Saturday, July 11, 2009
A lesson from the past
As quoted by Edward Gibbon in "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", Diocletian writes:
The Department of State was never the tool of President Bush, but rather of its subministers of whatever rank, and their goal was talk, talk, talk, not action. Neither Colin Powell nor Condoleza Rice were able to change its overall behavior, which ran contrary to that desired by the President. The CIA never answered to its director, but sabotaged administration actions blatantly. The Department of Defense has not changed materially from its orientation under Donald Rumsfeld. Robert Gates spouts essentially the same doctrine with different details.
One thing that President Obama does not do, is let his underlings dissuade him from his purpose. The State Department has been relegated to a behind-the-scenes player as the President conducts all diplomacy personally. Essentially he does not listen to his ministers--his mind is made up already. He dispatches his thugs to take care of opposition, while Congress acts the role of useful idiots. I would still like to know the details of why Justice Ginsburg changed her mind after 24 hours when the applicable law had not changed nor the circumstances of the Chrysler bankrupcy.
To return to the implications of the quote: Take the essence and apply it to each level of government. Policy is not built on the best of the information available, but on the upwardly refined personal positions and maneuverings of the various underlings. When most of the bureaucracy has a given political stance, then the change at the top is immaterial.
How often is it the interest of four or five ministers to combine together to deceive their sovereign! Secluded from mankind by his exalted dignity, the truth is concealed from his knowledge; he can only see with their eyes, he hears nothing but their misrepresentations. He confers the most important offices upon vice and weakness, and disgraces the most virtuous and deserving among his subjects. By such infamous arts, the best and wisest princes are sold to the venal corruption of their courtiers.If true in Ancient Rome, so it is true in modern times. Examples are the Second Bush Presidency, not only at the Cabinet level, but within the lower ranks as well. Civil service is set up to attract the best and brightest, but rather those who know how to create a sinecure, or are willing to take on whatever burden is necessary for an ideological cause.
The Department of State was never the tool of President Bush, but rather of its subministers of whatever rank, and their goal was talk, talk, talk, not action. Neither Colin Powell nor Condoleza Rice were able to change its overall behavior, which ran contrary to that desired by the President. The CIA never answered to its director, but sabotaged administration actions blatantly. The Department of Defense has not changed materially from its orientation under Donald Rumsfeld. Robert Gates spouts essentially the same doctrine with different details.
One thing that President Obama does not do, is let his underlings dissuade him from his purpose. The State Department has been relegated to a behind-the-scenes player as the President conducts all diplomacy personally. Essentially he does not listen to his ministers--his mind is made up already. He dispatches his thugs to take care of opposition, while Congress acts the role of useful idiots. I would still like to know the details of why Justice Ginsburg changed her mind after 24 hours when the applicable law had not changed nor the circumstances of the Chrysler bankrupcy.
To return to the implications of the quote: Take the essence and apply it to each level of government. Policy is not built on the best of the information available, but on the upwardly refined personal positions and maneuverings of the various underlings. When most of the bureaucracy has a given political stance, then the change at the top is immaterial.
// posted by Bill @ 9:44 PM 
