Rex Tillerson spells trouble--and for the same reasons that Robert Rubin spelt trouble
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1proximity1
It's true: corporate CEOs of huge and vastly powerful multinational corporations--like Exxon Mobil Corporation (WikipediA®) or The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (WikipediA®) are --or ought to be--cause for public concern when they become appointed to head powerful and strategically important departments of the government of the United States, as was the case when Robert Rubin (WikipediA®) was appointed as "the 70th United States Secretary of the Treasury during the Clinton administration" or when President-Elect Donald Trump considers the appointment of Rex Wayne Tillerson, (WikipediA®) "the chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation, the fifth largest company by market capitalization," "the front-runner among those being considered for secretary of State by president-elect Donald Trump."
If the case of one of these is proper cause for raised eyebrows of concern then I think the same goes for the other one and for all similar cases--and, frankly, the problem is that these cases aren't the exception in U.S. government, they're more the rule.
Yes: we really ought to be extremely concerned about the prospect that a Rex Tillerson might become the next Secretary of State of the United States just as, back at the time, we ought to have no less concerned about the nomination of Robert Rubin as Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.
Rubin's nomination and appointment were from the start a terrible idea and a terrible idea that went from conception to debate to exectution in his nomination, hearings and confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
We shouldn't be playing partisan politics on this. Instead, we should be defining and defending a principle of good governiment: such men have no business being entrusted with high office and the sensitive political power which goes with it in the very realms of their personal and corporate interests.
What's "sauce" for Rex Tillerson, Democrats, ought to have been "sauce" for Robert Rubin, too.
Discuss.
_______________
Relevant reading :
by Steve Coll : Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power
If the case of one of these is proper cause for raised eyebrows of concern then I think the same goes for the other one and for all similar cases--and, frankly, the problem is that these cases aren't the exception in U.S. government, they're more the rule.
Yes: we really ought to be extremely concerned about the prospect that a Rex Tillerson might become the next Secretary of State of the United States just as, back at the time, we ought to have no less concerned about the nomination of Robert Rubin as Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.
Rubin's nomination and appointment were from the start a terrible idea and a terrible idea that went from conception to debate to exectution in his nomination, hearings and confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
We shouldn't be playing partisan politics on this. Instead, we should be defining and defending a principle of good governiment: such men have no business being entrusted with high office and the sensitive political power which goes with it in the very realms of their personal and corporate interests.
What's "sauce" for Rex Tillerson, Democrats, ought to have been "sauce" for Robert Rubin, too.
Discuss.
_______________
Relevant reading :
by Steve Coll : Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power
2proximity1
For me, the point has little to do with the fact that, due to their professional experience, such men and women have acquired what many correctly see as an unusually valuable familiarity with many of the world's most important business and government leaders and exectutives. The point is that this same professional experience places them in a position of holding decision-making authority in the very areas which we can expect to be contrary to a disinterested person's view of the ordinary American people's "national interests."
This was proved out to the nation's immense detriment in the case of Robert Rubin at the Treasury.
This was proved out to the nation's immense detriment in the case of Robert Rubin at the Treasury.
