The American ‘national security adviser’, Jake Sullivan, took a remarkable ‘victory lap’ yesterday. His message: the good guys are winning; the bad guys are losing; we’re leaving the incoming administration with a ‘strong hand’; don’t screw it up, guys. His omissions: the rout in Kabul, the genocide in Palestine, the gutting of Ukraine, the enervation of the United Nations, the absence of any major new diplomatic negotiation, agreement, or treaty in the interests of his country… Fair enough. A booster must boost. But did Mr Sullivan really mean to insult the intelligence of his listeners by omitting so much? Or did he wish them to regard the omitted items instead as acts of commission? His theme of virtuous/strong vs evil/weak suggests the intentional and premeditated enactment of harm for harm’s sake. That’s not the making of a strong hand. It’s not ‘great power competition’. It’s certainly not statecraft. It’s a crude and mendacious kind of roller derby. Talleyrand regrets spoiling the Season with these thoughts, but they are impossible to suppress. Either these people are dreadful liars, or they are delusional. Heaven help all of us in 2025. |