a federal judge on Thursday as it urged her to shut down two state investigations into whether the oil giant misled investors and the public about climate change risks. The judge’s inquiries suggested the company had failed to build a strong enough case to halt the probes.

U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni pressed Exxon’s lawyers to demonstrate how the investigations by the attorneys general of Massachusetts and New York are politically motivated efforts to suppress its free speech, as the company claims.
“I can expect you to come forward with something that doesn’t require wild leaps of logic,” she told Exxon’s lawyers...

She also cast doubt on Exxon’s attempts to frame the investigation as a political witch-hunt.
“The attorney general of New York is a political animal,” she said. “He’s entitled to act like a political animal.”...
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/30112017/exxon-climate-fraud-investigation-judge-court-hearing-schneiderman-new-york-healey-massachusetts

the judge:

Wikipedia: Valerie E. Caproni
In August 2003, FBI Director Robert F. Mueller named her General Counsel of the FBI...
On November 14, 2012, President Obama nominated Caproni to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York...
On January 3, 2013, she was renominated to the same office. Her nomination was approved by a voice vote of the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 13, 2013. The full Senate confirmed Caproni’s nomination in a 73-24 vote on September 9, 2013. She received her commission on December 2, 2013...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_E._Caproni

[SueRae]

I think Tillerson has done remarkably well.in his first year. I hope he stays. The changes in Saudi Arabia alone show promise. I don’t understand why the move..unless there’s a family issue.. (Jared).

[Spruce]

They can keep writing this outright fantasy for another seven years and eventually it will come true.

T-Rex ain’t going anywhere.

[Chaguito]

Thanks, I hate it when that happens