Tillerson Rips Trump
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)
In the post-Cold War era, each US regime exceeded the worst of its predecessors - a disturbing trend, showing a nation heading for full-blown tyrannical rule, waging endless war on humanity at home and abroad.
The Clinton co-presidency was all about neoliberal harshness, Balkan and other wars, genocidal sanctions on Iraq, along with subordination to Wall Street and other corporate favorites at the expense of world peace and the general welfare.
Post-the-9/11 mother of all false flags, the Bush/Cheney regime exceeded the worst of the Clintons. Obama defied fantasy expectations of his leadership by matching Star Trek - going where no US leader dared go before, mocking the notion of change to believe in.
Trump exceeded the worst of his predecessors’ domestic and geopolitical policies - filling the swamp he promised to drain with neocon extremist warlords, Wall Street predators, hawkish generals, and billionaires.
The myth of the anti-establishment candidate vanished straightaway in office. His regime has been a wrecking ball against world peace, equity, justice, and governance the way it should be.
Ordinary Americans are far worse off than when he took office - notably for serving the nation’s privileged class exclusively to the extreme, pursing an environmental agenda risking ecocide, along with risking war with Russia, China, and/or Iran - a doomsday scenario if nuclear weapons are used for the first time in earnest.
In an interview with CBS News, former Trump secretary of state Rex Tillerson ripped DLT, earlier calling him a “f…ing moron,” a remark he never denied.
His relationship with Trump soured early in his tenure as secretary of state. He expressed frustration over being left out of the loop on key geopolitical issues.
His spokesman was quoted, saying “(t)he secretary sends over recommendations and they sit on the dock.”
He declined to say if Trump’s views represent American values. “(T)he president speaks for himself,” he said, clearly indicating a sour relationship.
Interviewed by CBS News’ Bob Schieffer in Houston, Tillerson commented publicly for the first time about his relationship with Trump since replaced by Mike Pompeo.
Calling DLT “undisciplined,” he said he and Trump have different “value system(s).” The only way he knew how to deal him was in a “really straightforward fashion,” saying:
“When (he) would say, ‘Here’s what I want to do and here’s how I want to do it,’ I’d (say) to him, ‘Mr. President, I understand what you want to do, but you can’t do it that way. It violates the law. It violates a treaty…(H)e got really frustrated.”
“(H)e grew tired of me being the guy every day that told him, ‘(y)ou can’t do that, and let’s talk about what we can do.”
“He acts on his instincts.” He’s impulsive. “It’s challenging for me coming from the disciplined, highly process-oriented ExxonMobil Corporation…to go to work for a man who is pretty undisciplined, doesn’t like to read, doesn’t read briefing reports, doesn’t like to get into the details of a lot of things.”
Instead he “says, ‘(l)ook, this is what I believe and you can try to convince me otherwise,’ but most of the time (he made up his mind and) you’re not going to do that.”
In response, Trump lashed out at Tillerson tweeting: “Mike Pompeo is doing a great job, I am very proud of him. His predecessor, Rex Tillerson, didn’t have the mental capacity needed.”
“He was dumb as a rock and I couldn’t get rid of him fast enough. He was lazy as hell. Now it is a whole new ballgame, great spirit at State!”
There’s plenty about both figures to criticize. Tillerson didn’t get to be ExxonMobil CEO by being dumb. His tenure as secretary state was pockmarked with hostility toward Russia, China, North Korea, and Venezuela.
He openly called for (illegally) toppling Venezuela’s government, supporting US-orchestrated political and economic war on the country, including months of street violence.
He belligerently said everything is “on the table” in dealing with the DPRK, including war. He lied saying China “poses a threat to stability in the region and the greater world order,” adding:
“(W)e will not shrink from China’s challenges to the rules-based order and where China subverts the sovereignty of neighboring countries and disadvantages the US and our friends.”
He lied calling Russia “an irresponsible force of instability in the world, acting with open disregard for the sovereignty of other states and the life of their citizens.”
Trump’s one-sided support for Israel and rage toward Iran risks potentially catastrophic war on the Islamic Republic if launched.
His announced INF Treaty pullout risks a greater arms race than already, along with upping the stakes for East/West confrontation.
A geopolitical know-nothing, out of his element on the world stage, Trump is captive to sinister dark forces controlling him, capitulating to them virtually straightaway in office.
Surrounded by warlord extremists in charge of his geopolitical agenda, he risks greater conflicts and chaos than already, including possible nuclear war.
Instead of fulfilling his inaugural promises, he proved he’s just another dirty politician - a “moron” on all things geopolitical and a whole lot more he’s incompetent to be in charge of.
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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."
