Solomonia Archive: "A role for three 'wise men'"

Saturday, December 18, 2004

I don't know about wise men, but this idea feels like it's about 2000 years old. Yet another proposal to bring the mountain to Muhammad. Don't they know that just makes The Prophet fat and lazy?

Ah, I hear you say, but this high-level delegation is really high level this time. But I say it doesn't matter whether the delegation is composed of ex-Presidents or current Secretaries of State - it's just as easy to say "NO" to either. In fact, the higher level the delegation, the more value there is to the refusal in the eyes of the despots and their followers.

Boston Globe: A role for three 'wise men' By Paul Smyke

THE DEATH of Yasser Arafat and reelection of George Bush create a new geo-political constellation in the Middle East, amounting to a "do or die" time for the world community. Either there will be an agreed framework for peace in the region one year from now, or yet another generation will endure the resulting turmoil. President Bush now has a unique chance to reach peace if he makes one bold, unprecedented move.

Leveraging the work of those who came before him, President Bush should appoint a "wise men" triad consisting of Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter...

OK, that's enough of that. Read the rest on your own if you must.

One final note. When I do one of these posts I usually Google the author so I can see if there's any context or agenda the paper is leaving out. Often I find they're the head of some "progressive" group or another. This time I found something a bit different.

Turns out Mr. Smyke was on the Board of something called the Cuba Policy Foundation. This group is apparently dedicated to American policy change toward Cuba - lifting the embargo, etc...no surprise there (he also donated to the Kerry campaign - no surprise there, either), until I went back to the group's front page and found that the entire Board had resigned en masse back in 2003 due to Castro's abuses:

..."The recent wave of repression adds to the urgency of the effort. But it also raises new obstacles. The regime could not have failed to know that its actions would have a chilling effect on efforts here to ease the US sanctions. Indeed, the arrests of dissidents who had just days before met with members of the U.S. Congress can only be interpreted as intended to slow the initiative and to embarrass those who were behind it.

"We organized, funded and supported the Foundation because we hoped, and had reason to believe, that its energetic efforts to modify the ban on Cuba trade, travel and investment might succeed over time. We can only conclude, however, that in spite of its claims to the contrary, Cuba does not share our enthusiasm for a more open relationship. For this reason we have tendered our resignations.

"Daily operations of the Foundation will cease as of this date. The corporation will technically remain in existence, and Mr. Alexander will maintain its website as a public resource."...

So, while I think the effort was likely misguided, I have to tip my hat to a rare display of substance.

Now about that mountain...

Posted by Solomon at 11:39 AM on Saturday, Dec 18, 2004 | Comments (2)
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2 Comments

#1 Eileen Wahl | December 18, 2004 12:05 PM

I read your blog almost everyday and have never commented before. What an intellectually, morally bankrupt idea this gentleman has. Did he rewrite history or deliberatley not want to state that Carter and Clintons role in the mideast were diasters in and of themselves and in fact made the situation worse due to their intervention? Frightening article, thanks for the exposure!
Eileen

#2 Solomon | December 18, 2004 12:39 PM

Thanks, Eileen. Yeah, whenever I see the words "Jimmy Carter" placed in pious terms my eyes cross. This one's got a tripple-whammy.