Susan Rice: Tough Love

Originally the thinking was she might be a vice president candidate or a cabinet minster, but with the tight Congress she would be a lot of grief getting approved.  While writing she is being offered a position not requiring Senate confirmation.  BUT she is a worthy subject for what she has done and how.  Her book gives some very interesting insights and after reading I believe she has been unfairly besmirched and  offers herself as a worthy American advocate.

Coming from a tight knit family she relates the background of not only great and grand parents, but also aunts and uncles.  There is a bit of multi relations and some of her relatives are lighter in color than others and there is some discrimination within them.  One common feature is a respect for education that was pushed with lots of sacrifices.  Susan is tough on herself with personality and physical flaws that are more than self-deprecation.

She and her brother lived through their parent's tempestuous marriage that ended in divorce.  Although they loved both parents they had to resist a legal manoeuvre to force a decision with the help of some legal responses of their own.  

Grew up in Washington, DC and attended Stanford where she met her husband, Ian Cameron  and later studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.  After graduation she accepted a job with McKinsey and Company a management consulting with a branch in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  Her  boyfriend Ian just returning from the London School of Economics lined up a job with C.B.C. Television producing a nightly news program.  Ian proposed to her and she accepted, but then developed cold feet and called it off.  While Ian was in South Africa dealing with apartheid she heard on the CBC that Ian's boss, Barbara Frum, had died.  It created a moment of clarity for her and she phoned Ian to break the bad news, but also to say she now was willing to marry him.  Barbara had been one that had encouraged their engagement.  Barbara Frum was someone I used to regularly listen to on her radio program and later on her newscasts. and now I enjoy listening to her conservative son, David Frum.  

Her first government position was with Richard Clarke.  As Clinton began his presidency he ran into a problem with Black Hawk Down which scared off Congress inhibiting many future options.  Then the Rwanda genocide which Clinton thought of as his biggest regret.  Africa had been her Oxford thesis and she found herself involved with the continent that Obama had given more priority to.

Later Susan was given a promotion for Africa working as an assistant to for the State Department.  Sudan being linked to terrorist activities she wanted a trade boycott, but was stymied by Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey who wanted to protect imports of gum arabic, an essential ingredient in pharmaceuticals that were manufactured in New Jersey.  South Sudan was created with American encouragement but shortly displayed corruption and mismanagement.

Eight years out of government, but helped with campaigns and a variety of concerns.  Being a wife and mother took a higher priority until Barack Obama ran for president.  She had had some contact with him, particularly with foreign affairs advice and decided to support him instead of Hilary Clinton.  She spoke on his behalf as a surrogate and gave foreign affairs advice.

With the Obama  administration she first was given the post of Ambassador to the United Nations and later National Security Advisor and in both roles ran into numerous international issues.

To her Afghanistan seemed ungrateful for American deaths.  She dealt with Hamid Karzai and reached a similar evaluation as from Sarah Chayes.  Chayes had much to say about the role of corruption that seem very relevant;  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/07/thieves-of-state.html

The so called "Benghazi scandal" was manufactured and I suspect, not only to hurt the Obama administration, but specifically to hurt Susan Rice who was seen as a formidable adversary.  Ordinarily Hilary Clinton would have been called to make the attack announcement, but Susan merely read off the C.I.A. approved information with a careful caution that it was only preliminary.

On the Cuban project Susan  worked with Ben Rhodes to open up relations behind media and Congressional view.   It has been for decades a very delicate issue as Florida has many bitter exiles that have demonstrated they can help tip an election.  My view is that Cuba had a Revolution to get rid of the Mafia and the 1% holding power.  It turned out the Communists were a viable tool in that regard. My thoughts on Cuba  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/12/obama-and-cuba.html

Another major project was the nuclear agreement with Iran, that was more recently broken by Trump.   Susan helped in the negotiations and recognized the goal was nuclear disarmament which could form the basis for dealing further irritants.  My thoughts:http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/05/alarm-bells-on-iran.html

Daily she dealt with a variety of assaults on the American Government, but her book does more than cover many of the global crises, it also comments on the procedures to deal with the problems. 

Rice was responsible for setting up and chairing Principals Committee that included Obama and cabinet ministers.  It was intended to identify priorities and how best to tackle them.  Each participant was on a tight schedule and very likely had already set up their next appointment or travel plan for right after meeting.  Sometimes they would get riled up and need to be calmed down or steered to a more productive tack.

Trump's presidency has been a blow to her, but she has boosted Democratic efforts and played a small role in advising on foreign affairs.

She and her husband are open minded enough that their son, Jake has been president of the Republican Club at Stanford.  Their daughter Maris is of a more progressive bent, but they all love one another. 

I am looking forward to reading Barrack Obama's book knowing that Santa has been searching to get me a copy.   I would also recommend Susan's book to better understand the many power struggles in the world.

PETER WORTHINGTON WAS A BOYHOOD IDOL OF MINE

My first acquaintance of Peter Worthington was as a twelve year old delivering newspapers.  Peter was on the front page of the Toronto Telegram doing all sorts of fascinating things.  I remember wars in Africa and Asia,  involvement with a Russian bureau and walking a long distance (don't remember why).  He was my idea of glamorous reporter and I enjoyed being associated with the Telegram.  I had not realized that he witnessed the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald and also the escape of the Dalai Lama (one of my current heroes).

I lost track of him and then became aware that he was a key founder of the Toronto Sun after the Telegram folded.  I got involved with the Sun during my circulation career when I helped set up delivery service for the Sunday Sun in Burlington.  Then my career took a different direction.

I actually have met Peter at a softball match for newspapers.  I know I met the famous Paul Rimstead, also of the Sun.  Somehow the Oakville Journal Record was included in a mostly Toronto media softball league, played mainly for fun (although some took it very seriously).

A few years later when I worked for a new newspaper in Kitchener called Newsday the Toronto Sun became important in different ways.  My two immediate bosses were both former employees of the Sun.  I had received a more broad training at a smaller community newspaper and we clashed a bit, but in the end they admitted I did know what I was talking about.  Two of my working colleagues from Oakville went on to work at the Toronto Sun.

Later I learned the Sun was critical to Newsday getting off the ground.  Going up against the establishment is always difficult.  We had trouble finding a printer when our first printer realized we were competing against one of their own group members in Kitchener.  The Toronto Sun, an upstart paper itself came through and as far I can recall stuck with us the whole time.  Things did get tough and I had heard rumours that the Sun might be willing to buy us, but it fell through and before too long Newsday was history.  I could have ended up working for the Toronto Sun (not sure if Peter was with them at this time or not, but aware of the connection).

Instead of working with the Toronto Sun my circulation career took me in opposition to them and later to another group where I was constantly running into people who had worked at the Sun.  Read about my career at the Toronto Sun:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/08/my-career-in-newspaper-circulation-part.html

My politics were probably never on the same page as Peter's, but until I reached university I never gave it much thought.  I admit Trudeaumania hit me strongly.  While still in university, but not old enough to vote I volunteered and eventually even got paid to help the Liberals in the Oshawa-Whitby riding.  I really didn't have much influence, but I think I can credit myself with helping Ed Broadbent get elected.  I know I switched a few votes (my Grandmother and Great Aunt amongst them) from the Conservative cabinet minister Michael Starr to my candidate Desmond Newman, mayor of Whitby.  I also had one of my ad ideas accepted by the campaign manager.  In the end about 20 votes separated Ed Broadbent from Michael Starr and Ed went on to become NDP party leader.   Read more:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/04/my-short-but-educational-political.html

I was vaguely aware that Peter detested Trudeau, and from time to time became aware that it was one of his missions to destroy Trudeau.  I look back on Trudeau with mixed feelings that still include some admiration.

Peter married Yvonne Crittenden who had also been a reporter at the Telegram.  His step daughter  Danielle married David Frum.  I had been an avid listener to David's mother, Barbara when she hosted a CBC radio program called "As it Happens".  David Frum always impressed me as very articulate with well thought out views.  When I think of conservatives I think he is outstanding.  He is not locked into a position so narrow he cannot understand why some people think otherwise.  It is a shame that the Republicans have rejected him as he gave good advice.  There does need to be a balance between liberal and conservatives which David would be an ideal person to represent the conservative perspective.  I read some of Danielle's work and enjoyed her sense of humour.

It takes all types of people to make the world work and Peter was certainly a unique one.  He wrote his own obituary which details his life like nobody else.  And the details are very interesting.

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/05/14/peter-worthington-in-his-own-words