President Obama nominated Hagel for his experience in government and the private sector, as well as his principled stances in containing our involvement in foreign wars. Most importantly, Hagel is needed to bring a fresh outlook regarding the role of the Pentagon in asserting American military power in the world, as well as in the all-important area of cost containment.
Hagel can look forward to right-sizing the Pentagon budget while recognizing the limitations of the notion of asserting America's military power to further the idea of Manifest Destiny. Another constraining factor impacts the Pentagon: nature itself. The eastern coastline of the United States has been under heavy assault from a number of major hurricanes and floods.
The aftermath of these natural disasters has required years of rebuilding and the active intervention of the Army Corps of Engineers. Recently, Hurricane Sandy proved to be unprecedented in the northeast corridor. Now, the Defense Department must consider the impact of weatherization as an important consideration in protecting citizens from great harm.
Right now, there are important foreign policy challenges in the world. Examples are the unwillingness of Iran to cooperate fully in eliminating its pursuit of nuclear weapons components and related technologies. Syria has had social unrest together with harsh governmental policies in recent years, yet Assad will not step down. In addition, North Korea has expressed interest in reunification with the South.
All of these issues, individually and collectively will pose considerable challenges to our diplomatic and defense efforts well into the future. Ultimately, the United States must discover the proper balance between diplomacy, the use of soft power, sanctions and an assertive military posture to deflect the challenges which the future will most certainly present. Lastly, Chuck Hagel will be running the Defense Department, if confirmed. The overall efforts in the execution of soft power and diplomacy will be done by the diplomatic team, as well as the new Secretary of State: John Kerry. Overall policy will be set by President Obama.
Article comments
1 - John Lake
Thorough and thoughtful article. I also seem to recall that Hagel supports Obama's basic premise that indeed Palestine does have a right to exist.
2 - Igor
Why must the democratic president pick a republican executive?
Did republican presidents select democratic cabinet members?
3 - Dr Dreadful
Norman Mineta, a Democrat, was GWB's Transportation Secretary.
4 - Baronius
It's become pretty standard lately. Reagan had Kirkpatrick and Bennett. I don't recall Bush I. Clinton had a couple, and Dread notes Bush II. It's also standard practice for administrations to use their predecessors' foreign policy guys as envoys. George Mitchell is always doing something.
And, there are always plenty of bipartisan commissions.
5 - Dr Dreadful
It's also standard practice for administrations to use their predecessors' foreign policy guys as envoys. George Mitchell is always doing something.
Indeed. And I remember during the 80s and 90s, George Schultz always seemed to be in the news no matter who was president. It makes sense for administrations to set politics aside if there's someone available who really knows his or her stuff and is willing to put nation before party.
6 - Dr. Joseph S. Maresca
"After two years back at Harvard, Moynihan was appointed by Nixon in 1973 to the job of Ambassador to India, thus gratifying the old dream of foreign service. During his two years in New Delhi, Moynihan completed the tedious yet valuable job of negotiating the retirement of India's debt to the United States. But he also came to some alarming conclusions about the world: In 1975, in a widely read article in Commentary titled ''The United States in Opposition,'' he wrote that democratic values were profoundly threatened by a growing totalitarian spirit in the third world, and nobody was willing to recognize it. The governing elites, as always, were complacent, paralyzed.
Henry A. Kissinger, then Gerald Ford's Secretary of State, admired the article (he found it ''staggeringly good,'' Moynihan later wrote) and suggested Moynihan for the job of Chief Delegate to the United Nations."
http://partners.nytimes.com/books/98/10/04/specials/moynihan-mag90.html
7 - Igor
Thanks.
8 - Dr Joseph S. Maresca
Correction: Par. 3 should show 60,000 Iraqi lives lost and 200,000 Iranian lives lost.
9 - Dr Joseph S. Maresca
Thanks for the comment, John. I don't think that Israel contests the Palestinian right to exist or to even co-exist peacefully. Israel really would like Hamas to recognize that Israel has an unconditional right to exist. This plus peaceful co-existence will get the peace process rolling to a successful conclusion. This desired result may actually happen as Hamas loses power and influence in the area.