13 January 2009

Clinton Seeks "Smart Power" Middle East Strategy

AP – 8 mins ago
WASHINGTON – Hillary Rodham Clinton
said Tuesday that she intends to revitalize the mission of diplomacy in American
foreign policy, calling for a "smart power" strategy in the Middle East and
implicitly criticizing the Bush administration for having downgraded the role of
arms control.

Clinton seeks smart power? This, apparently, in contrast to Condoleezza Rice's dumb power in the Middle East? Or is that dumb luck?

In any case, I can only guess that Cheney is cursing in some undisclosed location. "Smart power! Why didn't we think of that?" Turns and looks accusingly at George, "But no. You had to continually resort to the dumb power."

Smart power. Wow. Sounds pretty much infallible. Kind of like compassionate conservative. I guess the days of Middle East conflicts are over. I can hardly wait.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brilliant! Finally, finally we'll see an end to the thousands of years of bloodletting.
Thanks, Hillary.
And all it took was two little words.
:P

Ron Davison said...

Pinky,
My point exactly.

Anonymous said...

has anyone ever called you a smart ass?

Ron Davison said...

Emily,
is that what you're doing?
I would have been happy to see Clinton as president, but not on the basis of meaningless phrases like this. "smart power?" That's not smart. That's not even powerful.

Anonymous said...

Clinton will realize fairly quickly that that kind of junk worked back when her hubby was in office. Things have changed since then. Gaaa!

Smart Power? I'm sure Ehud Olmert and Yasser Arafat will be REAL impressed with Hillary's word games. I hate to be Debbie Downer, but this administration should ready themselves for a kick in the head. To think they'll sweep in and save the world is foolish at best.

I've seen clips of members of HAMAS wearing Obama masks with bullet holes in the forehead. It doesn't look promising.

Gypsy at Heart said...

Ron, never underestimate the power of soundbite phrases. I don't know about you but I like my leaders to dumb down, pre-chew and regurgitate whatever policy it is they are implementing on my behalf. The better for me to know what they are blathering on about.

Besides, Smart power is catchy what? Two things there I get right off the bat. First there is power then there is smart. Power that is smart. I want me some of that!

David said...

These aren't soundbite phrases and smart power means something to liberals who claim it as their agenda since Wilson even though conservatives have been doing or backing since FDR days but when the latter do it on their own it's deemed militarism or hegemony. The principle diff is that we conservatives don't believe in wasting much time working through a UN or dealing with killers and madmen across the table but the objectives and instruments of change are the same.

It began with Suzzane Nosser in 2004 and provided Hillary with a good campaign speech in 2007 and apparently impressed BHO enough to use it since he hadn't thought it through to that degree. But it makes sense for him. So H is Sec State and now that's her change logo. They'll all have one.

So give it some respect. It's going to guide our foreign policy right up until the first big bomb goes off somewhere, hopefully not here.

And it's not all bad either. Read it in Foreign Affairs.