As the new Biden national security security team settles in, reupping some recommendations for tackling various issues. (This will be my last set of recommendations for a while; don't want to be second guessing new team right away.) THREAD. 1/
During the @JoeBiden@Transition46 , Ive been offering some unsolicited policy recommendations in print. As they move today from transition to governance tomorrow, collating them all here in one THREAD. 1/.
On diagnostics, here is what the Biden national security team inherits from Trump tomorrow: "The good, the bad and the (very) ugly foreign policy legacy Trump leaves for Biden" nbcnews.com/think/opinion/… 2/
On prescriptions, here are 6 essays on how to improve (1) diplomacy, (2) support for global democracy, (3) strategic communications and USG media, as well as how to deal with (4) Russia, (5)China, and (6) Iran. 3/
"On January 6, 2021 a violent mob attacked the United States Capitol to obstruct the process of our democracy and stop the counting of presidential electoral votes. This insurrection caused injury, death and destruction in the most sacred space in our Republic." THREAD 1/
"Much more will become clear in coming days and weeks, but what we know now is enough. The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. " 2/
"None of this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution."3/
"Democracies are vulnerable to populists in three ways. First, democracy relies on buy-in from both the electoral winners and the electoral losers to respect election results." 2/
"Winners have to constrain themselves: they cannot use the law to persecute their opponents or blatantly skew the rules of the game in their favor." 3/
Have witnessed and written extensively about the gradual erosion of democracy in Russia (& other countries), I thought we Americans could learn some lessons from the Russian "case". (Tweeting some of the key points from the piece, hidden behind a paywall) 2/
"Liberal friends of mine inside the Russian government at the time argued that they had to stay where they were so that they could resist Putin’s autocratic ways." We've heard that one now for 4 years. 3/
I agree mostly with Bob Gates here: "The World Is Full of Challenges. Here’s How Biden Can Meet Them." THREAD 1/ nytimes.com/2020/12/18/opi…
On diagnosis, here's is my parallel take "Opinion | The good, the bad and the (very) ugly foreign policy legacy Trump leaves for Biden" nbcnews.com/think/opinion/… via @NBCNewsTHINK 2/
Saddened to read this story about Trump's decision to close our consulates in Ekaterinburg and Vladivostok. THREAD 1/ apnews.com/article/politi…
The U.S. should be seeking ways to engage more directly with Russian society. These consulates help. Some of my best trips in Russia as U.S. Ambassador were to Ekaterinburg and Vladivostok. 3/
In Ekaterinburg, the press followed me everywhere. They were eager for interaction. 4/