I'MMA LET YOU FINISH
I find it sad, because Bremer seemed sort of competent, and Baker is just a hatchetman.
Leah, first of all, Baker is not a done deal. If I were him, I'd be a little tired of cleaning up Bush family messes.
Second, I think this is a good thing, and argues against your case. A competent bureaucrat would understand that the thing to do is internationalize Iraq reconstruction (if it can still be done, that's an open question) and get the hell out before the 04 elections. Baker's much less of a fool than either Bush, pere or fils. But he's no fool and wouldn't sign on unless he saw that it might work. I'm not seeing it, myself.
For the second time today, I agree with Melanie. Baker's no fool; he's an intensely practical man, in the sense that his every word and action are aimed at achieving the goal at hand, irrespective of concerns like ego, ethics, shame, etc.
But how to tell the Iraqis that the "democracy" they've been promised may be installed by the genius of Florida 2000?
They might ask to have Saddam back.
(troll note: that was a joke; leave me alone)
p
When I read that James Baker has returned from the forest to save BushCo from its many faults in Iraq, I am reminded of this very long quote from the Larry Beinhart novel "American Hero", a wonderful work of science fiction and whose footnotes alone would make a great novel.
There are two quotes about James Baker that immediately come to mind.
"His major accomplishment at Treasury (as Secretary of the Treasury) was the devaluation of the dollar. It was his initiative and his insider political savvy that is credited with actually making it happen. It was supposed to make America more competitive and reduce the trade deficit. For a critique of this policy, see, among others, Daniel Burnstein, Yen!: Japan's New Financial Empire and Its Threat to America (Simon and Schuster, 198
. It argues that this abrupt devaluation, in isolation, doing nothing else to prepare American business to take advantage of the change and to become export-oriented, had the result of handing the Japanese an incredible gift. Their money literally doubled in value. It made them twice as rich as they had been the day before. It did not lead the Japanese to buy more American goods; it led them to buy more of America -- real estate, businesses, financial institutions and Hawaii."
Paraphrasing, Beinhart states the Baker ran Ford's campaign against Carter, and Ford lost. He ran Bush's presidential campaign in 1980, and Daddy Bush lost. He also ran Bush's Senate campaign, and lost that. And when he ran the economy, America lost. "Bottom line: Baker went 0 for 4. The result: Baker's reputation as the man who was always right and who got things done continued to grow."
As for Baker's tenure as Secretary of State, "...Eastern Europe broke free of the Soviet Bloc, Gorbachev rose and fell, Communist rule ended in Russia itself, there was a coup and countercoup, and even in China there was a movement toward democracy, though it was brutally crushed by the government. The United States appeared to have NO PARTICULAR POLICY toward these various events. (my emphasis -- tinheart) If one believes that almost any action makes things worse and no position is the best position -- a philosophy that is sometimes demonstrably correct -- then Baker's gain in stature was appropriate."
So what to conclude? My wife once said that there was a theory in econonmics that if a company is being run extraordinarily poorly, any change, no matter how insignificant, will increase profit. She calls this the "paint the windows red". Some companies are run so poorly that one can paint the windows red and the company will do better.
Clearly, anything, and I mean ANYTHING Baker does will be better than Rice/Rumsfeld/Cheney. He certainly couldn't do much worse. Baker will paint the windows red, things will get marginally brighter in Iraq, and Baker will be acclaimed, once again, as the greatest manager of all time.
Thanks, publius. tinheart, there is more to Jim Baker than your little reduction. Actually, the more I think about this, the more depressed I get: Baker is one of the few people who could shake up the neo-con's wierd paradigm, and I'm pretty sure that no one in their right mind, including Baker, would take the job.
The losing campaigns he managed for Bush were mostly Bush's fault, he was an awesomely poor campaigner, whiny and ineffective on the stump. With regards to his time at Treasury, massive Japanese investment in American real estate actually turned around the balance of trade for the first time in decades and prevented the Bush recession from being deeper than it was. Maybe that wasn't such lousy monetary policy after all.
Melanie:
You may be right. Steve G makes the point that the call may have come from Kinnebunkport, perhaps with the thought that Baker has the kind of influence with Bush-fils to convince him to genuinely internationalize the effort and get out.
It's true that Baker isn't one of the new style neo-cons.
I've been working on a post that discusses what the Democratic position on what next in Iraq is, and what it should be.
Any thoughts on that also welcomed.
tinheart,
fabulous find; my ignorance of science fiction literature is encyclopeadic, so I thank you.
What does it mean?
The boys at Carlyle are getting impatient for the cash flow.
Jim Baker is a technocrat, a systems man, a manipulator. He may be the worst man for the job. Hopefully he will understand his limitations and refuse the job
I hope Baker gets the job, if only to hear him say, "Fuck the Iraqis: they didn't vote for us anyway."
Who runs the world?
Carlyle does.
Carlyle Team Member
James A. Baker, II has been Senior Counselor of The Carlyle Group since 1993.
http://www.carlyle.com/eng/team/...l5-
team391.html
Carlyle is the eleventh largest defense contractor in the US because of its ownership of companies making tanks, aircraft wings and other equipment. It is also heavily invested in telecommunications. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the firm serves a diverse base of nearly 425 Investors -- mainly large pension funds and banks -- in 50 countries worldwide. The Carlyle Group does not provide investment or other services to the general public. Carlyle has ownership stakes in 164 companies which employed more than 70,000 people and generated $16 billion in revenues in the year 2000.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/mi...try/
carlyle.htm
Nice to know The Company's taking charge, isn't it?
Here's my perspective and, regarding the Iraqi invasion, I have the dubious pleasure of being 100 percent right.
James Baker is a Bush fixer. He has a skill for cutting to the core of the matter and making a few key changes, then marshalling the troops. As far as I can tell, he's kept in a glass case in Kennebunkport with an axe next to it and a sign, "Break Glass in Bush Emergency." The ploy is here: there aren't enough troops and isn't enough money to get the job done in Iraq. Since we are hesitant to call up the troops (activate two National Guard divisions) or add to the money we're spending, the axe gets grabbed.
I don't think it will make much difference, but it's the stopgap before Bush goes to the UN, or the Congress for more money and troops.
baker is still a very slimy person. can only hope that the iraqqis get rid of him for us.
OOH, bad pansy, bad, BAD!
Carlyle is not playing around any more. They need war and lots of it.
Bush Jr. was fired from Carlyle. The guy that fired him had some interesting comments about Jr. I'm trying to find the link.
US arms group heads for Lisbon
6 April 2003
Directors of one of the world’s largest armament companies are planning on meeting in Lisbon in three weeks time. The American based Carlyle Group is heavily involved in supplying arms to the Coalition forces fighting in the Iraqi war.
It also holds a majority of shares in the Seven Up company and Federal Data Corporation, supplier of air traffic control surveillance systems to the US Federal Aviation Authority. The 12 billion dollar company has recently signed contracts with United Defence Industries to equip the Turkish and Saudi Arabian armies with aviation defence systems.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/art...es/
NEW304A.html
They've called forth another of the Undead, eh? It makes them look pretty silly. How many have been in charge of Iraq since, what, May? If Baker does take over, that will be 3 in 3 months.
Get rid of him?
Caution, caution, Uncle Ashcroft's listening.
Baker probably has a level of protection equivalent to the Prez.
Probably not as good as Cheney's, though...
Still, if they're jerking around the Company as well as the CIA, you wonder just how long the Praetorian Guard will continue to protect young Caesar and his Proconsul...
If Bush keeps up this way - changing administrators in Iraq - he will single-handedly destroy the meme that he is a decisive man in very short order. And a lot of staunch Bushites will suddenly stumble and say "wha?"
Carlyle's way
Making a mint inside "the iron triangle" of defense, government, and industry.
January 8, 2002
Like everyone else in the United States, the group stood transfixed as the events of September 11 unfolded. Present were former secretary of defense Frank Carlucci, former secretary of state James Baker III, and representatives of the bin Laden family. This was not some underground presidential bunker or Central Intelligence Agency interrogation room. It was the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., the plush setting for the annual investor conference of one of the most powerful, well-connected, and secretive companies in the world: the Carlyle Group. And since September 11, this little-known company has become unexpectedly important.
http://www.redherring.com/vc/200...2/0111/
947.html
It was Bremer fault!
He put out the wrong message... And you know how mad that makes the Bushies.
Saddam believed to be alive but not behind attacks, Bremer says
Boston Globe, MA - Jul 20, 2003
It isn't the Baath Party but instead the Iraqis themselves that want our military to go home so newspapers doubted that the killing
of Uday and Qusay by US forces would ease anti-US resistance in Iraq...
Bush is having a hard time getting all his people on the same page in order to lie correctly togather.
If Bush keeps up this way - changing administrators in Iraq - he will single-handedly destroy the meme that he is a decisive man in very short order. And a lot of staunch Bushites will suddenly stumble and say "wha?"
Tena, you're right. I think even Rove is finding it impossible to keep spinning this. It's become ridiculous.
Hold on to your drink!
Cadbury Schweppes
1999
Together with The Carlyle Group, we acquire the Dr Pepper Bottling Company of Texas. Combined with The American Bottling Company, this forms the largest independent soft drinks bottler in the US.
1998
Through a partnership with The Carlyle Company, we acquire two leading independent bottlers in the US for $724 million to form The American Bottling Company (ABC) and strengthen our beverages route to market in the US. ABC subsequently acquire Cotton Club Bottling. We acquire Poland's leading chocolate company, Wedel.
http://www.cadburyschweppes.com/...Centre/AcqDisp/
Bush Jr. and The Carlyle Group
We put him on the board and [he] spent three years. Came to all the meetings. Told a lot of jokes. Not that many clean ones. And after a while I kind of said to him, after about three years - you know, I'm not sure this is really for you. Maybe you should do something else. Because I don't think you're adding that much value to the board. You don't know that much about the company.
He said, well I think I'm getting out of this business anyway. And I don't really like it that much. So I'm probably going to resign from the board.
And I said, thanks - didn't think I'd ever see him again. His name is George W. Bush. He became President of the United States. So you know if you said to me, name 25 million people who would maybe be President of the United States, he wouldn't have been in that category. So you never know. Anyway, I haven't been invited to the White House for any things.
http://prorev.com/bushcarlyle.htm
uggabugga be da bomb!!!!
Actually, painting the windows red is good feng shui.
What Bremer did was ask for more resources from the administration on national media, that might be what gets him canned.
Doesn't he know the political costs of doing right by the Iraqis?
"Maybe we should thank the Democrats for shedding their moderate clothing to reveal their true Swinging-Seventies selves."
http://www.majorityleader.gov/news.asp?
FormMode=Detail&ID=127
Greetings from Glorious Majority Leader!!!!
From the web page bill linked:
Good afternoon, or, as John Kerry might say: “Bonjour!”
Is it really appropriate to use a government website to trash a presidential candidate?
Whew, Tom DeLay is on the case!
He sure does know an awful lot about the Democrats! But who am I kidding? This is the guy who thinks all Palestinians are terrorists!
Baker is certain to refuse to represent this desperate client, but since Bush has obviously reconsidered his low opinion of trial lawyers, John Edwards seems like a logical choice to fill Bremmers loosely-tied combat boots...
It would be poetic justice to see Baker saddled with this, since he is more responsible than anyone for W's successful electoral theft. We are going to go out of Iraq with our tail between our legs, ultimately, and it will be nice revenge to see Baker at the center of it.
Ambtious young think tankers who hitched on to neo-con ascendancy might want to re-think. The junta all about recycling the privledged.
Stencil - you sure got that one right - almost the entire administration is recycled.
My two bits...
1) I personally think there's an internal war going on within the Repugs, between the "realists" and the PNAC folks. When Baker is floated as a possible successor to Bremer, and concurrently DeLay goes out to the Middle East on a speaking tour, you have to wonder if this is the oh-so-tightly-organized bunch we constantly hear about - unless there's a severe disageement going on. Don't forget that early on in all this, W seemed to be changing his mind a lot, dependent on who had seemed to talk to him last...
2) Not to exactly toot my own horn, but they just put up, at Steven Soto's site (www.theleftcoaster.com) the latest Truth Squad report regarding the alleged Saddam-Al Qaeda link. Have a look and make use of the info as we try to convince, one by one, our fellow citizens about how they've been decieved and duped in so many ways by ths administration.
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