James Baker: Talking To An Enemy Is Not Appeasement

A clip of former Secretary of State James Baker has been making the rounds recently, as a result of the current 'appeasement' debate between John McCain and Barack Obama. Unfortunately for McCain, Baker agrees with Obama. And even though the interview is from this past October, Baker addresses head-on the issue of appeasement, saying:

"Diplomacy involves talking to your enemies. You don't reward your enemies necessarily by talking to them if you are tough and you know what you are doing. You don't appease them. Talking to an enemy is not in my view appeasement."

[WATCH]

Comments

[Msohio]

McCain is old, foolish, and most of all..........scary.

[TotobiAyokoh23]

McCain is so intellectually naive he clings to over-used phrases and apply them wrongly in contexts that do not support the spirit of the times. He is a re-cycled politician bereft of the keen sense of analytic insights crucial for instrumentally effective policy-making in the current terrain of complicated international system.

I repeat: the worst thing that will ever happen to America after Bush would be McCain.

[sophistwatch]

Before the days of neocons and pure incompetence, James Baker served the Republican party and the US as Secretary of State. He served with distinction and, over all, he did an admirable job. True he could be a bit cut throat, but he was able to reason as well. He has a great deal more experience than McCain in the art of diplomacy.

The fact that he disagrees with McCain on this issue of talking to the enemy is highly significant. Let's hope McCain continues to reject the Secretary's his wisdom. Let's hope McCain and Bush defiantly cling to their failed strategies and run the party right into the ditch. No pun intended.

[PackyJ]

Ah, what does Baker know? Isn't he just one of them durn "elitists?"

[Davwbaird]

McCain is doll feces.

[shag11]

Now this is coming from the rightwing consiglierie. He's their go-to guy, will they denigrate hm as well?

[relikx]

As funny/sad as it is, the whole appeasement flap is really distracting from some of McCain's more serious foreign policy postulations.

McCain wants to kick Russia out of the G8. Given Russia's renewed growing influence in world affairs, this seems extremely more counter-productive than anything else I've heard from Sidney.

Speaking of which, I guess Bush was right when he connected with Putin's soul, their true colors have really shown since that statement.

[relikx]

The Republican machine is the equivelant of a De Lorean. It was designed for the 80's and can magically travel to the future (circa 2013).

Contradiction, hypocricy, and all those other "elitist" words meant nothing to neoCONS because they could always weasel out of the truth with convenient false logic.

2000 was forever ago. Hell, even 2004 seems like a long time ago.

The internet has evolved. Repugs have not. Spread the message because truth will prevail, even if it takes 8+ years.

[Colingavignet]

The Neocons we have in government today make old republicans like Baker and Paul O'neill sound like democrats. Goes to show how far right this country has gone. We need to go back to the point of reason which is center left for me.

[CommonSensePlease]

McCain is the greatest HYPOCRITE and STUPID candidate in the world! Stop arguing losing issues! White is white and black is black.
White is not black and black is not white! Listen to James Baker! and the French of sarkosy, our ally, who is negotiating with Hamas (secretly, on behalf of, guess who, the US!)
Dough!

[Ihaveadream]

Jim Baker, the Bush family's Mr Fix It and Consigliere to the Carlyle Group? I wonder what else he's been up to?

[VolvoBirkenstock]

FUBAR seems to be a bit upset. Becoming more and more irrational in his display of ignorant irrelevance with each passing comment deletion.

[AMJordan]

Morning!

Is KBAT getting scrubbed?

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

Yes. ;-)

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

McCain shown up to be a moron and a liar once again.

[AMJordan]

He can get a job with his campaign as a comment troll.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Honorary HuffPick!

[tellinya]

This is our time. With the force of the net and our grass roots org we can root out the Gop fear tactics. Americans are not cowards.

Plus we are gonna have strenght inthe Houe and Senate. Change is a comin.

[tomcat27834]

Just wait.......

Just wait 'til Papa Bush kicks the bucket

Former associates and friends alike have been holding back publicly from speaking out about Prez George W. Bush and his failed leadership out of respect for Bush elder.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

I have a feeling that G.H.W. has been holding back, too.

[MsLiz]

I don't believe in beating one's children, but in this case I'd make an exception. Whatever anyone thinks about GHWB, he knew a lot more about the world than his eldest son does. I hope the old man realizes the extent of the damage his son is doing, if only to cause him shame and pain, since he refuses to take is son to the woodshed.

[BetterDeadthanRedState]

He tries holding back, but just like that one time in Japan . . .