It’s always gratifying to stumble over an example of something I’ve had difficulty explaining to others. In this case, it comes courtesy of Will: the autobiography of the late G. Gordon Liddy. The incident in question occurred during the first presidential term of Richard Nixon, when Liddy was Special Assistant to the Secretary of the treasury:
The Johnson Administration had extracted a promise from Suleyman Demirel, the prime minister of Turkey, to eliminate all opium poppy cultivation in that coutry by the end of 1971. [Assistant Treasury Secretary William] Rossides and I agreed that the United States should use all its economic power to force Demirel to make good on his promise – something Rossides ethnic background and identification with the Greek lobby did not exactly make him reluctant to do. The Department of State, aware of Rossides’ visceral anti-Turkish feelings, cited the shakiness of the Demirel government and said at one of our meetings that instructions to our ambassador to push Demirel harder might destroy the ambassador’s usefulness.
I argued that if Demirel were going to renege, it didn’t matter whether he fell or not; indeed, a new prime minister might prove more amenable. I had no use for our ambassador because I believed he had fallen victim of the occupational hazard of ambassadors and was representing Demirel more than the United States.
There’s the phenomenon I had in mind when I wrote this much-cited essay. For a grace note, Liddy continues thus:
When the State Department representative at the conference asked me, dripping hauteur, “and just what, Mr. Liddy, do you propose we do with our ambassador should what you propose destroy his usefulness?”
To State and Rossides’ outrage I replied disdainfully, “Have you considered locking him in a room with a Luger to do the graceful thing?”
It’s hard not to like this guy.
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In the center of your final “Outer Conclusion” to your https://www.libertystorch.info/2012/08/20/a-cabal-of-its-enemies/
Holy cow Fran. Did you intend to imply this stretch — actually an extension on your main premise?
Sovereign Americans are facing the same dilemma as all nations. Our “diplomats” to DC, and even to many of our state houses and localities, have have fallen under sway of global powers. As soon as I saw the extract quoted above, I instantly inferred such an implication.
Those on the take will not applaud you.
But for us, to face the reality of this, is a positive step.
April 2, by CBD at AoS, I give you a timely example of And even to many of our state houses and localities:
— Manhattan garage worker charged with attempted murder after shooting thief
G. Gordon Liddy had balls. At one point, when testifying before Congress he was asked to swear that he was telling the truth. Standard practice…and he said no. He refused to swear to the oath of honesty while testifying. He was uncompromising in his beliefs, and not afraid to pay the price for being so. Right or wrong he was a very interesting character.
I heard Liddy tell that story on the radio a long time back. To the best of my memory, it went like this:
After his non-standard answer, the judge sent him to solitary confinement for an attitude re-adjustment. I don’t recall how limited rations Liddy had been put on, but they were limited. Meanwhile, the word had gotten around in the jail. Liddy was surprised by a knock on the window of his door. A prisoner was there, motioning to the floor. He slid a plastic bag under the door, Liddy pulled it through, and the prisoner then poured an egg mixture into his end of the bag which flowed under the door into Liddy’s end.
The extra rations were a real encouragement.