Clearsighted WaPo columnist Eugene Robinson was quite right to note in this piece yesterday the significance of the arrogant, belligerant rhetoric that US Secretary of State Condi Rice has been using regarding Israel’s thunderous, extremely lethal assault against Lebanon.
“We will prevail” – indeed!
Do political pronouncements get get any more belligerent, partisan, and childishly chest-thumping than that? (As a US citizen, I wholeheartedly dissociate myself from that “we.”)
Robinson, who is African-American, writes of Rice:
- her boss remains convinced that grand gestures change everything — witness how the Iraq invasion and occupation have persuaded Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds to bring out their guitars and join in chorus after chorus of “Kumbaya.” [Irony alert for him there, I am sure]
Does Rice envision that in her “new” Middle East, Palestinians will somehow develop amnesia and forget their aspirations for a viable independent state? Does she believe the autocrats in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere will allow free and fair elections — and that voters will reject the militant faith-based factions that for years have been providing needed services that corrupt governments can’t be bothered with? Does she think anyone is going to see the uncontrollable Frankenstein’s monster we created in Iraq as a model to emulate?
… Other stalwarts of the Bush administration’s grandiose schemes seem exhausted — Rumsfeld is more philosopher than conqueror when he talks about Iraq these days, while Cheney bizarrely sticks with the story that everything’s just fine. But Rice’s life story — little black girl from Birmingham rises to become secretary of state, somehow becoming a hawkish Republican along the way — and her obvious potential in politics still make her an intriguing figure. I personally know three people who are writing books about her.
Now, in her first real test as secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice will be judged on more than her impressive résumé, her obvious intelligence, her poise on the world stage and her fashion sense. Now she has her own war to sort out, and all she’s done so far is scare people with her talk of somehow making the world’s tinderbox into something “new.”
She should remember the famous dictum from philosopher Rumsfeld, which I paraphrase: You go to war with the Middle East you have, not the Middle East you might want.
There is also a huge further issue to be explored here, of course. And that is: After the extreme partisanship, belligerency, and just plain callousness toward humane and humanitarian concerns that have been displayed in all of the pronouncements from Condi and her boss, to what degree can the US government hope to gain the world’s support for the idea that it should have any kind of “special” role at all– let alone the “monopoly” role that it has long enjoyed, or even any kind of a “leading” role– in the in Arab-Israeli-peace diplomacy that very evidently must follow this crisis?
I would say, very little. The longer the fighting continues, and the longer Bush and Rice continue with their partisanship in it, the more the US’s position in the world will erode. Much, much faster than it would have done otherwise. What sad, blind, and deeply uninformed, unthinking “leaders” they are.
There is line that powerful nations cross when they become convinced that nothing can stand in their way. At that point, all external reference is lost. The ability to act becomes sufficient justification for every action taken. Might makes right. This is summed up in the famous quote Ron Suskind gave us from an anonymous US official: “We’re an empire now, and when we act we create our own reality.”
The US, on a global scale, and Israel, on a regional scale, are well on the other side of that line. It is very unlikely that any form of dialogue or debate will change the prevailing mindset. Military and economic exhaustion are usually required to restore a sense of vulnerability and interdependence. Of course, we should continue the dialogue anyway, so that we will have something to fall back on when the inevitable reversal of fortune occurs. We just shouldn’t expect the current leadership to pay any attention.
Perhaps the faster the erosion of the influence of the U.S. is the best outcome. Sitting here by a peaceful lake side in Costa Rica, mourning for the country I grew up in and loved, it is clear to me we are witnessing the beginning of the unraveling of the whole mind set, that might makes right. The scenario is so Luciferian(deceptive) it boggles my mind. And they’ve done it all in the name of God. Hello! all you Christians out there. They are killing in the name of the Master you love.
What will bring this mentality down with all the immense economic structures it has created, will be the shining of the light on one upturned card like in the Watergate case when Mr. Buttefield revealed the existence of the Nixon tapes.
But it is also a most dangerous part of the cycle. When the rats are trapped, they turn on their own people and make them their enemy as Jonathan Schell and others have pointed out. So, keep your heads down. And rejoice that the spirit of “might makes right” as it is presently exibhited in America, particularly, in the evil amounts spent for killingry, rejoice I say, that this spirit of arrogance, this spirit of bullying, is being diminished.
US Secretary of State Condi Rice job/position similar to Colin Powel job before Iraq invasion he did his beast to satisfy his Bosses in US administration he did lie and then he regretted and admitted.
He used UN chair to lie on all UN members just to support US position, so whatever tool and mothers used here US Secretary of State Condi Rice doing same my be far from what Colin Powel did before 2003 invasion.
Lebanon war it’s a Rebirth of Necons today
“During her meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: “It is time for a new Middle East.” Her words opened the way to the interpretation: ‘Neo-cons are waiting for an opportunity to assert their new plans.’
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during her visit to the war zone. Her words before the meeting: “It is time for a new Middle East,” has reminded everyone of the ‘bloody borders’ map presented by ex-general Ralph Peters, three weeks ago. Peters published the map in a magazine owned by a group of people who call themselves ‘Neo-Cons’. Rice is one of the followers of this Neo-con trend. In his article, Peters talked about a plan to re-demarcate Middle Eastern borders. In his map, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan’s borders were redrawn.”
2006-07-29 Khatami supports Hizbullah
Helena
Another 40 dead in Qana. 20 of them children.
No New Middle East for them
Filed at 5:24 a.m. ET
Skip to next paragraph JERUSALEM (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, speaking after the Israeli bombing of the Lebanese village of Qana, said it was time for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas.
She said she was saddened by the bombing and confirmed that she had canceled a planned trip to Beirut, but would stay in Israel to try to work out a deal for ending the 19-day-old conflict.
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Israeli bombing of the Lebanese village of Qana,
Yah, A new Sabra and Shatila massacre under a new commander Ehud Olmert. Then after few years he will come as his pervious PM Ariel Sharon when he said: he regretted the tragedy of Sabra and Shatila, but asked if he would apologise he replied “To apologise for what?” “Peace Loving People”….Very Peaceful
Of course, Condi’s new “success” is that the Lebanese government, led by Fouad Siniora, refused to receive her in Beirut. That is why she cancelled her visit to Lebanon.
This is quite unheard of. I have never heard in my lifetime, since the Second World War, of a minor country daring to refuse to receive the US secretary of state. It is easy to see why they refused. Siniora is driven to extremes by the sufferings of the poor Lebanese people. And nothing was going to be on offer.
It is an event which shows up the reality of the situation starkly. Rice goes to the Middle East, but only meets her friend Olmert (with whom no doubt she has been cooking up some new conspiracy). Nobody else will receive her.
Tells us everything about US diplomacy under C. Rice.
Alastair,
I have never heard in my lifetime, since the Second World War, of a minor country daring to refuse to receive the US secretary of state.
So you heard it now, you should learn how to respect others and treating them as you love to be treated, not carrying to them orders in “arrogant, belligerant rhetoric” manner.
If this worked with Al-Saud, Al-Subah, Al-Thane, or Al-Maktum whom without your protection from US/UK they will gone a long time ago, but not a democratic elected government ” not include Iraqi government, simply its a Poppet Government”.
The other point I would bring your attention, this was raised before first Israeli invasion of Lebanon, it’s entirely different and its valid point now which is Lebanon was attraction for the tourism and the visitors from around the world who make their destination to Beirut/Lebanon, to see beautiful sandy beaches and hospitality.
Back to early days of this war reported in some news there are 6 Millions visitors / tourists in Lebanon right now “tile the breakout of this war” , you need to imagine the benefits having this figure and how much represent of GDP for a small state like Lebanon or Israel.
Moreover Israelis keep marketing that “They Are The Only Democracy in ME) surrounded by dictators and bad regimes they like to “Throw Them in The Sea”, so for the visitors / Tourists to Lebanon its very simple to discover this Israeli’s lie, in addition the greediness and joules that those 6 Millions Visitors /tourists they not directed to Israel…..
“She said she was saddened by the bombing…”
That automaton does not have the capacity to be “saddened” by anything. Someone inputs the correct code on a remote panel and transmits to her implanted chip the correct phrase, which she repeats verbatim. Unfortunately, they have yet to perfect the program that controls her facial expression and body language, and they have yet to figure out how to bring an appearance of life to her dead eyes.
“…and confirmed that she had canceled a planned trip to Beirut, but would stay in Israel…”
What she forgot to mention is that she was forced to cancel the trip to Lebanon because she couldn’t even get anyone to meet her at the airport, let alone sit down and talk with her.
Shirin- Whatever you and I may think of her politics, Condi Rice is a fascinating person. I look forward to someday reading a really good biography of her. I may have to wait a decade or two. I doubt that anything produced in contemporary America could do the subject justice. She embodies so many of the fundamental conflicts and contradictions in our society. I doubt that she is an automaton in real life, but she does portray one on TV.
John C., I was not referring to her politics, I was referring to her character. I strongly suspect that her politics are whatever will get her ahead at the moment.
You find her fascinating, I find her creepy. She has dead eyes, and I think she has a dead soul.