THOSE WHO CANNOT REMEMBER THE PAST ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT

 

In my opinion, the sharpest political mind of my lifetime was former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who died in 2022.

  

In 2009, she published the book MEMO TO THE PRESIDENT ELECT, providing advice to the incoming President, Barack Obama.

 

If you want to understand the history of the Middle East and the mistakes of prior administrations that have led to the quagmire of Donald Trump’s Iran policy, Albright’s book is still worth a read.

 

Seventeen years later, her analysis of Iran is still cogent.  

 

“An assault against terror that strengthened terror; a demonstration of American power that exposes the limit of our power; a campaign conducted in the name of democracy that undercuts democracy’s good name; a blow against extremism that serves the agenda of radicals in Iran; above all, a grisly human tragedy.”

 

“We have been told to be afraid so that we might be less protective of the Constitution, less mindful of international law, less respectful toward allies, less discerning in our search for facts, less rigorous in questioning what our leaders tell us; all this to avoid of being accused of aiding our enemies.”

 

Albright’s book can be purchased from thriftbooks for $5.69.  I use ThriftBooks for most of my book purchases; of course, your local library should be able to provide the book through interlibrary loan.     

the Ol’Buzzard