I wonder if Pompeo speechwriters were deliberately trying to echo Truman's March 1947 speech to Congress, aka the Truman Doctrine, or NSC-68, , written in 1950, when writing Pompeo's latest China speech? Anyone know? Lots of parallels. THREAD
After defining the Soviet threat, NSC-68 offered 4 policy options (with of course, only one preferred option -- option 4 2/
a. "Continuation of current policies, with current and currently projected programs for carrying out these policies" 3/
b. "Isolation" 4/
c. "War" 5/
d. A more rapid building up of the political, economic & military strength of the free world than provided under a, with the purpose of reaching ...a tolerable state of order among nations without war & of preparing to defend ourselves in the event that the free world is attacked
Im guessing the Trump has written a similar classified strategy paper, that also lands on option d. Can anyone confirm? 7/
The problem with the analogy, however, is that Xi is not Stalin, the CCP in 2020 is not akin to the CSPU in 1950, and the Chinese autocratic regime and state-led economic system in 2020 is not parallel to Soviet totalitarianism in 1950. 8/
And remember, not everyone in Truman's team agreed with his 1947 speech or NSC-68. Kennan did not. Acheson prevailed. Is there a similar debate happening with the Trump administration? Will there be in a Biden administration? END THREAD.
