Saturday, January 13, 2007
"I said oh oh domino"
In the immediate aftermath of the President’s speech on Wednesday, the first thought that came to my mind was probably the first one that popped into yours: What does Jimmy Carter’s National Security Advisor think of all this?
Well, thankfully the Washington Post had the same reaction and, as a public service, is offering up the thoughts of Jimmy Carter’s National Security Advisor. Zbigniew Brzezinski - Five Flaws in the President's Plan
Yep – who better to turn to than the man who had Jimmy Carter’s ear throughout the Iran Hostage Crisis. Reading his sage words hearkens back to a more simple time when people still liked America. Well, not enough to leave our embassies alone but you know what I mean…
Apparently, criticizing the President’s actions in Iraq is becoming a January tradition for Mr. Brzezinski. Here he is last January 18th:
“Official and unofficial spokesmen often speak in terms that recall the apocalyptic predictions made earlier regarding the consequences of American failure to win in Vietnam: dominoes falling, the region exploding and U.S. power discredited. An added touch is the notion that the Iraqi insurgents will then navigate the Atlantic and wage terrorism on the American homeland.” The Real Choice in Iraq
And here he is with this year’s edition:
“That would not provide a remedy for the dubious "falling dominoes" scenario, which the president so often has outlined as the inevitable, horrific consequence of U.S. withdrawal.” Five Flaws
Again with the ‘Dominoes” – where is he getting this stuff? I know the President’s critics (*cough*Zbigniew Brzezinski*cough*) have tried mightily to associate that terminology – with all its negative connotations left over from the Democrats’ push in the 60’s toward increasing our presence in Vietnam – to the President but I honestly don’t know that the President himself has ever used it.
Kind of makes you wonder though who first used that term in such a scenario. Our good friends over at WorldwideStandard.com must have asked themselves the same question because this is what they uncovered last year:
“In a March 1, 1964 op-ed in the Washington Post ("'Neutral' Viet-Nam a Chinese Backyard: Noted Student of Communism Says De Gaulle Suggestion Would Be U.S. Defeat and A Handover to Peking"), Mr. Brzezinski responded to a press conference by French President Charles de Gaulle, who concluded that the United States was neither capable nor had the will to stay in Southeast Asia. President de Gaulle argued for the "neutralization" of South Viet-Nam -- de Gaulle's gracious way of handing the area over to the Chinese, Mr. Brzezinski said. And what did Mr. Brzezinski think of this recommendation? Not much.”
…
“And then, under the heading "A Row of Dominos" (!), Mr. Brzezinski wrote this:
“As a result it is certain beyond question that there would be immediate political instability in Thailand, whose northeast is already exposed to insurgency and whose politicians are already fearful that American commitments are not to be trusted. Malaysia, until two years ago an area of Communist insurgency, would be certain to fall, and the collapse of these states would have a direct impact on the present insurgency in Burma.” WorldwideStandard.com: Zbigniew Brzezinski's "Falling Dominoes"
If not the first, no doubt one of the earliest.
According to the Post, Mr. Brzezinski “was national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter, [and] is the author of the forthcoming book "Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower." Left out of that prose is the pertinent fact that he is also a mouthpiece for the Democratic Party – even trusted enough by them to deliver their Weekly Radio Address ( Dr. Brzezinski Delivers Democratic Radio Address Party – 6/24/2005) These Op-Eds then, are not the measured writings of a thoughtful, experienced observer of the situation but instead seem part of an increasingly pathetic effort by someone desperate to alter a current historic image of himself side-by-side with a failed Jimmy Carter. Hey, put like that, I’d be desperate too.
Well, thankfully the Washington Post had the same reaction and, as a public service, is offering up the thoughts of Jimmy Carter’s National Security Advisor. Zbigniew Brzezinski - Five Flaws in the President's Plan
Yep – who better to turn to than the man who had Jimmy Carter’s ear throughout the Iran Hostage Crisis. Reading his sage words hearkens back to a more simple time when people still liked America. Well, not enough to leave our embassies alone but you know what I mean…
Apparently, criticizing the President’s actions in Iraq is becoming a January tradition for Mr. Brzezinski. Here he is last January 18th:
“Official and unofficial spokesmen often speak in terms that recall the apocalyptic predictions made earlier regarding the consequences of American failure to win in Vietnam: dominoes falling, the region exploding and U.S. power discredited. An added touch is the notion that the Iraqi insurgents will then navigate the Atlantic and wage terrorism on the American homeland.” The Real Choice in Iraq
And here he is with this year’s edition:
“That would not provide a remedy for the dubious "falling dominoes" scenario, which the president so often has outlined as the inevitable, horrific consequence of U.S. withdrawal.” Five Flaws
Again with the ‘Dominoes” – where is he getting this stuff? I know the President’s critics (*cough*Zbigniew Brzezinski*cough*) have tried mightily to associate that terminology – with all its negative connotations left over from the Democrats’ push in the 60’s toward increasing our presence in Vietnam – to the President but I honestly don’t know that the President himself has ever used it.
Kind of makes you wonder though who first used that term in such a scenario. Our good friends over at WorldwideStandard.com must have asked themselves the same question because this is what they uncovered last year:
“In a March 1, 1964 op-ed in the Washington Post ("'Neutral' Viet-Nam a Chinese Backyard: Noted Student of Communism Says De Gaulle Suggestion Would Be U.S. Defeat and A Handover to Peking"), Mr. Brzezinski responded to a press conference by French President Charles de Gaulle, who concluded that the United States was neither capable nor had the will to stay in Southeast Asia. President de Gaulle argued for the "neutralization" of South Viet-Nam -- de Gaulle's gracious way of handing the area over to the Chinese, Mr. Brzezinski said. And what did Mr. Brzezinski think of this recommendation? Not much.”
…
“And then, under the heading "A Row of Dominos" (!), Mr. Brzezinski wrote this:
“As a result it is certain beyond question that there would be immediate political instability in Thailand, whose northeast is already exposed to insurgency and whose politicians are already fearful that American commitments are not to be trusted. Malaysia, until two years ago an area of Communist insurgency, would be certain to fall, and the collapse of these states would have a direct impact on the present insurgency in Burma.” WorldwideStandard.com: Zbigniew Brzezinski's "Falling Dominoes"
If not the first, no doubt one of the earliest.
According to the Post, Mr. Brzezinski “was national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter, [and] is the author of the forthcoming book "Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower." Left out of that prose is the pertinent fact that he is also a mouthpiece for the Democratic Party – even trusted enough by them to deliver their Weekly Radio Address ( Dr. Brzezinski Delivers Democratic Radio Address Party – 6/24/2005) These Op-Eds then, are not the measured writings of a thoughtful, experienced observer of the situation but instead seem part of an increasingly pathetic effort by someone desperate to alter a current historic image of himself side-by-side with a failed Jimmy Carter. Hey, put like that, I’d be desperate too.
