I appreciate your willingness to gingerly engage, admitting to knowing very little. Same here. One thing that recent years has made very clear is that people MUST cite sources. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Without them, their ‘facts’ are ‘opinions’ based on air. “I’m too busy, do your own research” doesn’t cut it. So many issues……running out of time (literally and figuratively).
Aside from ascribing blame for past US shenanigans in Africa and elsewhere, the coup in Niger is a huge foreign policy disaster for the US. I don't need to go into why, listening to the recent NYT The Daily can fill anyone in on many of the details. What much of the media have missed is that a number of Republican senators, lead by Rand Paul, blocked the appointment of many ambassadors and Deputy Chief of Missions (the #2 at an embassy), almost all of them career Foreign Service officers. This has happened since the beginning of the year, a tactic that Tuberville continue to employ over abortion aid in the military. Anyway, the US Ambassador to Niger is one of the diplomats that was blocked for many many months. It is arguable that the military officers who took over Niger and toppled the elected president, might have been restrained if there had been an actual, in-person US Ambassador at his or her post. After the coup, it is notable that Rand Paul, after being castigated again by Blinken, released the hold, but that happened two days after the coup. It was obviously an "oh, shit" action.
I appreciate your willingness to gingerly engage, admitting to knowing very little. Same here. One thing that recent years has made very clear is that people MUST cite sources. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Without them, their ‘facts’ are ‘opinions’ based on air. “I’m too busy, do your own research” doesn’t cut it. So many issues……running out of time (literally and figuratively).
Thanks, Cima. That's how I felt about that part of the reply, basically shutting down discourse. Thus the 'thumb up' retort. ❤️
Aside from ascribing blame for past US shenanigans in Africa and elsewhere, the coup in Niger is a huge foreign policy disaster for the US. I don't need to go into why, listening to the recent NYT The Daily can fill anyone in on many of the details. What much of the media have missed is that a number of Republican senators, lead by Rand Paul, blocked the appointment of many ambassadors and Deputy Chief of Missions (the #2 at an embassy), almost all of them career Foreign Service officers. This has happened since the beginning of the year, a tactic that Tuberville continue to employ over abortion aid in the military. Anyway, the US Ambassador to Niger is one of the diplomats that was blocked for many many months. It is arguable that the military officers who took over Niger and toppled the elected president, might have been restrained if there had been an actual, in-person US Ambassador at his or her post. After the coup, it is notable that Rand Paul, after being castigated again by Blinken, released the hold, but that happened two days after the coup. It was obviously an "oh, shit" action.
Appreciate these insights, Phil...thanks.