Anthony Blinken – Susan Feathers

The Biden Administration is led by an exceptional Cabinet of experts who carry out the work of the People on a daily basis, many without much public media coverage. However, one exception is Anthony J. Blinken, Secretary of State who is receiving widespread coverage with the Ukraine war and the Israeli-Hamas conflict and other rumblings around the Middle East. No President and administration knows when conflicts like Ukraine and Israeli will happen during their administration. These two conflicts are now consuming Biden and Blinken’s attention, travel and diplomatic talks. Both Ukraine and Israel were attacked without provocation by Russia and Hamas respectively. Each of these conflicts has sent shock waves throughout the world and we are now witnessing new alliances form and old ones consolidate. Some say the U.S. diplomatic position (leading) is waning, others that it is essential to peaceful resolution.

Each time I listen to Anthony Blinken describe America’s diplomatic goals around the world, as well as the thinking behind policies, I realize how critical it is to elect a President with experience, one who will bring the best minds to the challenge to democracies from authoritarian movements rising around the world.

Mr. Blinken executes his office of Secretary of State with wisdom, humanity, and a clear vision of America’s role in the world. In this interview below, Secretary Blinken is interviewed by Tom Friedman at Davos on January 17.

Read More About Secretary Blinken

For another perspective on these same topics, check out the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s podcast, The 1st Draft.

Listening to Anthony Bliken’s address at the John’s Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies gave me an insight into the critical work of the Biden Administration across the world.

This is rarely seen or heard in the daily cacophony of news resulting from the very bad and sick behavior of a person who has duped Republicans and millions of Americans into following his authoritarian ideas. Rump is dangerous. Everyone of us Americans needs to understand that our current political moment is profound.

This moment mean everything that we hold dear in a democracy: the rule of law, a Constitution that we abide by, civil debate and compromise for the common good (to harken Robert Reich’s definition of the common good).

“Instead of being self-seeking individuals who happen to live within the same political and geographic boundaries, we are a group of people with responsibilities to one another.” – Reich from The Common Good,

I hope you will take time to listen to this address to learn how democracies work in the world and why the U.S. democracy is so important to other countries as well as our own.

No we are not perfect by any means but the critical point is that we must strive to fulfill the promise of our founding principle that all people are created equal and are indowed with inalienable rights.

In this address, I hear Secretary Blinken use the term “humility” describing how America is forming alliances with countries that we are responsible for hurting from our past wars and policies. The point is that we are striving to understand and respond to the great principles and values that our forefathers embedded in the Constitution.

Finally, I think the remarks of Mitt Romney, Senator, upon his announcement that he will not run again, are cogent to this post.

UPDATED: Doppleganger – This new book by Naomi Kline is a must read for understanding how AI and social media have created false realities through which, with no discernment, citizens can easily be duped. The book emanated from Naomi’s experience being mistaken for Naomi Wolfe. Folks they look alike but their political and personal values couldn’t be more apart. I have not read this book yet as it was just released, but I am basing my comments here from listening to an extensive interview with Naomi on Democracy Now.

UpDate: Great Center for the Constitution Celebration of the 1st Amendment: