Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
In response to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s comment that President Donald Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin was disastrous and dumb, it was about working together on cybersecurity.
I guess the senator never read Trump’s book, “Trump: The Art of the Deal.” In this case, the deal may be taken literally.
How about something as simple as maybe 7-card stud? This is not an effort to trivialize or oversimplify diplomatic strategy, but it could be that simple. Every country has a stake in the game. The cards are dealt, some fold, some bluff, and one country wins.
Winning is the goal. Knowing your opponent and keeping a close eye on the enemy gives you the advantage you need to win, even if you don’t have the best hand.
President Obama had a grasp of this concept. Do you believe he appointed Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State because she was a good friend? Yes, she had some qualifications, but really. (Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.) If Hillary won the election and suggested the same, I could see that as being problematic. Just a thought, senator.
Tim O’Connor
St. Helena Island
This story was originally published July 22, 2017 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."