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AUGUST 11, 2017, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5 KeizerOpinion KEIZERTIMES.COM Words vs. war Fire and fury like the world has never seen. Those are decidedly not dip- lomatic words—those are fi ghting words. Words that President Trump spoke about continued threats from North Korea. Trump said if Kim Jong-Un’s re- gime persisted with its threats against the United States, North Korea would suffer the harshest military re- action ever seen by mankind. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson walked back Trump’s comments. He said that Americans can sleep easy at night, that there is no credible threat of a Korean ballistic nucle- ar weapon hitting the U.S. Those are the two sides of the current American foreign policy coin: tit for tat and diplomacy. Trump threatens a rain of military might while the nation’s top diplomat seeks to lower the tension. Unfortunately, Trump’s words ring too much like the Soviet Union’s Krushchev’s “We will bury you” speech at the height of the cold war. Secretary of State Tillerson tried to calm the world upon his return from a visit to Asia. Though he was chosen to lead the State Department due to his ex- perience as a globe-trotting CEO of Exxon Mobil, he does not have the training, education or background that delicate situations such as North Korea need. Even with his limita- tions, we prefer Tillerson’s diplomacy over Trump’s bellicosity. The West can believe that no man, especially a leader, would ever take the drastic step of starting a war of nukes. The problem is that Kim Jong- Un is an unknown quantity: would he—could he—order a missle tipped with a nuclear weapon be launched against Guam or some point in the western United States? Until our intelligence sources can say, without a doubt, that Jong-Un is not the irrational child he appears to be and does not have his fi nger poised over the launch button, we need to opt for safety and security. After Trump’s ‘fi re and fury’ re- marks the North Korea regime threatened to hurl a missle at Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base and its 6,000 military personnel. The tit for tat bluster serves no purpose. It is anyone’s guess which audience Jong-Un is play- ing to since he has so few allies; he might be playing to the hometown crowd. Nothing whips up patri- otic frenzy like warning against an enemy. Trump is playing to his base, which doesn’t tend to shy away from a fi ght. Words matter and war-mongering words matter more since they make other countries in east Asia nervous and uncertain which camp to gravitate to: America and the West, or China. Some decry the lack of results from diplomacy, but as long as two sides are talking to each other they are not warring against each other. The key is talking to each other, not at each other. The United States sat down at a table with a delegation from North Vietnam for years at a chateau outside Paris. Negotiations eventually bore fruit, but it was an ar- duous journey. In the early 1970s American dip- lomats purposely portrayed President Richard Nixon as a madman who was capable of anything so the Sovi- ets and Vietnamese better deal with him before he did something rash. That strategy worked partly because both the Soviets and Chinese need- ed something from the U.S. North Korea needs nothing from America except respect and a promise not to invade. That seems an easy program to follow. It’s better than the unfath- omable alternative. —LAZ Writer gets inclusion right people say you can’t leg- islate behavior. But we do that all the time with laws regulating driv- ing, drinking and smok- ing, and other abusive or dangerous behaviors. As you pointed out, words matter. Laws, policies and leadership matter. I believe we can make a dif- ference day by day, person by person, by treating our neighbors and even strangers in the community with re- spect and consideration. Thank you for setting a great example. Kathy Lincoln Keizer our opinion letters To the Editor: Thank you Eric How- ald for your thoughtful, compassionate and well written column (Why in- clusivity matters) in the Aug. 4th is- sue of the Keizertimes. It was in stark contrast to the guest opinion of L. Brent Bozell, III and Tim Graham, right next to it. And thank you for all the ways you are obviously contributing to make our community more welcoming and comfortable for everyone. Some Rex Tillerson ineffectual at State By MICHAEL GERSON If Cabinet members are to be judged by the gap between expecta- tion and performance, Rex Tillerson is among the worst. He was supposed to be one of the adults in the room, a steadying force. But Tillerson has managed to be both ineffectual and destabilizing—unfamil- iar with the workings of government, unwilling to provide inspirational lead- ership, disconnected from American values and seemingly hos- tile to the department in his care. Who would want to be known as the secretary of state who retreated from the promotion of justice and de- mocracy? Yet this is exactly what Til- lerson seems to desire. To a certain kind of corporate mind, a statement of organizational purpose—following a bottom-up, 360-degree, consultant-driven review process—is a big deal. The one cur- rently under consideration at the State Department (according to an internal email obtained by my fellow Washing- ton Post columnist Josh Rogin): “We promote the security, prosperity and interests of the American people glob- ally.” In contrast, the previous version called for “a peaceful, prosperous, just and democratic world.” Let’s set aside the offensive clunki- ness of the new statement. No, let’s not. Organizations like corporations have statements of purpose. Institutions like the State Department have traditions, values and missions. Tillerson’s new purpose statement could be adopted by any country in the world with the change of one adjective—the “Rus- sian” people or the “Belgian” people. This involves a crude reductionism. Exxon Mobil may measure its success in interests and profi ts. But America is a nation dedicated to the principle that all are created equal. If our coun- try does not stand for a “just and democratic” world, who will? This sad and serious shift—begun in Donald Trump’s inaugural ad- dress—has been carried forward by Tillerson. In his fi rst remarks to State Department employees, the new sec- retary of state said that the promotion of American values “creates obstacles” in pursuit of American interests. The administration’s proposed budget es- sentially zeroes out democracy pro- motion funding. Tillerson refused (against tradition) to personally unveil the State Department’s annual hu- man rights report. The impression that America no longer cares about human rights has fi ltered down to third-rate despots everywhere. Every American president since World War II has believed that our nation benefi ts from the spread of economic and political freedom. Op- pressive regimes are more likely to seek destabilizing weapons and to harbor terrorists. Democratic nations are more peaceful and more likely to engage in trade. Democratization (for the most part) cannot be imposed, but it can be encouraged, unless that great, defi ning national mission doesn’t fi t in the PowerPoint presentation. Meanwhile, Tillerson’s organiza- tional review has been employed as an excuse to avoid making key hires. He complains that the government is “not a highly disciplined organi- other views zation.” And surely there is room to consolidate proliferating State De- partment bureaus and to rationalize management structures. But under what theory of reorganization would the State Department not have assis- tant secretaries covering Europe, East Asia, Latin America and the rest? Not a single assistant secretary position has been permanently fi lled. Tillerson’s aloofness, his public criticisms of the department and his support for drastic budget cuts (in- cluding for embassy security) have naturally had an effect on morale. And why is morale valuable? As secretary of state, George Shultz motivated (much of) a naturally skeptical depart- ment to implement Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy vision. As secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice motivated (much of) a naturally skeptical depart- ment to support President George W. Bush’s freedom agenda. If the Trump administration con- tinues to treat professional staff as the “deep state” enemy, the department will be in a mix of despair and revolt. Bureaucracies cannot be reorganized or threatened into effectiveness. They must be led and inspired. People must know that loyalty goes both ways. They must believe that the ultimate goal is to strengthen, not undermine, the institution they have dedicated their lives to serve. As of now, there is no reason for State Department employees to be- lieve this. In Trump world, tearing down institutions is a mark of virtue. This type of radicalism was once fa- miliar on the hard left (“burn, baby, burn”). It may be more effective in the hands of a bland capitalist. (Washington Post Writers Group) Worried for the United States Keizertimes Wheatland Publishing Corp. • 142 Chemawa Road N. • Keizer, Oregon 97303 phone: 503.390.1051 • web: www.keizertimes.com • email: kt@keizertimes.com MANAGING EDITOR SUBSCRIPTIONS Eric A. Howald editor@keizertimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Derek Wiley news@keizertimes.com One year: $25 in Marion County, $33 outside Marion County, $45 outside Oregon PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY ADVERTISING Publication No: USPS 679-430 Paula Moseley advertising@keizertimes.com POSTMASTER Send address changes to: PRODUCTION MANAGER Andrew Jackson Keizertimes Circulation graphics@keizertimes.com 142 Chemawa Road N. LEGAL NOTICES Keizer, OR 97303 legals@keizertimes.com EDITOR & PUBLISHER Lyndon Zaitz publisher@keizertimes.com BUSINESS MANAGER Laurie Painter billing@keizertimes.com Periodical postage paid at Salem, Oregon RECEPTION Lori Beyeler facebook.com/keizertimes twitter.com/keizertimes By GENE H. McINTYRE Millions of American voters were willing to forgive Donald J. Trump for all they knew about him before he was a candidate, yet, they voted for him anyway. Hope can spring eternal but the evidence from the views of Trump and his advisors over his six month tenure leaves those trying to remain objective about him with dis- may, as the Oval Offi ce has become a “black hole” of credibility crises that worsens nearly every hour of every day. Most recently, former Press Secretary Sean Spic- er denied he was aware of the retracted Fox News story on slain Demo- cratic National Com- mittee staffer Seth Rich even though it was well known that he attended a meeting on the subject. President Trump’s lawyer, Jay Sekulow, denied that the president was involved in the writing of Donald Trump Junior’s statement on Russia (while we now know that the presi- dent dictated every word of it). Presi- dent Trump claims that he received a call from the leader of the Boy Scouts praising his speech to the Boy Scouts at their jamboree—a matter even the White House soon refuted. Since President Trump and his in- ner circle of advisors continue daily to mislead the American public about ev- erything from crowd sizes to campaign meetings to what was said by the Boy Scout leadership, announce totally untrue and proven untrue claims like the one about “Obama wiretapped my phones” and 3 million illegal im- migrants voted for Hillary Clinton, and then blast reporters for so-called “fake news” explained by “alternative facts” then why should any American believe anything coming directly from the president or those he requires to carry his unfounded and mendacious messages to the public? President Trump has accumulat- ed a virtual mountain of pernicious comments he’s delivered to Ameri- cans as well as other per- sons throughout the world. Hence, this writer is not con- fi dent in the state of Trump’s mental health. It was hoped that once he assumed the responsibilities of president he would adopt the related responsibilities; unfortunate- ly, a fully functioning, stable and steady-course mind continues to elude him. What worries this writer is the fate of my na- tion with Trump hold- ing its high- est public offi ce. At his job as presi- dent, Trump continuously lies by set- ting the most horrible of examples but also using his authority as president to require obe- guest column dience through pledges and acts of loyalty to him rather than the nation. Thereby, persons under him must sus- pend their beliefs and values while a sustained democracy with truth at its core and an informed citizenry be- comes a national casualty. The hitch is that what is now going on at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is fun- damentally unhealthy and increasing- ly contrary to a freedom-loving peo- ple who, by increasing numbers, don’t trust government any more. Mendac- ity must be recognized as bad, evil and destructive to a nation’s wherewithal and ability to survive intact with a viable future. What’s going on is that Trump is not just lying to the press but lying through it, creating an au- thoritarian regime where the people are fed misinformation they know is not true as we move ever in the di- rection of those countries we held in contempt, laughing at its awful she- nanigans and death throes. (Gene McIntyre lives in Keizer.
