'The State Department’s entire senior management team just resigned'

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

You sound like someone's pet yorkie yapping in the backyard. This one's so easy Finn, even you should be able to figure it out.

The Wapo OPTION piece in the OP put a spin on this story that just ain't correct. To say that these folks resigned "unexpectedly" is BS.

Hey, dimwit, you yourself say that the OP link was an opinion piece which opines about the difficulty Trump will have without any institutional knowledge at upper management levels at State (he sure as hell stepped in shit with his silly Mexican 20% tariff threat, his statements on Taiwan, his statements about NATO, his threats to take Iraqi oil, statements about lifting Crimea sanctions ...).

Here are two WaPo news articles from the very same day as the OP on the subject. Both get it right.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...9ba_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...835_story.html

I remain bemused by your willingness to carry water for Trump/Bannon's Lügenpresse tactics as they try to smear legitimate press sources in favor of Fox, Breitbart, InfoWars and talk radio.

[JCricket]

Originally Posted by whell

You sound like someone's pet yorkie yapping in the backyard. This one's so easy Finn, even you should be able to figure it out.

The Wapo OPTION piece in the OP put a spin on this story that just ain't correct. To say that these folks resigned "unexpectedly" is BS. The OPINION writer's piece was designed to give the reader the impression - and you and Bob fell for it - that a mini protest was underway at the State Dept. Even your lefty friends at CommonDreams.org have figured this out:

Update:

Despite some initial speculation that their 'unexpected' and 'abrupt' departures were possibly an expression of protest by employees who did not want to work for the State Department under President Trump, later reporting on Wednesday indicates the mass exodus was triggered, according to department officials, by the new administration "cleaning house" and telling the top-level managers their services were no longer needed.

"Any implication that that these four people quit is wrong," one unnamed senior State Department official told CNN. "These people are loyal to the secretary, the President and to the State Department. There is just not any attempt here to dis the President. People are not quitting and running away in disgust. This is the White House cleaning house."

On the record, State Department spokesman Mark Toner told the Washington Post, "These positions are political appointments, and require the president to nominate and the Senate to confirm them in these roles. They are not career appointments, but of limited term,” Toner said.

Trump's election has you so tied up in knots that you're becoming a caricature. Please continue. It's hilarious.

Whell,
I would agree that there are FAR too many spins put on stories. I often feel it is almost impossible to find any news that doesn't have a spin. As such, I believe virtually nothing I read or hear now - short of the minimal facts - such as the change in the state department. We know the change occured, but why is totally undefined.

As to Trump, I have to say it seems like Trump is a control freak. Did He and the Mexican President jointly decide to cancel their meeting? Me thinks not. It appears Trump is so worried about what people think that he puts a lot of effort into trying to sell propaganda to ease his own insecurities..


EDIT: A point I forgot to make, I have seen this level of insecurity many times in my life. Another trait that seems to go hand in hand with this fault is a lack of integrity. Just my $0.02 worth.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

H
Here are two WaPo news articles from the very same day as the OP on the subject. Both get it right.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...9ba_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...835_story.html

What an idiotic post. Those were NOT the articles referenced in the OP, nor the ones that you subsequently commented on in this thread.

Nice try. Yap, little yorkie! Yap, yap!

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

Use of the word is figurative, goes to illegitimacy, and rapid radical change.

You are struggling.

[whell]

Originally Posted by JCricket

Whell,
I would agree that there are FAR too many spins put on stories. I often feel it is almost impossible to find any news that doesn't have a spin. As such, I believe virtually nothing I read or hear now - short of the minimal facts - such as the change in the state department. We know the change occured, but why is totally undefined.

As to Trump, I have to say it seems like Trump is a control freak. Did the He and the Mexican President jointly decide to cancel their meeting? Me thinks not. It appears Trump is so worried about what people think that he puts a lot of effort into trying to sell propaganda to ease his own insecurities..


EDIT: A point I forgot to make, I have seen this level of insecurity many times in my life. Another trait that seems to go hand in hand with this fault is a lack of integrity. Just my $0.02 worth.

I have no doubt at all the Mex gov't cancelled the meeting. None.

That said, it seems to me right now that Mexico is not holding the winning hand in this scenario, and they know it. Therefore, cancelling a meeting is one way to try to gain the upper hand in a negotiation process. It may not be the right way, but it is one way.

As far as Trump's leadership style - the guy's been in office for a week. Its way to early to try to discern how he'll lead. But I will say this - if you look at his cabinet picks, this does not appear to be collection of folks who would respond well to micromanagement. Based on some of Trump's comments thus far, it sounds like he's well aware of that, and even values that. So, time will tell if these independent minded folks will mesh with their new boss or not.

[Tom Joad]

Heads always roll among the top positions in government whenever a new administration of a different party comes in. Thats the way it is. Do you think the Obama admistration kept all of Bush's top managers?

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

You are struggling.

You are so literal, don't get figurative.

[Rajoo]

Originally Posted by whell

I have no doubt at all the Mex gov't cancelled the meeting. None.

That said, it seems to me right now that Mexico is not holding the winning hand in this scenario, and they know it. Therefore, cancelling a meeting is one way to try to gain the upper hand in a negotiation process. It may not be the right way, but it is one way.

I disagree on this. Trump will have the upper hand if US manufacturers decide to abandon Mexico and bring back the manufacturing jobs back to the US. What are the odds? Very low unless the Congress levies tariffs for which the odds are even lower.

So right now it's a political stalemate.

[whell]

Originally Posted by Rajoo

I disagree on this. Trump will have the upper hand if US manufacturers decide to abandon Mexico and bring back the manufacturing jobs back to the US. What are the odds? Very low unless the Congress levies tariffs for which the odds are even lower.

So right now it's a political stalemate.

US firms manufacturing in Mexico is only part of what this is about. For the Mexican Prez, this is also about "building the wall", whether that's a threat or a promise remains to be seen. This is about enforcing immigration laws, particularly the part that might result in a reduction of the flow of cash from the Mexican immigrants (illegal or not) working in the US back to Mexico.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by Rajoo

I disagree on this. Trump will have the upper hand if US manufacturers decide to abandon Mexico and bring back the manufacturing jobs back to the US. What are the odds? Very low unless the Congress levies tariffs for which the odds are even lower.

So right now it's a political stalemate.

Under law, Trump can levee tarrifs on his own say-so in wartime, and it doesn't take much to say it's wartime.