A very powerful man is now facing the whole country in a very public way for what may be the first time. He appears a bit nervous and perhaps rehearsed.
Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, is facing confirmation hearing today as the next administration prepares to begin. Here’s some biographical info.
Nevertheless, it seems that former Exxon Mobil CEO will likely be confirmed as Secretary of State with ease. Many of the questions have been quite friendly, and perhaps even soft ball.
Key issues include foreign policy, his past ties with Russia, Middle East issues, a commitment to defense and use of war ‘to back up diplomacy.’
Also discussed were potential conflicts of interest with ExxonMobil, the company he spent his entire career with, as well as climate change policies. Oil (and natural gas) as a weapon of foreign policy has been little appreciated until now, but has played a huge role in Venezuela’s volatile economic crisis, and has stoked tensions with Russia.
Here’s video:
His previous support for a carbon tax seems unusual from a big oil exec; however, when taken into account with the Rockefeller support for the green agenda, one has to wonder if it will have any bearing on the domestic policies over the next four years.
The importance of natural gas in manipulating the gas price is a key development in recent years, as a vulnerable U.S. empire seeks to hold onto power as the dominance of the petrodollar fades and other world powers challenge the scale of order.
Rex Tillerson will bring an interesting factor into the Trump Administration, and a naked representation of corporate power over policy…
As the London Guardian reports:
In one of the futile demonstrations that marked the run-up to the Iraq war, I saw a woman with a sign that read “How Did Our Oil End Up Under Their Sand?” In nine words she managed to sum up a great deal of American foreign policy, back at least as far as the 1953 coup that overthrew Mossadegh in Iran and helped toss the Middle East into its still-boiling cauldron.
If the Senate approves Rex Tillerson after his testimony on Wednesday, they’ll be continuing in that inglorious tradition – in fact, they’ll be taking it to a new height, and cutting out the diplomats who have traditionally played the middleman role.
Rex Tillerson – who has literally spent his entire working life at Exxon – is big oil personified. It’s like appointing Ronald McDonald to run the agriculture department…
Read more:
Falling Oil Prices Could Cripple ‘Vulnerable’ Russia, Trigger World War III
2017, As Goldman Sachs Sees It: “What Keeps Wall Street Up At Night”
Lets give him a chance!!! Isn’t that what we all would want???
Sgt.
Id rather see the whole administration made up of folks who have never held public office than one more rubber stamp career politician
Agreed – anybody who has never held political or public office would be better. I’ve always said to friends that I wish for the day when the guy showing his butt-crack on a plumbing job, the sun-burnt roofer, the torn jeans knee carpenter was a Senator, Congressman or hell…. the POTUS. But some people just keep re-electing dinosaurial evils like “golden showers” McCain fantasy story reader to office.
Anyone who pisses off the liberals is a win in my book.
I am very pleased that a man of his stature would take the position of SOS. He will do great things. His tenure at EXXON is over. He is now working for the American People.
The naysayers should ask themselves whether they prefer this man or a career politician like Hillary or Kerry.
Well ??? 🙂
Well???I will tell you prefer more options then just the two offered!How about more people across the board?Well????!
Why should he put up more than one nominee for a cabinet post? Either vote him up or down, then move on.
Hey these articles are to spread hate Sgt. Its the liberal agenda, to keep everybody fearful and to keep us divided in debate.
Ronald McDonald eh? Kinda similar to letting Jeremiah Johnson dictating to us, what we need to keep in our Bug out Bags.
Seems The Donald selected Elaine Choa for Tranportation Secy. Who just happens to be Mitch McConnell wife. Now if that ain’t draining the swamp I don’t know what is. Trekker Out.
Absolutely! Loved watching him give it to ‘little Marco’ the ankle biter. Time and time again little Marco tried to trip him up with lame questions but this MAN saw through him and answered with dignity but strength.
Better than hellery or Kerry. Not a politician not a lawyer. Not a parasite who sucked from the govt teat his entire life. Maybe we will get to build some new refinerys in the USA?
Actually,the oil/gas business has been sucking on the govt. tit a long time,along with many other industries.For the oil/gas we have fought a lot of wars,created foreign policy to help them without working on reasonable ideas to not have our energy needs in so few baskets.
All the more reason to put an oil man into the SOS position, isn’t it?
This country runs on energy, oil, gas, coal, nuclear, wind, solar, all of it. Everything you own or have experienced in your life, from your American family life to school and college, and your career, was made by oil during the last century.
You can ignore it, rail against it, whatever you want, but it’s not going to change it. Our way of life, all of it, depends on cheap energy, and it’s going to stay that way.
He starts out with a friendly history with Russia. Big plus, IMO.
SecState is a negotiating job. Anybody who thinks that oil execs aren’t highly experienced at negotiating hasn’t been paying attention.
Another plus is that he’s had a ton of responsibility in decision making in a cut-throat business. Far beyond such creatures as Albright, Kerry or Clinton.
He comes with a background of friendly relations with Russia. IMO, that’s a plus.
SecState is a negotiating job. Oil execs have beaucoup experience with that, and in a cut-throat world.
As a CEO, he’s had a vast amount of responsibility for major decision making. Far more than such as Albright, Kerry or Clinton ever had.
We have had “Status quo” for 40 un-wavering years, let’s see what the wolves policies are like when they aren’t wearing the cute sheep suits. That would be as close to “hope and change” as we ever see…
Desertrat, spot on. Albright, Clinton, and Kerry were the SORRIEST EXCUSES for SecState we ever had. All they ever did was BULLY, instead of negotiate. Tillerson might turn out to be an outstanding SecState. I say give him a chance.
desert and brave,
agreed give him a chance, those in the past only wanted to line there pockets and screw the USA public, and i hope they REALLY get what’s coming to them!!
Orange Satan appointed a genocide supporting psychopath far, far, far, far worse than the spokes symbol of the American Holocaust Ronald Murderous McDonald….wait until you see what Mike “Monstanto” Pompeo and the CIA, the most treasonous, most vile, most evil, most disgusting, most murderous Intelligence Agency in the history of the human race have in store for the HEALTH, FREEDOMS, and FUTURE of the children the American people threw away and whored out long ago to the psychopaths they now worship as Gods!!!!
Anyone who is not a life time political suck up will be opposed by the left. He isn’t a pay for play crook and the left hates that. Actually worked for a living for over forty years is another thing that separates him from the political class. He will do a better job than the political trash supported by the left that have held the position of secretary of state for many years.
Swamp rat. You have a good point. And if you really look at this guy Rex Tillerman. Look at how much wealth he has brought to you and those who have 401K’s which many are required to have the Big Blue Stocks like Exxon in your 401K portfolios. He created wealth already for you, so why would anyone oppose a guy who has created hundreds of Billion, if not Trillions of wealth, and now in a position to make a difference politically? Unlike Hillary who used her office for self wealth, and for sale to the highest bidder. Its night and day in comparison.
People need to think, before spouting off negative dialect. You just make yourselves look stupid. Like Ron A. Orange Satan? Are you off your meds again?
He is not a problem. People like Gary D. Cohn, Jay Clayton, and Steven Mnuchin are.
The articles here before the election= Hate Hillary, Hate Obama, hate, hate, hate.
Articles here after the election= Hate Trump Hate everything he does, hate, hate, hate.
How about an article about how friggin our lucky stars we are to have Trump, and all the positive changes he will bring to America and our people and retaining and restoring our freedoms? Got that in ya? Like Jobs returning, 2nd Amendment, Squashing the MSM lie agenda, getting rid of the corruption in Government and the FDA, and Auditing the Fed. Trump met on Monday with Robert Kennedy Jr (DEM) discussing the causes of Autism in so many vaccines that children are subjected to. Trump is reaching across the isle to solve so many problems. And we are plumb full of problems here in America.
I really feel like smacking the shit out of the complainers who feel they needed a trophy for voting and they deprived that they are not immediately served up their ego massage helping of feel good-free shit. Get over yourselves. What are you doing to make America Great Again?
The MSM has brain washed this country into hating everything. You spoiled POS, some of you out there are projecting. STOP the HATE Articles about TRUMP. The election is over, you lost, and your agenda of continuous Trump Hating agenda is so poisonous. Drop and check your Hate Baggage off at the airport will ya? Are ya capable?
No way can a very successful businessman screw it up worse than permanent politicians like Hillary, Kerry and Obama. Let’s give them a chance to clean it up.
Why are they disrespecting Ronald McDonald? After decades of eating hamburgers and french fries, he has a blood pressure of 220/160! Take it easy on the poor guy! I think he campaigned beside Hillary. No, that was Bill!
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More like Trumps pick for sos is payback for the most greedy and evil industry ever known to mankind. This industry is responsible for more death and bloodshed through its relatively short history than any on Earth. Poisoning the planet is their legacy. Not something easily dismissed as irrelevant.
I like your articles Mac. Just not today. If you didn’t have a problem with Dick Cheney and Halliburton, which you didn’t appear to have demonstrated in your writings, why are you acting so righteous now about Tillerson? Pretty hypocritical if you ask me (which you didn’t). The way I see it, your objection to Tillerson reeks of a very poorly disguised dislike of Trump being elevated to POTUS. As for Tillerson, why act like a Democrat and refuse to give the man a chance choosing instead to denigrate him and question his bonafides (honesty and sincerity of intention) as a patriotic American?
Buffalo lips, WHOA THERE! Did you read the article at all? I didn’t see anything wrong with what Mac wrote. Mac is NOT a libturd either. Mac views Trump the same way we do. I’m also willing to give Tillerson a chance since he’s never been a career politician. But you just misjudged Mac. I think you owe him an apology.
Eagle Scout…can’t fake that
I do not agree with the article–he is a very knowledgeable person…after all the inept appointees of this current administration, and the resulting fiasco in said appointees, why would you not give this man a chance to change the way current failed policy has become? Quite disappointed in M. Slavo.
If the London Guardian is against something, that tells me I probably am for it. If you find yourself agreeing with the Guardian, that should frighten you…