Posted on 09/13/2019 10:11:17 AM PDT by Coleus
One of the toughest questions for any politician or anyone for that matter is the question of whether he should trust his instincts.
The case of John Bolton offers a textbook example. Reports say that President Trumps first impression regarding John Bolton was to steer clear of him because of his mustache.
Perhaps it might have made more sense to steer clear of him for the obvious reason that his foreign-policy views are demonstrably insane.
But as reasons go, that mustache would have done just fine. Various wags said it made Bolton look like a walrus. Others said it made him look like Captain Kangaroo.
Either way, its effect is to make Bolton look a bit unhinged. And thats exactly what he is.
If you doubt that, compare Trumps views on regime change with Boltons.
In the presidential 2016 campaign, the cornerstone of Trumps America first foreign policy was his opposition to using the U.S. military to spread democracy around the world.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
I have no animus toward Bolton. I figured Trump listens and makes his own decisions. However, Pres. alluded to Bolton saying things to foreign leaders not in alignment with his strategy overall.
Wish the coup d’etat had not managed to “F##k Flynn...” who would have been a different type as NSA advisor.
It was irksome to see Bolton looking "down" at Trump in these photos,
lying in wait, plotting to visit his stupid neocon agenda on Trump.
Trump wasn't buying. Trump kindly called them "mistakes."
Bolton is a tool of the God-awful neocons. How he managed to slither into the Trump admin should be investigated.
The exact description of neocon blundering that GWB fell for.
Perhaps Trump positioned Bolton in his admin to make sure Trump would know what NOT to do.
Trump hired him because Trump seeks alternate opinions, not classic compliant “yes men.”
Bolton should have stuck to his role of another voice in Trumps ear, instead he went off the reservation and ended up fired.
You owe your boss your best judgment, then if the boss decides to do otherwise, you owe your boss ONE “But, Sir. . .” Then whatever the boss decides, you remain loyal end execute the bosses plan. If you can’t stand that, resign and quietly leave, stay away from making it all about you.
You are paid for your opinion, you “ride for the brand.” To do otherwise is self-centered and dishonest.
Post 25 for my thoughts on Trump and Bolton.
Post 25. . .great thinker, you are.
One of the issues a leader faces in a position like the President is that many of the people surrounding him are not really advisors at all. They're lobbyists, and they come to the table with the intention of pushing an agenda rather than getting on board to support someone else's agenda.
Bolton wasn't unique in that regard, but he's probably the most prominent figure in recent history as a lobbyist whose agenda has enormous human and financial costs along with a remarkable lack of accountability on his part for any of these disastrous military campaigns.
Am I the only one who thinks maybe Yosemite Sam, shoot 'm up, Bolton was hired as National Security Adviser for optics at a time when some countries needed to be made to think Trump might just pull the trigger?
If Bolton was hired for "optics" to convince some countries that we might respond aggressively over some issue, then firing him in a public and humiliating manner would have the exact OPPOSITE effect now.
I assume that Trump must have been as aware of Bolton’s interventionist views as we are. Maybe he was using Bolton as a sounding board to compare against his own instincts.
“Perhaps Trump positioned Bolton in his admin to make sure Trump would know what NOT to do.”
I suspect it’s something like that. And it’s never a good idea to surround yourself with Yes Men, which Bolton certainly wasn’t.
Kudlow is another example of a choice not in harmony with Trump’s stated views.
gmta
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