Thread: Rice: Obama to follow Bush foreign policy

Rice: Obama to follow Bush foreign policy

Barack Obama might have little option but to follow George W. Bush’s approach on a range of foreign policy issues, including Iran, said Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state.

Ms Rice told the Financial Times the new administration was likely to follow Mr Bush’s lead in the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme. During the president’s second term, the US has co-ordinated its approach with the European Union, Russia and China.

“When I talk to our allies they believe that that is the structure with which this is ultimately going to be resolved,” Ms Rice said, while acknowledging that the Obama administration would generally “do things in their own way”.

She said: “The reason why there might be some elements of continuity is that what we’ve tried to do is to arrange or organise international groupings that can first manage and then resolve these very difficult problems in a multilateral way.” She was referring not just to the administration’s efforts over Iran but also its approach to North Korea and the Israel-Palestinian issue.

Ms Rice’s words could damp expectations that the incoming administration will represent a complete break with its predecessor on foreign policy.

They also highlight the obstacles facing the new team as it seeks breakthroughs for problems the Bush administration has failed to resolve. In an echo of the current administration’s rhetoric, Mr Obama promises to use carrots and sticks to push Iran to rein in its nuclear programme.

But in spite of a sustained sanctions drive by the US and its allies and an offer of talks, Iran has stepped up uranium enrichment and is widely reckoned to be moving closer to nuclear weapons capability.

While Mr Obama has promised a radically different approach to the outgoing administration on issues such as climate change, and Guantanamo Bay, many of his cabinet picks are centrists who have won praise from Republicans.

Although Ms Rice has described herself as “especially proud” of Mr Obama’s election as the first African American president, she consistently declines to say for whom she voted.

Ms Rice expressed concern over the expected appointment of a series of special envoys for world hotspots, saying it was important not to cut ambassadors and diplomats out of the loop.

Hey thanks everyone for giving us at least four more years of George W. Bush's foreign policy! Enjoying the "CHANGE"?

Originally Posted by Defensor

Rice: Obama to follow Bush foreign policy

Hey thanks everyone for giving us at least four more years of George W. Bush's foreign policy! Enjoying the "CHANGE"?

I am sorry, but are you now agreeing with that neocon Rice?

Originally Posted by Think for myself

I am sorry, but are you know agreeing the that neocon Rice?

Hey, the neocon knows one of her own when she sees one. Rice is excited that we get to have four more years of George Bush!

Originally Posted by Defensor

Hey, the neocon knows one of her own when she sees one. Rice is excited that we get to have four more years of George Bush!

I am sorry, are you now agreeing with that neocon Rice?

Originally Posted by Think for myself

I am sorry, are you now agreeing with that neocon Rice?

Yes, Defensor - what's up with that?

You're buying into the words of a Neo-Con?

Whatsa matta wid you boy?

And this, from probably the most ineffectual Secretary of State we've ever had? Hm.... :whistling:

I already gave you the scenario for the "clean break", right? BUSINESS CONTINUITY matters, yes? But I very sincerely doubt that Obama has "no choice but to follow Bush's policies". That rotten f*cktard Bush TRIED to set things up that way, but as usual he FAILED. He's just a blowhard, he couldn't implement his way into or out of ANYTHING! Except TROUBLE!

You'll see - Obama will get the lay of the land, and then he'll start making changes. Sorry if it doesn't happen in "your" time frame (or mine).

The man gets the benefit of the doubt until he screws up. So far he hasn't had the CHANCE to screw up, not even having been in office a single day! So, why don't we NOT blow smoke about what he may or may not do when he gets there. We shall see. So far I'm aware there are already several HUNDRED executive orders waiting for President Obama's signature the moment he takes office. So, let's wait till that moment, before we start commenting on the guy's performance.

Originally Posted by Think for myself

I am sorry, are you now agreeing with that neocon Rice?

Well this is sort of like Rice saying "the earth is round." Not much room for personal disagreement.

Originally Posted by nonsqtr

Yes, Defensor - what's up with that?

You're buying into the words of a Neo-Con?

Whatsa matta wid you boy?

And this, from probably the most ineffectual Secretary of State we've ever had? Hm.... :whistling:

I already gave you the scenario for the "clean break", right? BUSINESS CONTINUITY matters, yes? But I very sincerely doubt that Obama has "no choice but to follow Bush's policies". That rotten f*cktard Bush TRIED to set things up that way, but as usual he FAILED. He's just a blowhard, he couldn't implement his way into or out of ANYTHING! Except TROUBLE!

You'll see - Obama will get the lay of the land, and then he'll start making changes. Sorry if it doesn't happen in "your" time frame (or mine).

The man gets the benefit of the doubt until he screws up. So far he hasn't had the CHANCE to screw up, not even having been in office a single day! So, why don't we NOT blow smoke about what he may or may not do when he gets there. We shall see. So far I'm aware there are already several HUNDRED executive orders waiting for President Obama's signature the moment he takes office. So, let's wait till that moment, before we start commenting on the guy's performance.

Yes, nonsgtr, what's up with that? I thought you were against Bush and the neocons, and yet here we have one of the big ones observing that your boy Obama is going to keep the same policies. What gives?

Originally Posted by Defensor

Yes, nonsgtr, what's up with that? I thought you were against Bush and the neocons, and yet here we have one of the big ones observing that your boy Obama is going to keep the same policies. What gives?

HINT: she lies!!!

Don't you know by now, the Neo-Cons are living in a PIPE DREAM!

All that horsesh*t they're bringing to the table is DELUSION OF THEIR OWN MAKING!

They've got a piss-ant TINY little threat to deal with, and two things are true:

a) they can't even handle THAT, and

b) they've blown it up ALL out of proportion, to where it's a gigantic "war" that costs TEN TRILLION dollars, and all 'cause someone got lucky and managed to blow up a building.

This is par for the course, D-man, it goes along with the territory.

People like that, they can't IMAGINE how anyone else could do things ANY other way, but the way they themselves are doin' it!

Here's Rice: "I don't know how else he's gonna do it" -

Yeah, right lady. That's why HE'S comin' in and YOU'RE goin' out. It's 'cause YOU DON'T KNOW and YOU CAN'T IMAGINE.

These institutionalized bastids are all the same. There is a LOT of inertia in institutional models. That's something they don't, and CAN'T, teach you in business school - the danger of getting "locked in" to a particular strategy relative to the marketplace. Fully HALF of the companies that go under, go under for this reason - someone at some point made a BAD strategic decision, and the result is that now they're "locked in" to a particular way of doing business and they can't change it 'cause it would be TOO EXPENSIVE. So, they just dumbly keep plodding forward....

And I mean, you go ask around in the pool of eligible CEO's - people KNOW about this stuff. Companies in that kinda shape, they're considered low hanging fruit for all manner of CON ARTISTS who just want to pick up a big bonus and don't really give a rat's ass about the health of the company. (Can you say "George W Bush"?)

No - what is needed is someone like an Iacocca WAS for Chrysler - someone with the breadth of knowledge and experience to handle the operational constraints in terms of business continuity and so on. A dumb f*cktard like Bush doesn't even THINK in those terms - all he sees is, "things aren't the way we want 'em, so let's make 'em like we want 'em". And meanwhile, infrastructure crumbles, guvmint agencies get gutted and end up falling down on the job..... the whole nine yards. W is a MORON in this regard! He knows NOTHING about "corporate change"!!! Evidence - look at the State he's left our country in. Just LOOK! You see before you, a perfect example of how NOT to do corporate change.

This situation we have now, this is the same stupidity you get when a new CEO steps in and immediately issues a big thick book full of new "rules". What you get is, a third of the people buy into 'em without question, another third are just gonna ignore 'em and keep gettin' their jobs done, and the last third is gonna be so confused by all the new rules that their work is gonna come to a grinding halt till they figure it out. That's a HORRIBLE change model, and the result is exactly what you're seeing today - chaos and insubordination, economic problems, supply and delivery problems, etc etc. SAME stuff, just a different institution is all.

Originally Posted by Defensor

Well this is sort of like Rice saying "the earth is round." Not much room for personal disagreement.

I am sorry, so are you now agreeing with a neocon?

Originally Posted by Think for myself

I am sorry, so are you now agreeing with a neocon?

There's nothing to agree about. Rice didn't state an opinion, she just observed a pretty obvious fact.