Cut The Cards
“It’s still a matter of trust, but verify. Play, but cut the cards” – Ronald Reagan
When dealing in the seamy world of international politics Reagan had the key. He knew first hand that just because the dog is wagging his tail doesn’t mean he won’t bite you. Time and again we have learned the hard way that talk is cheap but actions define character. One of my favorite quotes is by Ralph Waldo Emerson when he said “Who you are speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you’re saying.”
Unfortunately in the new administration of hope, all contexts to historical truth has either been forgotten or abandoned. It’s becoming apparent that while I draw my worldview from quotes by Reagan and Emerson the new Messiah and his equally clueless Secretary of State draw theirs from Rodney King with his famous “Why can’t we all just get along?”
It’s not that I am against getting along. It’s just that I like to have at least a little proof that the other party is equally committed to the deal. Trust but verify.
Even the Democrats favorite war mongering whipping boy George W Bush was duped into believing the Vlad the Impaler Putin was a man he could trust. Bush was verbally tarred and feathered by the Democrats and their faithful press companions for that misplaced trust. It was a mistake that he rued making but one that he was willing to correct as he made every effort to protect our NATO allies from the Soviet Union mentality of this Russian dictator.
Reagan too was well aware of the threat posed by our then Cold War enemies having witnessed the building of the Berlin Wall and having been keenly instrumental in its demolition.
But times have changed and more importantly American foreign policy mentality has changed. In a show of completely misplaced trust Hillary Clinton presented Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with a push button that had the Russian word for “RESET” printed on it. Well at least that’s what it was supposed to say. In a show of completely misplaced competence the button actually translated to read “OVERCHARGE”.
How humiliating that the entire State Department of the United States of America doesn’t have a single translator capable of coming up with the right Russian word for reset. Well perhaps not in the entire State Department, but at least amongst those this new Candlewick of Albatross cared to ask (give it a minute, you’ll get it). How do you think Americans would react if the situation was reversed and the Russians gave us a button that said OVERCHARGE instead of RESET? I’m guessing it would have been pretty much the same as the Russian reaction, cordial and understanding on the outside and the confident knowledge that you are dealing with a completely incompetent nincompoop on the inside.
Clinton had just come off her whirlwind tour of Europe, mispronouncing almost every officials name along the way. Proclaiming that American democracy was older than the rest of the worlds. Talking about setting up friendly relations with Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Turkey and the militant Palestinian terrorists. And telling Israel that their attempts at protecting their own safety were “unhelpful” to the peace process.
She then arrived in Russia where she publicly discussed withdrawing American support for a missile defense shield designed to protect our NATO allies from the same fate that befell Georgia when Vlad the Impaler decided to make a point. All this capped off with a button that said OVERCHARGE.
Her complete lack of historical facts and her just roll over and play dead pacifism had some European ministers applauding her ability to sound like them. “What you said could have been said by a European” they said. Somebody please tell me how that’s a good thing.
The traveling press corps accompanying Clinton on her country to country embarrassment has repeatedly reported on how she is being met with smiles by the foreign diplomats.
These guys aren’t smiling at her. They’re laughing.
