Australian Broadcasting Corporation:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has brought wonderful and woefully-needed leadership administrative competence to the US State Department.
The same skills that she employs in managing her bureaucracy served her well in her Asian excursion. Her ability to use diplomatic tools, as opposed to the US navy, as a mechanism to further American policy is easy to recognise but difficult to describe.
Her techniques represent a welcome departure from the style employed in the previous administration. With the exception of the rather eccentric though effective Nixon/Kissinger duet, American foreign policy has invariably been that of a solo player – sometimes looked at as a bully. Hillary Clinton, who has been given a broad charter by US president Obama, clearly recognises the limits of unilateralism and is working to build American foreign policy built on cooperation and consultation. From an Australian perspective, as a regional power, the secretary’s efforts are to be commended.
[…]
Without the ideological fetters of some of her predecessors, Dr Rice immediately comes to mind, secretary Clinton is approaching foreign policy with a very honest and sincere American view that despite the rise of other nations, the US still has a critical role to play in maintaining world stability. However, based on the debacles of the preceding Bush administration, secretary Clinton knows that American influence must be based on engagement and discussion rather than impossibly costly military exercises. In a word, she brings both idealism and political realism to foreign policy that has for too long been the domain of academic ideologues.
Hillary Clinton has a secret weapon that she is not afraid to use: despite the rise of China, Brazil, India and Russia as economic powers, none of those nations is very effective on the world stage and, with all its faults, the US is far more pleasant as an international partner than any of the world’s rising economic stars. Because of cultural and linguistic factors, there is simply no real competition for the US, and Clinton has shown herself to be quite adept at using the comfort factor of US culture as a foreign policy tool.
Witness how at ease and nonchalant she is at discussing enhancement of the US military presence in Australia. She raises the point with complete familiarity and matter-of-factness with the knowledge that the US is not viewed as an occupying power and, with some exceptions, is generally viewed as a benign guest. Such conversations would be far more difficult for her predecessors who insisted on putting matters into ideological terms.
To make my point, I will go out on limb and say that secretary Clinton would enjoy the same relationship and effectiveness regardless of who occupies the Lodge. She was here not as a partisan member of the Democratic Party, though she is indeed a very partisan politician, but rather she was here as probably the pre-eminent foreign policy figure in the world.
Viewed in this light, it is really quite wonderful to see how she operates. She has all the ease of a politician working a crowd and is not cowed by academics or experts because she knows that she is every bit as bright as anyone else. In short, she understands people and power even in the elevated world of foreign ministers.
As for results, this trip has already had successes. The secretary is making Americanism an essential aspect or component of foreign policy in every nation she visits. She is capitalising on the familiarity of America and using that familiarity to fill the gaps in other countries’ policies with American policies. She knows that no other nation is in a position to do this and none will be able to for the foreseeable future. Make no mistake about it, she is pushing an American agenda but she achieves it by making American policy Japanese policy or Filipino policy or even Australian policy.
Even at the height of their influence the Soviets could never master this craft and for so many reasons, I believe that the Chinese simply cannot. Watch her closely – it is like watching a grand master playing bridge or chess. The technique is as exciting as the results.
We could have had Hillary, but noooooooo, the CDS infested Democratic leadership and the misogynist frat boiz of Obamanation had to force a Reagan-loving DINOcrat half-wit narcissistic empty-suit down our throats.
Thanks for nothing, guys.
Fu**king f**ksticks!
(h/t to filipino-american4hrc for the links. A transcript of the full Hamish and Andy interview is here)
Filed under: Hillary Clinton | Tagged: Hillary Clinton |
My Morning Sneeze is seriously OT – but maybe not totally since it’s about 2012:
broad charter = yeah, what she said…can I eat my waffles now?
She’s so …nice. That’s just how she comes across to me.
I saw this episode, and I thought it was really gracious of Ellen to put her on the show. And I like that Bristol’s dance partner is very encouraging. Talk about treating one another with respect and as human beings.
Ellen really seems like such a good-hearted person, in a sincere way that I don’t feel from Oprah. Oprah is always exhorting people to be better etc while Ellen just seems to accept people as they are.
Totally agree with you on that one.
Yea, Ellen has a great heart–you can feel it. With no pretense.
And it’s time for this morning tabloids – did you ever anticipate there’d be resistance in Congress to repealing DADT? Who would have thunk it?
The National Geographic Channel program on Hillary and the State Dept. last night was pure pleasure to watch.
Hillary makes Obama look small. She makes people like Howard Dean sound like a mouse in a packed auditorium. She even shrinks the Michael Moores of the world.
She is a national treasure, and the American public knows it.
Cue the drumbeat.
Just watching that Hamish & Andy interview clip makes me want to cry for what could have been. What a great leader she is.
Me too! Great interview.
Me, too!!!
djmm
Here are some clips from the National Geographic program on Hillary:
http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/106646496/AFP
I hope the whole thing is eventually posted on youtube.
I love watching her talk about a wide range of issues. And she has a great sense of humor.
Forgive me. That link is of Michelle Obama in Indonesia.
The NG clip is here: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/community/blogs/ngc/_american-diplomacy
That is OK, that is one Obama that seems to connect with us ‘common folk’ or as the BP dude so rudely put it, ‘The Little People’.
Oh, but to know that Hillary saw us and we weren’t invisible to her and we mattered.
To make up for that wrong link, here are some beautiful images of Hillary Clinton in Australia: http://www.gettyimages.com.au/Search/Search.aspx?contractUrl=2&assetType=image&family=Editorial&p=hillary%20clinton
Oh my, the black pantsuit pictures! Where is Regency?
It really was wonderful, wasn’t it? Just when I think I cannot be any more impressed by this woman, I am. Her sheer stamina and clarity alone are a marvel. How does someone go 20 hrs/day, day after day, while conducting highly complex negotiations? And she’s so often laughing, and patting someone on the back. Amaaazing.
Please let us know when they post the entire program on the internet. I don’t have cable and I’m dying to see it.
One more reason to be impressed by Hillary is found in this nice exchange at Hillary is 44: http://www.hillaryis44.org/2010/11/07/the-only-question-left-will-the-detox-party-win-and-dump-obama/#comment-313427
The Nat Geo was so very good. I remembered her in that beautiful black and flowery car coat………I want one!No wonder that she has a much higher success rate
than Obama!
Oh I just posted on another thread.So glad that you all saw it. I was blown away – again- by HRC in this documentary. She is wise, competent, practical and everything that I want to see in a leader. I truly respect her and she is an inspiration to women everywhere.
Let’s see…
This review from the Aussie about HRC versus the Obama India debacle….
And to think we could (should) have had her running the whole thing.
Sigh.
Thanks, myiq2xu!!! There will be many pretenders coming out of the Democratic woodwork who will cast themselves as the genuine alternative to Obama. But we know they can never hold a candle to the Real Deal. As one commenter in that Australian article said:
The quote is awesome!
I just came over to post that link–a wonderful piece. After the National Geo special on the State Dept. last night and now this…her leadership and nuanced skill are unparalleled right now. I’m trying to focus on the good: she seems to be thriving in her role, and it’s obvious to all who witness it.
And isn’t it wonderful that all this positive coverage is coming out right after the mid-terms? I’m not superstitious, but I’m starting to wonder if the “stars” are realigning (I’m thinking John Lennon’s Woman — “After all, it is written in the stars”). Maybe we will see the “Return of the Jedi” :=)
It is very interesting timing.
Rise Hillary Rise!
THAT’S MY GIRL!!!
We were so right. They were so wrong. I wish that fact made me feel one iota better, but it doesn’t.
Mr. Tingles up his ass, just said “if Hillary would have acted like she does in this Aussie interview she would have become president….Adding this is an eye opener, a WOW for Hillary, she could have changed history………..
Damn him!