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[SolarPowered]

Isn't Tillerson also responsible for essentially gutting our State Department of our most experienced diplomats?

I mean, Russia would be stupid to expect sanctions being lifted in this political environment. At best, I think, they would be satisfied with undermining the influence of the United States worldwide. Mission accomplished.

IIRC they were already happy with the idea of Trump coming so close to winning that the 2016 election would spawn tons of conspiracy theories that would undermine confidence in Hillary's administration and American democracy as a whole. The fact that Trump won is something NO ONE (Democrats, Republicans, the Russians and even Trump) expected.

May as well set the house on fire if you've already torn everything inside to shreds.

 

[GameAddict411]

There is no way the sanctions are going anywhere considering what's happening with Trump administration right now.

 

[geomon]

How long until Tillerson is fired?

 

[Deleted member 80556]

This is nothing more than reading the situation. Had the narrative surrounding Trump and Russia not been as bad as it is now and Trump not been as unpopular as he they would have pushed removing those sanctions in a heartbeat.

Pretty much. This feels like something to remind in whatever impeachment process might happen. "Oh look we aren't pro-Russia, we said we'd keep sanctions until they returned Crimea!"

 

[jelly]

Tillerson isn't stupid. He knows the game is up and that easy pay day oil deal is gone. No point being on the wrong side now.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

"Psych, you shouldn't have trusted us to lift sanctions"
"thanks for the help, now that we're in power stop messing with elections"

They have other elections now to mess with anyway.

 

[superdeluxe]

Isn't Tillerson also responsible for essentially gutting our State Department of our most experienced diplomats?

I mean, Russia would be stupid to expect sanctions being lifted in this political environment. At best, I think, they would be satisfied with undermining the influence of the United States worldwide. Mission accomplished.

What I'm reading is that they were fired/resigned by trump before Tillerson took office

https://www.usnews.com/news/nationa...ior-state-department-resignations-report-says

 

[jstripes]

This is like when my daughter's friends held a party at their house, and found out their parents were coming home early.

 

[ZOONAMI]

Maybe? I think with all the Russia stuff is forcing trump's camp to distance itself?

Right. Because they got caught it makes it hard to keep doing pro-Russia things without further validating that you got caught.

 

[superdeluxe]

Tillerson isn't stupid. He knows the game is up and that easy pay day oil deal is gone. No point being on the wrong side now.

This, even if you were pro Russia before, that will not be acceptable going forward. Russia fucked up when trump actually won.

 

[Lesath]

What I'm reading is that they were fired/resigned by trump before Tillerson took office

https://www.usnews.com/news/nationa...ior-state-department-resignations-report-says

Hey, thanks. I stand corrected. I'm still apprehensive about his links to Russia, but I'm glad his hands are tied on this matter.

 

[EatinOlives]

The weird thing is that Tillerson has seemed mostly reasonable from everything I've seen of him so far. Despite his Russian business ties, he is up there with Mattis as the seemingly least Russian-leaning cabinet members.

"Everything"? Including him refusing to speak on why he's standing around doing nothing as he watches his own department get gutted in front of him?

 

[Arc]

Gosh!
Something tells me you haven't lived under military rule before.
Why not ask the Brazilians, Spanish and co. what they think?

Willing military rule just because Trump.

I believe the majority of US Presidents have served in the armed forces. I could be wrong though.

We've also had multiple generals who became President. Washington and Eisenhower were pretty damn good presidents.

I'm not advocating for it, but our it's a part of our history, and our government is specifically designed to include checks and balances to prevent what one typically thinks of as "military rule".

 

[Chmpocalypse]

Tillerson was pushed by Condoleezza Rice for the position. He was favored by the old guard of the GOP.

That's certainly not an endorsement of his ethics or rationality.

 

[CrocMother]

I don't think lifting Russian sanctions was ever on the table, conspiracy or not.

It would be a blatant slap in the face to all of our EU allies. Even Trump couldn't do it.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

It's been my secret wish for a long time now But realistically, it'll stop at Ryan or Hatch in the line of succession.



Our first president was a general, you know. And we've had several since then.

Last one being one of our greatests, Eisenhower.

 

[MetatronM]

The weird thing is that Tillerson has seemed mostly reasonable from everything I've seen of him so far. Despite his Russian business ties, he is up there with Mattis as the seemingly least Russian-leaning cabinet members.

It's like the entire Trump administration came to our universe from a parallel dimension where every day is Opposite Day. It would explain a great number of things, really.

 

[radios shipping overview]

 

[LegendofJoe]

That's certainly not an endorsement of his ethics or rationality.

I'd agree with the former, not the latter. I was mostly trying to establish that Tillerson was a GOP cabinet pick moreso than a Trump one.

 

[rokkerkory]

Bait n switch!!

 

[Blader]

Isn't Tillerson also responsible for essentially gutting our State Department of our most experienced diplomats?

Many of them resigned and the Trump administration refuses to fill nearly all of the vacancies. Tillerson did try to hire a deputy secretary and was blocked by the White House because his choice had criticized Trump during the campaign (more specifically, Trump confused Tillerson's choice with a different guy with a similar name who had been critical of Trump :lol).

I think the more alarming thing about Tillerson is less his "Russian ties," which I feel are more overblown than not, and more his aptitude for the actual job. He has made a lot of dumb mistakes so far, is acting strange (e.g. State employees being instructed not to make eye contact with him!), and just generally seems to be in over his head. A lot of these rumors and reported weirdness could be easily dismissed if Tillerson bothered to engage with the press to make sure his account of things was out there, but he refuses to do so, so the bizarre and unflattering stories are only going to keep circulating, which further undermines his reputation and credibility.

 

[KingV]

Many of them resigned and the Trump administration refuses to fill nearly all of the vacancies. Tillerson did try to hire a deputy secretary and was blocked by the White House because his choice had criticized Trump during the campaign (more specifically, Trump confused Tillerson's choice with a different guy with a similar name who had been critical of Trump :lol).

I think the more alarming thing about Tillerson is less his "Russian ties," which I feel are more overblown than not, and more his aptitude for the actual job. He has made a lot of dumb mistakes so far, is acting strange (e.g. State employees being instructed not to make eye contact with him!), and just generally seems to be in over his head. A lot of these rumors and reported weirdness could be easily dismissed if Tillerson bothered to engage with the press to make sure his account of things was out there, but he refuses to do so, so the bizarre and unflattering stories are only going to keep circulating, which further undermines his reputation and credibility.

Wait is the boldest true? If so, I can't laugh harder.

 

[sphagnum]

Mattis would be a step up from Trump but we'd basically be guaranteed war with Iran.

 

[superdeluxe]

I don't think lifting Russian sanctions was ever on the table, conspiracy or not.

It would be a blatant slap in the face to all of our EU allies. Even Trump couldn't do it.

Many European allies wanted to soften sanctions against Russia, the US had been one of the more ardent supporters of sanctions, which is quite frankly disappointing

 

[King Tubby]

Mattis would be a step up from Trump but we'd basically be guaranteed war with Iran.

I suppose war with Iran would be better than war with *throws dart at map of the world*

 

[MaddenNFL64]

If Trump wasn't there, this admin would be a normal ass Republican administration. Horrible decisions for the country, selling out to business, and red meat for religious right, but damnit i've dealt with that all my life. This Trump shit is a doozy though. batshit insane. The pick for EPA head I know damn well comes from dipshits like Bannon, or Conway.

 

[Blader]

Wait is the boldest true? If so, I can't laugh harder.

New Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was even rebuffed in picking his own deputy. He wanted Elliott Abrams, often criticized by parts of The Blob as a neocon who strongly backed the Iraq War, but Trump refused, in an embarrassing public rebuke. In private, Abrams told others he was sure some Trump advisers had confused him with Eliot Cohen, a leading conservative anti-Trumper who had issued a stirring public denunciation of the administration.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/st...siders-experts-international-relations-214846

 

[Madness]

Lol, and yet they wouldn't dare try and sanction China for the grab in the South China Sea. The sanctions themselves are toothless. They have the ability to actually sanction Putin and the top officials, actual important entities like Gazprom, but Germany and the US would never actually do that. Crimea is gone as long as there is a strong Russian state. That whole Eastern part of Ukraine is lawless as well. Without further sanctions, support to Ukraine in terms of military support, nothing is changing, especially as oil was creeping back up for a while and OPEC risking cuts allowing countries like Russia and Canada a greater slice of the pie again.

This is all calculated. Make it seem like Tillerson who had a stake and interest in Russian oil and gas fields is upset, and that to downplay the Russia aspect. Otherwise they have already achieved their goal if humiliating Merkel, putting NATO in doubt, livening EU populist parties.