Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 11:57pm

Who Is Unfit to be President?

Fifty foreign policy figures, most from the Bush 43 administration, have issued a letter slamming Donald Trump.  Some of the names are notable and most are deservedly obscure, being relatively low ranking munchkins.  Here is the text of the letter:

 

STATEMENT BY FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY OFFICIALS

The undersigned individuals have all served in senior national security and/or foreign policy positions in Republican Administrations, from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush.

 

 

 
We have worked directly on national security issues with these Republican Presidents and/or their principal advisers during wartime and other periods of crisis, through successes and failures.We know the personal qualities required of a President of the United States.

 

 

 
None of us will vote for Donald Trump.

 

 

 
From a foreign policy perspective, Donald Trump is not qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief. Indeed, we are convinced that he would be a dangerous President and would put at risk our country’s national security and well-being.
Most fundamentally, Mr. Trump lacks the character, values, and experience to be President. He weakens U.S. moral authority as the leader of the free world. He appears to lack basic knowledge about and belief in the U.S. Constitution, U.S. laws, and U.S. institutions, including religious tolerance, freedom of the press, and an independent judiciary.

 

 

 
In addition, Mr. Trump has demonstrated repeatedly that he has little understanding of America’s vital national interests, its complex diplomatic challenges, its indispensable alliances, and the democratic values on which U.S. foreign policy must be based.  At the same time, he persistently compliments our adversaries and threatens our allies and friends. Unlike previous Presidents who had limited experience in foreign affairs, Mr. Trump has shown no interest in educating himself.  He continues to display an alarming ignorance of basic facts of contemporary international politics. Despite his lack of knowledge, Mr. Trump claims that he understands foreign affairs and “knows more about ISIS than the generals do.”

 

 

 

Mr. Trump lacks the temperament to be President.  In our experience, a President must be willing to listen to his advisers and department heads; must encourage consideration of conflicting views; and must acknowledge errors and learn from them. A President must be disciplined, control emotions, and act only after reflection and careful deliberation.A President must maintain cordial relationships with leaders of countries of different backgrounds and must have their respect and trust.
In our judgment, Mr. Trump has none of these critical qualities.  He is unable or unwilling to separate truth from falsehood.  He does not encourage conflicting views.  He lacks self control and acts impetuously. He cannot tolerate personal criticism. He has alarmed our closest allies with his erratic behavior. All of these are dangerous qualities in an individual who aspires to be President and Commander-in-Chief, with command of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

 

 

 

We understand that many Americans are profoundly frustrated with the federal government and its inability to solve pressing domestic and international problems. We also know that many have doubts about Hillary Clinton, as do many of us.
But Donald Trump is not the answer to America’s daunting challenges and to this crucial election. We are convinced that in the Oval Office, he would be the most reckless President in American history.

 

 

 

Now, many of these criticisms I agree with, and foreign policy is one of many reasons why I will not be voting for President in the Fall.  However, here is the problem with the letter.  Except for a throw away line at the end, it completely ignores the stark fact that either Trump or Clinton will be sitting in the Oval Office.  Here is what we know about Clinton in regard to foreign policy:

  1.  She was a disaster as Secretary of State, with Libya and Benghazi being only two of many examples of her gross incompetence in office.
  2. She was completely unconcerned as Secretary of State in using private e-mail servers for her public business, including using her private e-mail when on the territory of technologically sophisticated adversaries, said adversaries almost certainly having hacked her e-mail server.
  3. She is a liar as demonstrated by the statement of FBI Director Comey in regard to the e-mail scandal.
  4. In tandem with her “husband” Bill Clinton, and through the machinations of the Clinton Foundation, she has sold influence on American foreign policy to the highest bidder.  Among her customers has been Putin’s Russia by which Russia now controls 20% of American domestic uranium production.
  5. indexAccording to a 2013 e-mail from her chief aide Huma Abedin, Clinton is “often confused”.

This list could go on at considerable length, but the simple fact is that Clinton is manifestly unfit to be President.  I would have respect for this letter if it had acknowledged that fact, but since it did not I can only put it in the category of being almost totally correct on Trump and almost totally blind as to Clinton.

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Foxfier
Admin
Tuesday, August 9, AD 2016 8:11am

They’re worried about Trump’s “temperament” but the woman who openly, actively hates service members and whose right-hand man (Weiner’s wife) has multiple immediate family connections with current terror groups doesn’t get a note?
Nope, hacks.

Foxfier
Admin
Tuesday, August 9, AD 2016 8:13am

My husband just got a clearance renewal. Lower than the Secretary of State, of course.
There was almost a problem because one of the people I talk to a lot was a citizen of the PI– and even though she’s an Australian now, they still had to check up on her.
For someone I do mommy-talk with, online, because the PI has terror groups.

c matt
c matt
Tuesday, August 9, AD 2016 8:15am

That’s rich. Foreign policy “experts” who have bankrupted this nation with unnecessary wars claim Trump can’t “acknowledge errors and learn from them.”

Ginny
Ginny
Tuesday, August 9, AD 2016 12:30pm

If Hillary drinks as much as has been reported, and is being injected with Valium — a deadly combination.

Penguins Fan
Penguins Fan
Tuesday, August 9, AD 2016 2:32pm

So, where is the letter claiming that the Hildebeast is unfit for command?

Dubya certainly was the lesser of two evils in 2000 and 2004 but some of the people he surrounded himself with, as shown by this bunch, were rather inept.

ExNOAAman
ExNOAAman
Tuesday, August 9, AD 2016 7:29pm

Have any of these boys ever worked with, (or even met) DJT? How do they know he’s unable, unwilling, incompetant, blah blah blah? From TV campaign speeches? Puleeez.
Total grandstanding.
And whom would be the “previous president” they speak of? The guy that’s dumb as a stick and enjoys giving $400M in cash to Iran?
.
I wonder who they think they’re fooling.

CAM
CAM
Tuesday, August 9, AD 2016 7:40pm

So junior Sen Barry Obama was a foreign policy expert? The candidate that campaigned in “57” US states.

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Tuesday, August 9, AD 2016 9:59pm

Sour grapes from Bush loyalists.

trackback
Tuesday, August 9, AD 2016 11:13pm

[…] Dreher How Jeremy Corbyn will Reshape Labour’s Backrooms after Victory – Stephen Bush, NS Who Is Unfit to be President? – Donald R. McClarey J.D., The American Catholic The New York Times Can’t Best Prometheus […]

Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Wednesday, August 10, AD 2016 2:22am

“Fifty foreign policy figures, most from the Bush 43 administration, have issued a letter slamming Donald Trump.”

No surprise. These are the same folks who are all in bed together with basic Democrat/Republican foreign and economic policy. They would much prefer Hillary who agrees with them to Trump who might begin to change from this one world direction.

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