Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern presented the following statement to members of Germany’s Bundestag on Thursday, advising them against the proposed deepening of Germany’s military involvement in the Syrian conflict.
By Ray McGovern
In view of the surprising election victory of Donald Trump, today’s vote in the Bundestag has assumed even greater importance. There are very passionate warmongers in the United States. Thank goodness, President Obama is not one of them. I believe that Donald Trump, like Obama, would like to find a way to end the armed chaos in Syria.
I believe it is quite possible that both – Obama and Trump – would prefer that the German government avoid taking steps that would encourage the “hawks” in Washington. The widening of the Syrian war into a NATO war would be such a step.
Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern
In my opinion, a peaceful solution to the disaster in Syria is not possible without cooperation with the Russians. This cooperation would be more likely with a President Trump than it would have been with a President Hillary Clinton. Let’s take the time for a DENKPAUSE – time to think this through. (I myself voted for Dr. Jill Stein. She was the presidential candidate of the U.S. Green Party, a small electoral party committed to peace and protecting the environment.)
Yesterday, I was part of a group that, in our parlance, belongs to the “one percent” (the elite). In this group was a former U.S. ambassador to NATO. The former ambassador was asked whether it would not be better to talk with the Russians, and to negotiate. He answered the question in a very condescending way: “You are obviously a Trump supporter. But Hillary Clinton will surely win.” The ambassador added that in this case it would be nonsense and unrealistic to expect early negotiations with the Russians.
Now I admit, “Donald Trump is no Jack Kennedy.” BUT, to make a long story short: I believe that next year with Trump could make possible a more sensible Ostpolitik – policy toward countries to the East of Germany. There could be a relaxation of tension, instead of the escalation that causes more and more of it.
I believe we should consider the Russians as partners and NOT as enemies. And to quote Winston Churchill, “It’s better to be jaw-jaw than to-war;” it’s better to talk to each other than to go to war.
Most important, we should take seriously the opportunity for genuine detente. We must now take a DENKPAUSE. The Bundestag should also do some serious rethinking. Let us think of something new – beyond images of the enemy and military solutions.
For, as we all know so well, DIE GEDANKEN SIND FREI.
Die Gedanken sind frei, wer kann sie erraten,
sie fliegen vorbei wie nächtliche Schatten.
Kein Mensch kann sie wissen, kein Jäger erschießen
mit Pulver und Blei: Die Gedanken sind frei!
Thoughts are free, who can guess them?
They fly by, like nocturnal shadows.
No one can know them, no hunter can shoot them
with powder and lead: Thoughts are free!
Ich denke was ich will und was mich beglücket, doch alles in der Still’, und wie es sich schicket. Mein Wunsch und Begehren kann niemand verwehren, es bleibet dabei: Die Gedanken sind frei!
I think what I want, and what delights me,
But always in the quiet, and how it is suitable.
My wish and desire, no one can deny me,
and so it will always be: Thoughts are free!
Und sperrt man mich ein im finsteren Kerker, das alles sind rein vergebliche Werke. Denn meine Gedanken zerreißen die Schranken und Mauern entzwei: Die Gedanken sind frei!
And if I am thrown into the darkest dungeon, all such actions are futile, because my thoughts tear all gates and walls apart: Thoughts are free!
As being 86 years old and having witnessed a number of elections in this fair land, I view these elections as a charade to pull the wool over the eyes of Boobus Americanus types that comprise the exceptional citizens that populate our fair land. I have seen campaign promises vanish after candidate wins the presidency time after time. So i am not elated by Trumps win, except I acknowledge it might be even worse if Hillary won. Trump, I have heard is getting advice from General Flynn and John bolton. He may bring the disgraced Newt Gingrich in as head of the State department. His son in law, upon whom he leans heavily on, is an ardent supporter of Israel. His Father, a billionaire, was sent to a couple years in jail for corruption by Chris Christie Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire who supported Trump is also an ardent supporter of Israel. Trump is unbelievably ignorant with regard to foreign affairs. Yes he seems to be sensible about improving relations with Russia, but Obama was supposed to be a man of peace, and Johnson promised not to send American boys to fight in Vietnam. And Hillary would surely cause us to stumble into a war with Russia. But I expect little good from Trump. Voting for either the Democrat Party or the Republican Party is like buy financial derivatives from Goldman Sachs. The good is bundled with the bad and the buyer has little understanding of what he is getting.
Lovely article. Here’s hoping for some international peace and friendships.
I see Russia as being a better friend than Saudi Arabia etc.
It seems that regardless of who is elected president, the pro-war profiteers/weapons contractors/neocons, etc., have decided already to escalate the several wars the US is involved in already.
Trump is vulnerable to flattery and therefore easily manipulated – especially by the intel agency crowd and Pentagon execs. Trump has said several times he wants to “re-build the military” – which historically is political speak for increase the Pentagon budget to pay the weapons contractors, vendors, etc – though some naive, incurious Americans believe it means better pay for the enlisted personnel.
Well said – except don’t quote Churchill to the Germans.
Because of Dresden.
When reading this I suddenly had an “aha” moment. If Mr. McGovern is giving advice to German politicians, may I suggest that he consider doing so with a brand new American politician.
Probably this would be more impressive if all the members of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity signed on. Mr. Trump basically knows nothing about foreign affairs, and is desperately seeking help. The crazy people dating back to Reagan’s era are overlooking all his other sins and are turning up in droves at his doorstep. If there is not some kind of counterbalance provided, those people are going to be the ones who ultimately shape Trump’s foreign policy.
A series of essays of the sort published here would be the way I’d suggest doing it. Whether the assistance offers ought to be secret or very well publicized is a strategy decision I’m not qualified to even hint at in the way of a suggestion.
Think about it!
Harrowing protests and indignant jeers
Contemptible insults, hysterical tears,
Cars set alight as the vandals rejoice
While the pundits remonstrate with unison voice:
Horrific, horrific repeats CNN-
Xenophobes, racists, deplorable men-
“Misogynist white privileged blue collar choice”,
Pout the horrified, scandalized pundits and peers.
But where was the outrage when Albright exclaimed
That a half-million children malnourished would die?
When mothers and babies would surely be maimed
In the air strikes that Cheney and Rumsfeld would fly?
Condi lamented the dark mushroom clouds,
When those lies were outed, where were the crowds?
No one lamented though none could deny
That atrocities followed and no one was blamed.
Bugliosi and Hitchens wrote scathing indictments-
The words of the dead rest on pages unheeded.
Irrational gangs spring to puerile incitements,
Media shills stoke the flames of unrest.
Feigned indignation wells up unimpeded:
Forgotten are Bush era deeds to detest.
Brzezinski and Kissinger never maligned,
Not a word of derision, their atrocities blessed.
Millions of victims deprived of their dreams
As a murderess cackled, “We came and he died”.
“Oh the injustice, those vile regimes,
Any transgression makes war justified!”
Pathetic effeminate hypocrites pine
While the refugees drown and the jobs disappear,
The grief-stricken voters contend with their fear,
Starting riots and chanting with feckless malign.
Kirkpatrick’s doctrine and Albright’s blood lust,
Condi’s collusion, Victoria’s coup,
Flournoy’s war fever aligned to combust-
Gender implies no exclusive franchise.
Perfidious motives are mothers to lies,
No matter the bosom imposed to pursue-
No regrets are espoused with betrayal of trust.
Sometimes the stakes are too high to demure.
The high road may offer a respite from scorn,
The low offers mud but the route is secure.
Righteous indignity, hypocrites mourn,
Victory promises ignoble fame-
Contempt for the victor is all they proclaim.
The price for a dream saved from certain demise
Is disdain and defiance in spite of the prize.
Brilliant :)
It is a pity when wars become cash cows…..maybe Germany sees the writing on the wall…..NATO war welfare money coming to an end …….
I approve all of the comments on the story and the story.
The Germans would only get a historic bloody nose from all this NATO sabre rattling.
They should demand the freedom of Julian Assange too along with Manning.
Michael Fish Canada
http://jackpineradicals.com/boards/topic/us-embassy-in-syria-caught-congratulating-al-nusra-terrorists-reporter/
US Embassy in Syria Caught Congratulating al-Nusra terrorists ‘reporter’
Yesterday Syrian war ‘reporter’ Hadi Abdullah was congratulated by the US Embassy Syria on their Twitter page and a photo of him was posted there for his awarding by the French TV channel Monde 5 of a Press Freedom prize. However, Hadi Abdullah is far from a legitimate reporter. In actuality, he is a propaganda disseminator for jihadists in Syria and has been filmed on numerous occasions working alongside and giving praise to al-Nusra Front terrorists (al-Qaeda in Syria). The video below clearly shows Hadi Abdullah in action working alongside the terrorists that are destroying Syria and occupying the Syrian city of Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muf05Rp1Qi4
Link to US Embassy Syria Twitter feed where Hadi Abdullahs photo is currently still online. His is the 16th photo from the top of the Twitter feed.
https://twitter.com/USEmbassySyria?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
More here: US Embassy in Syria Caught on Camera Congratulating al-Nusra ‘Reporter’ Who Works With Terrorist Group
Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dcc_1478798630#HgjgtR1ZMbyeT5Xa.99 The same video posted above is at the Live Leak link in order to have a go to source in case You Tube removes the video above.
This same ‘reporter’ Hadi Abdullah is also shown at the “Reporters Without Borders” website as a 2016 recipient of the TV 5 Monde Press Freedom Prize.
https://rsf.org/en/news/2016-rsf-tv5-monde-press-freedom-prize-prize-awarded-syrian-and-chinese-journalists-website
Excerpt: The 2016 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) – TV5 Monde Press Freedom Prize will be awarded to Syrian reporter Hadi Abdullah, the Chinese news website 64Tianwang, and Chinese citizen journalists Lu Yuyu and Li Tingyu at a ceremony in Strasbourg tomorrow evening (8 November).
Hadi Abdullah is being awarded the prize in the journalist category. He is a 29-year-old freelance reporter who has braved many dangers to cover the war in Syria, entering high-risk areas where few colleagues venture in order to film and to enable civil society’s actors to speak to the outside world. He has had many brushes with death and was briefly kidnapped by the Al-Nusra Front last January. His cameraman, Khaled al-Issa, was killed in June by an explosive device left outside the home they shared, and Abdullah himself was badly injured by the blast.
U.S. Embassy Syria ?@USEmbassySyria Nov 7
Congratulations to Syrian reporter @HadiAlabdallah on winning 2016 @RSF_inter – TV5 Monde Prize. https://goo.gl/HTWihA #Syria 1/2
U.S. Embassy Syria ?@USEmbassySyria Nov 7
Injuries & facing death haven’t prevented @HadiAlabdallah from continuing to tell the truth of what’s happening in #Syria. 2/2
Note that the French Press Freedom award paragraphs state he was briefly kidnapped by the al-Nusra Front. It is obvious from the video above that he was never kidnapped and was instead embedded and working alongside al-Nusra Front. This type of subversion and media manipulation has become common place when reporting on the Syrian war. The hypocrisy shown by the French broadcaster channel 5 is astounding considering that over the past year hundreds of French citizens have lost their lives in terror attacks caused by jihadists affiliated with the same groups that Hadi Abdullah is working in conjunction with.
Ray, Please outline the countries that are a real threat to US national security. And what would you do, in general , about US foreign policy actions? thank you Keep it going. Consortium News needs to go mainstream.
Please outline the countries that are a real threat to US national security.
Let me try that one. Well, there is America. And the United States of America. Also the USA. The American Establishment and the American Plutocracy are two more. The Kingdom of Mammon with His temple and high priests on Wall Street is one of the bigger threats as is the Pentagon Praetorian Guard. Of course, there is also the only so-called democracy in the Middle East and its fifth column – The Lobby – in the US. Hopefully, there aren’t any more. The preceding are more than we can handle.
Great summary Bill, I do not think you left any threat out.
In general, the US people do not realise that Trump will be a rare US President who is not a lawyer. Max Keiser from RT, who can be a bit annoying, made a good point that the US Constitution was not meant to alternate professional politicians with the training of lawyers in Presidency, that Trump came out of Business and when his 4/8 years are over he will return to business. This is the way it should work.
The lawyer Presidents tend to only come up with new ways how to gut the Constitution, the current one is an expert in the discipline.
Thank you.
And may I add, Israel and its Middle East politics is a threat to this country.
Politics is not something you ‘do’. Politics is a ‘lifestyle’.
Can we dare hope we will never have another “political family” running this
country again!
Bill Bodden is correct, our current national state is the fault of both parties and members of both
parties, deny it as they will, would often rather be re/elected than vote for what
is best for American citizens and the country.
It is sad to say that the very people who need better healthcare via the government, are the very
same people who could only see the issue of their jobs being shipped out of the country. And now, run the chance
of losing their healthcare because of the Republican party, and will have a long, long wait (if ever) to get their loss jobs back.
They forgot that it has been the Republican party, in particular, that has protected the corruption of Wall Street. And I
admit, it was Bill Clinton who shipped their jobs out of the country.
Right wing radicals are already (even today, the second day after the presidential election and in our public schools) actively shouting down and parading against Hispanics, African-Americans and those of the Islamic faith.
It is up to those of us who see this bigotry to do what Molly Ivins said in her last column, ” We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, “Stop it, now!”
I wonder if the threat of nuclear war with Russia was Hillary’s downfall. Why did the DNC run with this Russian threat? RAMBOOOO!
There were probably many Hillary supporters that didn’t have the slightest concept that a nuclear war with Russia was conceivable under a President Hillary, but it looks like there were enough aware of this potential disaster to avoid voting for her. There were also many of Hillary’s negatives that didn’t resonate with Hillary-ites. I’m reminded of Meryl Streep telling women at a forum that she was voting for Hillary because she encountered three women who gave Hillary credit for saving their lives. Very nice for those three women, and we should all be happy for them, but what about the millions of women whose lives were devastated by death or displacement because of wars, sanctions and regime changes supported or promoted by Hillary? It is utterly mind-boggling.
Good point. They had probably seen way too many late night real estate infomercials to fall for more cacaCorporate Hollywood sales.
Brilliant move Democrate’s, run the Queen of the Establishment in a Anti-Establishment year, real smart!
CNN is worried why President Elect Trump doesn’t speak to the protesters. Aren’t these protesters Hillary supporters, and if so, why doesn’t Hillary appeal to them about whatever concerns the pundits on CNN have? Protesters drive viewer ratings up, and CNN has Breaking News every half hour. Thank goodness to be armed with a channel changer.
Pete Seeger – “Die Gedanken Sind Frei” from Dangerous Songs!? (1966)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbwQXVcbkU0
Many thanks for your thoughtfulness, Abe. I am still in Germany. Cannot download it from here, apparently; but will save the URL till I get home. thanks again.
Ray
Web sources: Walther von der Vogelweide (c.1170–1230) wrote: joch sint iedoch gedanke frî (“yet still thoughts are free”). The text and the melody can be found in Lieder der Brienzer Mädchen (songs of the girls from Brienz), printed in Bern, Switzerland, between 1810 and 1820. It was adopted by Heinrich von Fallersleben in his Schlesische Volkslieder mit Melodien (“Silesian folk songs with melodies”) collection published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1842, who referred to it as “from Neukirch bei Schönau”. The most popular version was rendered by Hoffmann von Fallersleben in 1842.
“On Tuesday, Donald Trump’s victory has literaly shocked all those who were conducting poll after poll both in the US and in Europe. The fact that Trump was able to correctly understand the aspirations of ordinary Americans, both from rural and industrial regions, was hard to comprehend for various political circles on both sides of Atlantic. Now he’s riding a wave of discontent that was unleashed by the failed policies of the Democrats.
“This development has taken most European politicians aback since they were already forming a line to pledge their obedience to Hillary Clinton and the neocon crowd along with her. Target confusion is the best way to describe the events that are unravelling now in the EU, since the assessments of the situation in the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America have always been made around here in a way that would please Washington, and what European politicians are supposed to tell now? It’s also unclear should the EU carry on its blatant propaganda war against Russia, China, Iran and other adversaries of Washington or not.”
EU Reaction to Trump: What’s With the Face?
By Grete Mautner
http://journal-neo.org/2016/11/10/eu-reaction-to-trump-whats-with-the-face/
Now he’s riding a wave of discontent that was unleashed by the failed policies of the Democrats.
The Republican party oligarchs are just as corrupt, inhumane and guilty as their counterparts (and often accomplices) in the Democratic party. That is why we need a third party. Reform from within either party has never worked.
Yes, the Dems must be dumped, by dumping their zionist oligarchy: they will make excuses and monopolize the left as long as they run the DNC and mass media. Even if Trump is a disaster for the middle and lower classes, creating an opportunity for progress, the DNC will just swap in another hopey-changey zionist warmonger campaigning on identity, perhaps Hispanic this time. Without another major recession plus Repub belt-tightening, there is little hope of a 2020 domestic revolt.
I am not happy that we have Trump as our next president. I am happy that we do not have Hillary Clinton as our next president.
Trump, as we all know, has no political experience, no realistic grasp of the American people, their needs, their suffering, and less so a grasp of the needs of the world in general, especially geopolitical wars.
It remains to be seen just who he will listen to. His direction, and the direction of the country, will depend upon who he surrounds himself with, who he will listen to – hopefully, political party aside, but not expected.
Can we hope that, unlike Obama, he will in his first days of office, be his own man, recognize the needs of this county, be its president. Sadly, Obama thought he could work with Republicans, who quickly proved him wrong. It is doubtful Trump will reach out to Democrats in the same manner.
The Democratic leadership has only itself to blame for the Democratic loss. Statistics showed that Bernie Sanders would have beaten Donald Trump, but the Democratic elite did not want to hear it. (Personally, I still think they still do not want to acknowledge
it).
Just two day out, however, some Republicans are behaving as though they have a mandate from the country. They do not.
They are ‘already forgetting’ just how many voters did not vote for them.
The person most likely to try to be president – in the shadows – will be Mitch McConnell (a male Hillary Clinton) who, as was stated on another internet site, “has just run the tables.”
Keep your eyes on him – and his shadows.
Very well said.
YES, I agree that talking is better than war. The question is TALK TO THEM about what?! Sharing the spoils of the Middle East than leave them to the people of that region?! I want to hear someone talk about reshaping the UN and making it a TRUE place where the voices of people matter. END THE VETO power for 5 countries and have a world system that reflects the will and desires of ALL people. The vote for TRUMP was expression of the madness of many in America (The Current Empire) very much like “Brixit” in the Old Empire…..Old Colonialism/Imperialism is not FEEDING all the subjects of the Empires……..Those subjects were happy when the spoils stolen from the Third World were reaching down to them instead of going only to the “elites”……………We need to talk BUT about a whole new world system that works and respects the rights of ALL…………
Agreed that the UN should be empowered, although it is less clear to what extent the UNGA represents the people, or that renunciation of veto would be politically workable for UNSC powers. That would require some research and argument, and a plan to make the near-term result tolerable for the voters in UNSC powers.
No need for security council……….vote in the General Assembly and require 2/3 majority………..done.
There are very passionate warmongers in the United States. Thank goodness, President Obama is not one of them
Obama may not have wanted to wage war, but he did accommodate the warmongers and surge enthusiasts over whom he had authority at the same time he lacked the qualities to resist the pressures they applied. If the world were blessed with a miracle of a Nuremberg-type trial, Obama would be in the dock with Bush, Cheney, Rice, their top military brass, the warmongering neocons and the fawning corporate media.
If Obama were to be charged in a trial as suggested above, I would hope the prosecutor would include a charge of Obama approving the torture of then-Bradley Manning at the Quantico Marine Base brig. Obama said he thought the treatment meted to Private Manning was “appropriate.” “Appropriate” for what? To get him to squeal? Manning had too much integrity for that so the abuse continued.
Bill, I just wanted to “second” your thought. Should we ever be able to review war crimes caused by this country, Prrsident Obama’s name must be included…
DON’T WAIT FOR WAR-CRIMES TRIAL, IMPEACH OBAMA NOW.
So says Francis Boyle, citing danger of Obama war making – before Trump takes office. After general remarks about Trump victory, at 12’30” Boyle advocates impeachment. Remember that in 1991 Boyle and Ramsey Clark wrote impeachment papers against Bush Sr.
Francis Boyle, professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law, interview by Pravda.Ru
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0yDroPGfFs
RESOLUTION OF IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT GEORGE (H.W.) BUSH
https://ratical.org/ratville/CAH/RfIoPGB.html
Impeachment appears to be justified, but with the American people so deficient as to give Obama around a 50% approval rating impeachment is not likely to gain any traction. Many people will very likely be calling for impeachment of Trump in the not-too-distant future. If so, they had better make that a Trump/Pence impeachment. Pence would probably be as bad or worse than Trump.
b.grand and Bill: Why impeach Obama? He has tried to get out of the Middle Eastern wars. It was Republicans who conveyed to Saddam Hussein that the US had no problem with him taking on Kuwait to recover land on the Persian Gulf considered theirs. He did more than they expected, but it was a cue ( planned excuse anyway) for the first US war with Iraq. It was the Republicans who clandestinely armed Iran and provoked a war of attrition between Iran and Iraq. It was Bush 2 who went into Afghanistan to get al Qaeda but then changed direction and went after the Taliban who I gather had passed on info to al Qaeda on a proposed US pipeline from the Caspian Sea to the Indian Ocean via Afghanistan and Pakistan (reported in Asia Times). This was to hurt Russia. That led to a loss of focus and a bigger mess in Afghanistan. It was Bush 2 and the Republicans who falsely got the US and Britain into the second Iraqi war. They armed Shia elements to take on the Sunni. Finally a Shia led government was set up but nobody forced them to be open and balanced with the Sunni and from that humiliation grew the problems we have now. How many civilians where killed by all that connivance just for control of oil. Back in the 50s Iran nationalised the oil business as they were getting peanuts for their oil, and the US overthrow the elected government and put the demon Shah in it’s place. Oh how celebrities loved to be photographed with him.
Sure Obama has used drones and caused some civilian casualties but look at the mess he is trying to get the US out of. Sadly I don’t understand his motives in Syria unless he is following the Israeli / Saudi ambition to remove all Shia influence from the area. However, there are worse offenders than Obama !
But it was Obama who invaded Libya, armed the headchoppers in Syria, supported a Nazi takeover in Ukraine, and refused to prosecute the Bushes and Clintons for their war crimes, as is his Constitutional obligation to do.
I agree with your assesment of previous Presidents, however, by refusing to prosecute them for their crimes, Obama has chosen to be in complicit in those crimes, too.
There are more charges that could added to those cited above.
John, you may be right in some ways on Libya but this is what Horace Campbell, Prof. African-American SHORACE CAMPBELL, PROF. AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES AND POLITICAL SCIENCE, SYRACUSE UNIV
NATO intervened in spite of the differences between different sections of NATO, between France and the United States, between France and Germany, and the competition between Italy and France. Despite these differences, they came together after France precipitated this massive invasion to destroy Libyan society in 2011.
…….the leader had come from his presenting himself as someone who was part of the African Union and wanted to build an African Monetary Fund, an African Central Bank, and a African common currency. And that was a danger to not only the euro, because Sarkozy said, we’re going to fight to save the euro, but it would present a threat to the dollar. Moreover, the Libyan leadership had moved to take over the Arab banking corporation in Bahrain, and the Libyan leadership had over $200 billion in foreign reserves.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article38009.htmtudies & Political Science said:
As for the Ukraine, I’m willing to wait on that one and see how much can be placed on Obama shoulders, and the loose cannons in the CIA, State Department and Pentagon. I gather that secret powers still exist there, remnants from the G. Bush years when many were muzzled and a neocon group censored what came out. I don’t think with that in mind, a Hillary, and a war mongering Senate and house we can quite say who was most to blame.
Hillary on several occasions went her own way if she thought not doing so was going to hurt her future (she was involved in weakening Obama’s push on Netanyahu). At one or two points I thought she should have been fired.
Well Bill, Obama was very flippant when he said “we tortured some folks”. Imagine words to that effect ringing in the Nüremberg Halls after WW2. No one seemed shocked or upset that we totally violated the Geneva conventions, rules of war, and the “military code of conduct” we are so proud about in our military.
No wonder Bush fought so hard for immunity for the troops (which delayed many an agreement with the Iraqis)
Obamas’ remark was about as disingenuous as it gets, and no one said a peep. He didn’t even appear the least bit self-reflective as he said it either. Those remarks in and of themselves stripped all arguments away from any humane treatment of our own soldiers if the tables were turned. All arguments that Obama was less militaristic than Baby Bush no longer had any validity as soon as he said those words without any qualification or punishment.
When you look at Trumps potential cabinet, Corker, Bolton, Gingrich, Giuliani, Palin are you still optimistic that neocons have been banished?
John, I do hope this is a mis-read of the potential cabinet positions. My fear factor just went up even more with the likes of Bolton, who can’t seem to get along with anyone, and Gingrich who feels its time to colonize the moon, and lying Giuliani in the mix would sour any attempt at a cohesive resolve, if indeed that resolve is to stop mucking around in other countries.
And Palin of all people? The thought of Palin being anywhere near the White House and not shooting turkeys from helicopters, is terrifying and insane.
I hope you are wrong John and it was a Colbert joke instead of an actual possibility. That potential cabinet you described has disfunction, fear, lies, and false flags written all over it. I was trying to make peace with myself over an impossible human in the White House, as he must not be ‘that bad’ but you have just scared the bejesus out of me and my friends. Let’s hope it never happens as you described.
The rise of the vultures who have been weened on the taste of blood reemerge. scary.
Bolton reminds me of Yosemite Sam.
Not only is that cabinet scary. It would be a cross between Keystone cops, alligators and angry kangaroos.
They’d ruin any hope Trump would have to have a cogent set of interrelated policies and a functioning executive branch, IMO.
He’d go down with that sinking ship.
Interestingly, in a recent Trump/Clinton documentary on public tv, Trump’s most successful business venture – his first Trump Tower – succeeded because he brought in two women who worked for him to build and develop it. One was the super contractor and the other ran the business development side. According to the documentary, it was that building that got his career off to a good start.
Unfortunately, that lesson did not hold.
Hopefully he will think twice about lettng these jokers anywhere near decision making in the White House.
I share your angst.
Who he chooses in important positions will tell us everything about what we can expect.
Hopefully John is joking…..( she said nervously….).
Sean Hannity as White House Chief of Staff, and Laura Ingraham will be White House Press Sectary. I wonder if the first episode will be President Donald getting to meet the White House Chef, and the Chef is a beefy Hispanic woman ….but suddenly the Prez gets called away, she the lady chef will be back in episode four, I jest, sorry. I sincerely hope Trump undoes the selfish stupidity of our government if he can at least accomplish that. His problem, is our problem, and that is undoing this insane NWO plan that must end. Glen Beck will be deported to a Muslim family who’s living in Mexico, and that will be episode two…so stay tuned there will be more to come….. Reality America is Great Again!
Sorry, Curious, but mainstream media reported yesterday that Gingrich was being considered for Secretary of State, Giuliani for Attorney General, and Palin for (drumroll) …
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR???
Please tell me I’m dreaming!
To dream the impossible dream…….. ouch! I can think of more horrible people to sit around a table, but I would really have to stretch the synapses more than they have been already during this election at the mere thought of such a cacophony of incoherent sounds emanating from such random and irritating opinions. It would give new meaning to ‘noise pollution’ and the toxicity will invade all of our once healthy cells.
I hope this was just a dream/nightmare.
Sorry, John, but mainstream media reported yesterday that Gingrich was being considered for Secretary of State, Giuliani for Attorney General, and Palin for (drumroll) …
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR???
Please tell me I’m dreaming!
Wrong name. With apologies.
Wrong name. Meant Curious.
That is a cabinet full of the villains from Batman…..
Thank you, Ray McGovern, for this beautiful poem, “DIE GEDANKEN SIND FREI”.
It proves with charming eloquence, what Glenn Greenwald, Noam Chomsky, Edward Snowden, Jacob Applebaum and others are saying about why privacy is so important – to give us a chance, in our emails or telephone conversations to develop our thoughts instead of advance self censoring them were we to believe that those thoughts were being overheard and scrutinized in a preformed state….
https://sbs.arizona.edu/privacy
Die Gedanken sind frei had been sung on the HAMBACHER FEST march in 1832, the beginning of parlamentarian selfesteem im Römischen Reich Deutscher Nation .. leading to 1848 first Parliament and constitution at Paulskirche in Frankfurt Main.
This song is not only history or a nice poem, this song is our belief to democracy and will be intoned again and again in these days. Hopefully when Trump is releasing Germany from its binding lines and NATO.
Thank you Ray McGovern! For this article and all your work, including your important presentation to the Bundestag. I was really glad to read about your news on this.
I was a Bernie supporter and was going to vote for Stein but wound up trying to send a message by adding my vote to the Gary Johnson tally in Texas because he too was very much opposed to regime change. (I don’t agree with much from the libertarians but that was irrelevant.)
I hope you are right about Trump!
And of course Trump expressed these very sentiments during his campaign. Although it’s not clear how committed he is to what he said. that’s what I worry about.
I find it disconcerting over the last couple of days to hear Washington insiders harping on how Trump needs to listen closely to those who try to “bring him up to date” on foreign policy crises and to listen closely to his foreign policy “briefings”. These are people who I suspect are fully on board with the mindless aggression we continually hear from some at State and elsewhere in our government.
They seem to be hell bent on persuading Trump to come into the fold of current “thinking” which, as Andrew Bacevich says – if all you have is a hammer then everything is seen as a nail.
I hope that Trump sticks to his guns – no pun intended – and strongly resists folding himself into the current path we’re on.
I believe I read that you delivered daily briefings to our presidents for a long time.
I have a lot of respect for CIA analysts such as yourself and Mel Goodman for your intellectual honesty and courage and your fight against politicizing intelligence.
I hope that the briefings Trump gets are from honest analysts who don’t try to color the truth to push Trump into the arms of the neocons and neoliberals.
I hope he has what it takes to think for himself.
Thank you Ray, You’re a treasure…
Trump’s victory should be a call to end all Neocon inspired wars. Trump has it right, “we should talk to them”. Time to end conflicts of war, and partner up with the Russians and the Chinese. It’s also time for liberals to find new leaders, and oh this time pick somebody more truly liberal and not someone like the Clintons.