Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates, and the Strangelove Debate
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
A couple of weeks ago, I noted a New York Times piece about how Hillary Clinton is trying to build up the power of the State Department. This is a good sign, I argued, because the Pentagon had encroached too greatly into State's diplomatic turf.
Steve Glain, who is writing a book on the matter, gives the flip-side view in our op-ed section today. Gates, Glain writes,
... has defined Pentagon authority more broadly and more aggressively than any of his predecessors. While warning against the militarization of U.S. foreign policy, as he did in a noteworthy July speech, Gates has done less to empower the State Department and more to entrench the concept of civilian-military partnerships in "stability operations"—Pentagon jargon for the rebuilding of failed states before they become incubators of radical Islam. If neglected civilian agencies cannot keep up with the abundantly resourced military, Gates has implied, the Pentagon will take the lead, and often in areas where it was once prohibited from going.
The whole piece is worth a read. And it's a subject that merits greater and more explicit consideration.
In a sense, it's a modern day Strangelove debate: It may be that, as the late Gen. Jack D. Ripper argued, war is too important to be left to politicians. Or Clemenceau may still be correct that war is too important to be left to the military. I tend to side with Clemenceau, but if we're going to change that view we should do so explicitly, not in beltway bureaucratic turf battles.
One way or another, it'll be interesting to see how it unfolds.
Debate among yourselves in the comment section below. And in the meantime, help yourself to a drink of grain alcohol and rainwater.
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Tags: Hillary Clinton | Robert Gates | foreign policy | national security
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Reader Comments
Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates & Dr. Stangelove Debate
The last time that war was left to politicians, we had to run away with our tails between our legs weather that war was just or not VIET NAM....!
Clemenceau
While there's much to admire in the life and character of Clemenceau, it's worth recalling that he actively sought to sack General Pershing when that Soldier refused to allow US troops to be used as Allied cannon fodder in WW I. Blackjack rightly held his ground, consolidated his forces and employed them decisively, actions which directly led to the end of the war. So Clemenceau's oft-repeated remark does have its limitations.
WARRIORS AND POLITICIANS
It's all a balancing act... On the world stage one is worthless without the other. Lincoln and FDR were good at it... Truman, Johnson and Nixon - not so much.
I suppose we need our Buck Turgidsons, Dr. Strangeloves and President Muffleys - It's all about the balance thing...
Personally, I'm more the Col. Bat Guano type. "Hey, what are you doing in that phone booth? Some kinda preeversions?"
Robert, you seem more the Mandrake type - Good luck with your precious bodily fluids.
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