James Baker on appeasement

I'm still pretty angry over what Bush said about appeasement in front of the Knesset, the Israeli Legislature, some days ago. I know, it may seem like old news to some of you, but I don't share that view. Just because our agenda-setting gatekeepers in our corporate media no longer deem it news, doesn't mean it isn't. In addition, there are some developments along this front that I'll get to in a minute.

Anyway, the footage above is former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, appearing on Hannity & Colmes to talk about appeasement. I wish I could find a longer clip of this - a seasoned and respected diplomat explaining to the uneducated Hannity and the shrinking violet Holmes what diplomacy actually entails.

However, even this minute-long footage is a good example of Baker not towing the neocon line that "talking to our enemies is appeasement." And I also love it how Hannity seems to be swallowing his tongue - the guy just doesn't know what to say.

It's also not surprising that President Bush doesn't know the meaning of the word diplomacy, either. What I found particularly amusing (and tragic) was that Bush was willing to roll the dice in front of the whole world, saying in no uncertain terms that talking to our enemies is not a good idea. He made himself look like the imbecile he truly is.

Whether Baker meant to or not (I'm guessing he did), he pretty much blew Bush's assertion out of the water about not talking to our enemies. While Baker has obviously never been president, it's pretty clear that his pinkie knows more about diplomacy than Bush's entire body. In fact, what Bush knows about diplomacy you could fit on the head of a needle and still have room for the yellow pages.

What's more, in recent days, Israel and Syria have sat down for talks at the peace table. No truth the the rumor that Bush will re-appear before the Knesset to call Israel's leaders appeasers.

Here's wondering if deep down, Baker doesn't regret his intervention (at the behest of Bush 41) in the whole Florida mess in the fall of 2000, which ultimately paved the way for the Supreme Court to anoint Bush president. If Baker could go Back to the Future. ...