Derelection of duty: Mine and Hillary's

Can I speak the truth? Yes.
Let's talk about dereliction of duty. 
My own. And Hillary's.

We were there in the Situation Room for the killing of Osama ben Laden. We skipped out on the Benghazi debacle. Hard to repeat this often enough.  One of the mystery pieces to my legacy.

The fix is in for Hillary

You might wonder why I saved Hillary Clinton from her own intentional misdeeds. Who else will cover for me?

You know that I don't need to make secret phone calls or send emails (would never do that!) to persuade those in my administration.  Sometimes I just announce it on TV.  They get the message.  Smart way of beating the conspiracy charge.

Remember Tom Wheeler at the FCC and my hint to pass net neutrality?

Or I get someone like Ben Rhodes to dupe the media - like on the Iran deal.

Unfortunately, some of my agencies aren't quite as adept in hiding their alliances with my progressive lobbyists. The EPA and the IRS were caught at this collusion.

Or I appoint a regulator, like Mel Watt, to loosen up financing requirements even if it creates another housing bubble and crisis down the road. 

So, what about Hillary?  And the fix?

I gave Slick Willie the green light to meet secretly with Loretta Lynch. I got Comey to impose an extra layer of secrecy to keep-FBI personnel-mouths shut. 

All I needed to do was to say on national TV that she was merely careless. 

Not so bad an excuse even if foreign hackers got into her private server.

At least, Hillary will keep my legend alive. That's a legacy to be proud of.  

Postscript:  How could I have known that Donald Trump would have won the presidency? I fear for my legacy in word and deed.  May 4, 2017.

Being a national leader: the art of deception and power

In a separate blog, I confessed that my international leadership lacked the brash application of power that some of my predecessors used ─ like Truman, JFK, Reagan and others. 

However, as a national leader, my role is far more aggressive and manipulative.  Let me explain the why and wherefore of this difference in leadership.

Simply stated, it's the progressive needle ─ what we need to inject into America to make it fair and equal. You know all the slogan-think of progressivism ─ Bernie Sanders hits all the right notes:
• income inequality is the great moral issue of our time 
• fight for a living wage 
• government healthcare for all
• rich must pay fair taxes
• free college for all 
• change to alternative energy from carbon-based energy

But what are the ways to get all these things? 
Here's where deception, manipulation and raw power play an important part of making a progressive society.

Let's consider the IRS hit list of conservative non-profit organizations. It was inspirational. Lois Lerner did admirable work at the IRS before she was forced to resign.

She read my mind and ran with it. She targeted conservative advocacy groups after the Citizens United Supreme Court decision and then stonewalled Congress.

I told FOX that they’ll never find a smidgen of evidence – ha, her computer crashed and the emails vanished. Amazing woman. Got a good pension too. If they ever come after her, I’ll give her a pardon.

 

Then there was the Department of Justice stonewalling and lying to Judge Andrew Hanen, Southern District of Texas, about whether the administration was processing illegal aliens into the U.S. Of course, we were lying. All the court did was demand ethics training. A small price to pay. 

 

One of the better lies was having my deputy national security advisor, Ben Rhodes, lie to Congress about the Iran nuclear deal.  Ha, we pulled a fast one on Congress on that. 

 

Of course, passing the Affordable Care Act was a masterful exercise in lying to the public and then getting the legislation passed without a single vote from the opposing party ─ a first in American history.  

 

I could go on about how I mastered deception, manipulation and used power and I expect that Hillary Clinton will follow my example in applying the progressive needle to the American body politic.

Being an international leader: surrendering as a step towards peace

Some might say that my model of leadership is flawed. Not that I’m not good at manipulating the media, the public and even friends. But some, like Dr. Cornell West, think that I lack a backbone. 

There may be some truth to this perception in my role as an international leader.  But this needs some explanation since this is counterintuitive.



I am able, in a limited way, to mirror Machiavelli’s and Sun Tzu's Art of War. I've used drones to kill lots of scoundrels, but I haven't backed up my drawing a red line against Syria's Assad using chemical weapons on his own population, or opposing Russia's invasion of Crimea, or only putting in a minimal number of ground troops to defeat ISIL, and the like.

I'm even giving up control of the internet and allowing in authoritarian governments to share control of the web – even if they plan on abusing their own people.

But there's a reason for my tepid approach to imposing American standards of behavior on other countries and other cultures. 

Machiavelli and Sun Tzu lived at a less complicated time – less technology of war, no nuclear weapons, no internet, no mass transportation, no problem with human caused global warming. 

Here's the way I came to my way of seeing my role of international leadership:  It is important to give in and surrender in order to get peace. Surrendering is a way to inner peace; and it ultimately is the same way towards peace with others. It may only be a baby step towards peace, but that is far better than puffing up and beating my chest in an attempt to stare down warmongers.

To reiterate, I never wanted to be a war president. I’d rather lead from behind that confront someone like Putin. I have no problem confronting a Republican or someone from FOX news, but not someone who might make me use more than a drone or two.

Is this a terrible admission? 

I don’t think so and here’s why. The U.S. can afford to lose some international power. The next president can make up for that. 

My approach to national leadership is, of course, is very different. 

Listening to my echo

I've been challenged for many reasons - the most annoying is that I'll even do things that I say that I won't do.  Immediately after saying that I won't. Like when I said that I wouldn't try to influence the British vote on whether to leave the European Union. And then I kind of threatened them with the consequences. Ha!

Could that be true?  And, if it is, what does that mean? 

I suppose I might meditate on the words of  Dejan Stojanovic.

But there are more important considerations to examining my words. Do you hear that historians of my legacy?

There was my biggest whopper:  "No matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period."  That helped pass the Affordable Care Act. And now it begins to crumble. But I won't be here to take the blame. 

I've massaged the truth in getting the Iran nuclear deal passed - even if I had to ramp up criticism on Israeli leaders.

If you google "Bush lies," you get about 49,000 hits. BUT if you google "Obama lies," you get almost 360,000 hits. 

Of my five biggest lies, I like the one about amnesty: "I am not a dictator." Because I did exactly that through my personal executive power.

Or take a look at my State of the Union address - I just couldn't help myself. 

Why do I do that?

Now, that is where historians should begin any discussion of my legacy. 

Making America average: I speak, they listen

You've probably heard the complaints that I'm dethroning America. Like giving up the internet root directory at ICANN. So what if China, Russia and Iran can control their people better by only allowing pro-government domain names.  More important is that WE don't make those decisions, but let all countries in on the root directory game.  We shouldn't be forcing our way of thinking about freedom on others; there are more important things like progressive values and everyone being for the people.  Social justice, not everyone's own little castle.

I  just spoke my mind and Tom Wheeler at the FCC caved. That's how it works. I speak, they listen. And the Republicans can't do squat. I'll just veto it.

The same thing with the IRS. I spoke and Lois Lerner listened. We poked those conservatives hard with our IRS. 

The same thing, also, with my Affordable Care Act.  I talked up how important health care insurance was for the people and Justice Roberts just keeled over and changed what the words in the law actually meant to what it didn't mean. A tax is a tax even if it isn't called a tax.  What I saw is what others believe.

The same with Hillary. She was just careless with that email server.  I bet Loretta Lynch is listening to the news on Fox.

And so it goes. Get it? America will be just another place; nothing special - but everyone gets a piece of the pie.

My secret desire

I could have done so many more things .  .  .

Some of the things I've done -- 
I've covered for Hillary saying she was just careless about her private server;
I've saddled corporations with rules and fees and will not unburden them with competitive world-wide tax rates;
I've created a class of true-believers that think the sky is falling from too much man made climate change (or should I say, too much person-made climate change?);
I've killed the coal industry and created a sea of solar panels and windmills;
I've launched partisan use of tax investigations;
I've preached uniting the country while dividing them into segments;
I've manipulated the health care industry;
I've handcuffed our military and marginalized our international friends;
I've drawn red lines and pushed the reset button (many times);
I've tempered the nuclear arms race in the Middle East by returning to Iran the billions of dollars that is rightfully theirs (and I hope they stop funding terrorism, I hope, I hope, I hope); 
I've watched ballgames with Cuban dictators while showing ISIL I'm not afraid of their terror attacks in Europe;
I've change the vocabulary of the military to gender-free combat, man made disasters, and extremism - there is no more Islamophobia;
I've made major moves to open our border with Mexico - no wall, just a free flow of people north;
I've defended sanctuary cities; 
I've defended every form of abortion.
The list goes on and on.

Just imagine if I had a lifetime appointment!

Truth to power: Here is what Hillary said to the hedge fund managers

There should be no surprise about what Hillary Clinton said to the Goldman Sachs, and other, hedge fund managers. For about a quarter a million per speech. Do we really need her transcripts?

I read one of her transcripts. Lots of glad handing, commending them for making America a vibrant economy and only mild criticisms about some of the bad apples.

The only problem is that Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren would say. She can make one of them Treasury Secretary and the other Commerce Secretary. Image problem solved.

I'm a lot smarter. When I go to these folks to help build out my presidential center and library, I'll be more discreet. Especially when it comes to the Islamic conference room that the Saudis will likely help finance.  They'll remember my supportive remarks .  .  .

I cannot say radical Islamic terrorist - that's not the Islam I was taught

I grew up learning about Islam. It is a religion of peace. 

Obviously, I needed to have the U.S. military handbook purged of any and all negative references to Islamic terrorists. Anything negative said about Islam comes from the mind of an Islamophobe.

When Major Nidal Malik Hasan killed military personnel at Fort Hood several years ago, that was workplace violence even though he shouted allahu akbar while he shot our troops. This is the same with other workplace violence - even if the perpetrator cuts off the head of a co-worker and populating his Facebook page with an ISIS salute and a nod to Osama ben Laden. Better to downplay the superficial connections and to maintain a positive approach.

I'm just like George W. Bush is stepping lightly about identifying radical Islamic terrorists as Islamic. Just because it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck doesn't mean it is a duck. Simple. 

It is important that you don't read books by feminists like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, especially Heretic. You might become convinced that there are radical verses in the Quran. Just because she grew up Islamic, just because she is a woman who was oppressed in the patriarchal culture of North African society, and just because she was the target of a religious fatwa for speaking her mind, doesn't mean Islam has a problem with being a religion of peace today. 

And you should remember how I use a logical fallacy to attack the accurate radical Islamist comments. I simply say those folks are attacking all Muslims. Religious leaders and community leaders and political partisans all fall for this illogical thinking. Good thing I have a lot of lemmings listening to me.

We need to share more - even the ICANN root directory

I think it is important for you to know my philosophy about political discourse on the international stage.

We need to get out of the "America is exceptional" mindset and realize that we are little different than most other countries. We've had a head start in some areas, but we're a colonized country just like Cuba and many other countries. We will have a legacy of racism. We don't need to talk down to leaders like President Raúl Castro. 

If we go to baseball games and the like, we can build positive bonds. We can open up trade and eventually he'll moderate his views. Might be a bit slower, but it beats isolating Cuba and trying to force freedom on them.

That's the same way we can get other countries we call totalitarian to moderate their treatment of their own people.

The ICANN root directory is an easy way to get them to develop a more sensitive approach to their own people.

It's just by accident that we developed the internet first. It's our responsibility to let them join in the management of this technology.

That's how the peace will be won in the world. This is how I see the world.

Will I morph into The Donald?

Some see me as paving the way for The Donald.

I can understand being seen as the positive and articulate, liberal antecedent to The Donald.

But there is a meaner view.

Consider one of my platitudes - being on "the right side of history." I don't have to do anything; history just happens.  The Donald is the bull in the workshop - "I get things done." He's so active that he'll break things; for me, things just break around me without me having to do anything. I know how to lead from behind.

I started out as a uniter, but ended up as a divider. Well, what can I say, the Republicans are the enemy; Wall Street is the enemy, not Occupy Wall Street.  I suppose The Donald will also fail as a uniter; he'll be a divider too, but as my opposite.  

Maybe I am giving birth to The Donald. We're both celebrities and we'll both dictate to the world from the Oval Office.

We are all sinners

From time to time, I have to trick and bully Congress into doing what I know is right. I promise a veto, they blink and I get to do what I want with my executive orders.  Like giving $500 to the United Nations to fund its climate change program to help poor countries with new technology. So what if that money could have helped folks in Flint with their water problem. One needs to have a vision for the whole planet.

Coal and gas plants now would likely save millions of people dying prematurely from opening burning of wood and dung in their homes. Solar will help once newer battery technology is in place. But I just can't allow for an interim solution with coal and natural gas. I don't know why. Maybe it's because we are all born sinners. And we've got to regulate folks behavior.

I've read Hsun Tzu, a Confucius scholar from the 4th century BCE.

Man’s nature is evil, good is the result of conscious activity. . .

A warped piece of wood must wait until it has been laid against the straightening board, steamed, and forced into shape before it can become straight. . . .  Similarly, since man’s nature is evil, it must wait for the instructions of a teacher before it can become upright, and for the guidance of ritual principles before it can become orderly.

In ancient times the wise kings realized that man’s nature is evil, and that he tends towards evil and violence and is not upright or orderly.