Incredulity

Entangled alliances, as brilliantly articulated by George Washington, is detrimental to America as no foreign nation should ever have undue influence in how America conducts foreign policy. Pat Buchanan's take on this crucial issue is correct without question as are other writers like Glenn Greenwald, Robert Perry, Chris Hedges and Ralph Nader. Entangled alliances conducted with people with NO EXPERTISE is something else all together as seen with Trump and Netanyahu getting together without SOS Tillison and/or other State Department officials, individuals that have a vested interest in insuring that US policy be consistent, no matter what country the US is dealing with.

Not a single State Department official was included in the White House meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner - who has  no regional expertise or diplomatic experience -  had a greater role in the meeting than the Senate-confirmed secretary of State. 

Rex Tillerson was absent Wednesday but did join Kushner and Netanyahu for dinner the night before. Acting Deputy Secretary of State Tom Shannon was on the official schedule to take his place but was then shut out of the White House meeting.

In an emailed statement to CBS News, a State Department official explained that the decision to modify the meeting was made at the White House to “allow for a more personal discussion.” That presumably is a reference to the long-standing friendship between Trump, Kushner, and Netanyahu. 

That particular incident was disheartening to many State Department officials who hope that Mr. Tillerson - who had a long career as Exxon Mobil’s CEO -  will bring his worldly experience and management to a building that has been demoralized by the Trump administration’s antipathy toward multilateralism and cavalier approach to diplomacy.

Disheartening does not begin to describe the gross ineptness of an administration that screws the pooch in ways that truly boggle the mind.