Infighting over Egypt
Susan Rice and John Kerry are reportedly at odds over Egypt:
The tension between the national security adviser and the secretary of state spilled over into public view in the past week, when Rice laid out her critical appraisal of the Egyptian government, which contradicted Kerry’s assessment that Egypt was “on the path to democracy.” The now public rift has been simmering behind the scenes for months and illustrates the strikingly divergent Egypt policies the White House and the State Department are pursuing.
As bad as Obama’s approach to Egypt has been, this (if true) seems even worse. I would guess that chaos and confusion is never a good message to send out. And this bears that out:
Nevertheless, officials and experts said the administration’s Egypt policy is hampered not only by internal tensions but also by being ad hoc and reactive, without a long-term strategy dictated by President Obama.
“What’s missing from any of the administration’s statements or actions is a clear vision of how they will preserve American interests in Egypt over the long term,” said Tamara Cofman Wittes, director of the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center and a former State Department official. “The president clearly made an analytical judgment that authoritarianism in the Middle East was not stable in the long term. If he still believes that, then he has to have some concerns about Egypt’s trajectory and American interests, and how to address those concerns is missing from American policy today.”
In Egypt, officials are receiving diverging messages from the U.S. government’s various parts, causing confusion as they try to decide how to react to recent U.S. actions. For example, the administration has not told the government of Egypt what exactly it must do to get the partial aid suspension lifted, said a source close to the Egyptian government.
“They are getting different messages from different people in Washington. There is confusion in Egypt as to what is actually U.S. policy,” the source said. “
Obamacare is not the only area of disarray in the Obama administration. They simply don’t know what they’re doing—unless, of course, the idea is to sow chaos, which is a distinct possibility.
It’s the old “fool or knave?” question. As I’ve said before, you can hardly go wrong assuming the answer is “both.”
Just guessing, but I think the white guy will lose the argument.
“What’s missing from any of the administration’s statements or actions is a clear vision of how they will preserve American interests in Egypt over the long term,” said Tamara Cofman Wittes, director of the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center and a former State Department official.”
Clearly Ms Wittes is still laboring under the illusion that the Obama administration actually desires to “preserve American interests in Egypt [or in any region] over the long term”. Unfortunately, they do not.
And the idea is to sow chaos, which is not merely a distinct possibility but an inescapable conclusion.
The answer IMO is both, in that we have mendacious intent, clumsily applied.
A tale of two power vacuums: one abroad and one domestic. (of course, the former was caused by the latter)
It’s too bad we can’t kidnap one of the faction leaders and then put them on tv surrounded by those wearing islamic garb.
A passive approach to letting your enemies kill themselves isn’t enough. One must speed the process along, or it ain’t war. It’s just a spectacle entertainment sport armchairists use to kill boredom.
“. . . unless, of course, the idea is to sow chaos, which is a distinct possibility.”
The problem I have with this “knave” theory is that we are now seeing chaos in virtually everything this administration touches. For chaos to be a tactic to accomplish an end, the chaos must be limited.
We are seeing chaotic response after chaotic response to the point that this administration appears (operative word there) to be losing any control over everything. When that happens, the ship becomes rudderless and buffeted by the winds, and the administration’s desired result may never be forthcoming.
If the administration hacks don’t realize this, they’re even dumber that I thought, but this may also go back to Neo’s point about Obama’s hubris in always being able to affect an outcome by his speeches and his presence. Now, perhaps for the first time, this administration is finding out the hard way that all bets may be off.
If a person plants bombs and blows up a kindergarten, can it be said that they didn’t intend for it to happen because they can’t control the chaos of the explosions inside and who lives or dies?
Chaos is not something that makes people immune from evil, either direction.
“Never bother to examine a folly; only ask what it accomplishes.”
Reminds me that the Obama administration–Rice in particular–unnecessarily fomented a withdrawal of US support for Mubarak in favor of “democracy,” which anyone with an IQ higher than Cher’s knew meant tyrannical theocracy. Sounds like Rice is poo-pooing the non-Muslim Brotherhood variety of dictatorship in order to re-exert the president’s pro-Islamofascist policy. On this one, I’ll go fool and knave, with a strong leaning toward knave.
I agree with T.
I don’t think the final plan was Obamacare, it was but a stepping stone to socialized medical care. Having it blow up at startup may compromise that, however.
Folks…
You’re looking at a Gonnabee in inaction.
That is all.
This is not peculiar — it’s the norm for end-game Gonnabees.
Pooooor Susan… She and His Infantile Majesty, I have assumed, are heartbroken and sullen over the ouster of the Muslim Butchering Brotherhood from top power in Cairo.
To be honest, I’ve also assumed that Mr.Kerry(*who, by the by, served in Vietnam for a few months 43-years ago..*)is flumoxed, as well. Still do.
First iteration-all appears normal
Second iteration-almost unnoticeable unpredicted behavior
third iteration-clear but small evidence of erratic behavior
forty-second iteration-chaos, system in complete disarray, no predictions, control or conclusions possible
sixty-first iteration-identification of initial conditions not possible.
seventy-first iteration-nothing recognizable except that Obama is the smartest person ever to occupy the White House. Constitution forsaken and O is re-elected in a landslide, theme music to The Wizard of Oz made into new national anthem.