Gustavo Coronel
Of
course, he could not, but maybe he should. As a first time voter in a
U.S. presidential election, and although grateful – as a native
Venezuelan – to be able to vote - I was forced to choose between the
Clinton and the Trump families. I voted for the Clinton family, on the
assumption that they would be getting richer in the presidency but, at
least, they were not likely to involve the country in a global war or to
become the leaders of an environmental Armageddon.
In voting for the Clintons I tried to make sure the Trumps did not win.
But they won, with the fundamental help, experts say, of
anti-establishment Americans.
However,
Trump's early decisions about the policies he will favor and on the
composition of his government team seem to have little to do with the
people who voted for him. His designated cabinet members have
a combined worth of over $10 billion while most top of his security and
defense sector nominees are tough “hombres” from the military,
including one affectionately called Mad Dog.
Weeks
before his inauguration Trump has already managed to ruffle China’s
feathers. Not only he had a telephone chat with Taiwan’s president but,
in reply to the offer by China to return a seized naval drone,
he has just said: “keep it, you stole it”. When he knew about CIA’s
claims about Russia’s interfering with U.S. elections, he made a mockery
of the claim, calling it “ridiculous”. FBI later supported the claims
by the CIA and was also rewarded with Trump’s
disdain. He has maintained and, even, increased, his aggressive stance
against anyone who dares to doubt his assertions. His refusal to accept
CIA’s claims about Russia have put him in the strange position of
siding with Mr. Putin against his main intelligence
agencies. No wonder they have started to call him the new Manchurian
Candidate in Saturday Night’s Live.
He
has designated a person who does not believe in global warming to
oversee the U.S. efforts against …. global warming. Coal and oil
companies are jubilant but the little people of this planet are so
concerned
that a Johns Hopkins professor, Travis Rieder, is recommending families
to have fewer children. This extreme measure notwithstanding the truth
remains that Mr. Trump’s announced environmental policies will be
disastrous and should be vigorously challenged
by all citizens.
His
attitude regarding his business empire, his refusal to publish his tax
returns, the manner in which he pretends to have his family involved
both in government and his business, the nomination of Exxon’s
CEO for the post of Secretary of State, all of this spells out Conflict
of Interest in capital letters. Most of this is, if not illegal,
plainly inelegant.
The
nomination of Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State is very
controversial and I would not like to be unfair about it. There are
aspects of this nomination that make sense. He is quite familiar with
the
way Putin runs things, with the strong and weak aspects of his
personality. He has been friendly with Putin but no one could say he is a
friend of Putin. However, Tillerson reached the top of his company
mainly because of the success he had in closing a gigantic,
$750 million, petroleum deal with Russia, one that would probably be a
win-win deal for both Exxon and the Russian company, Rosneft, run by
one of Putin’s cronies, Igor Sechin. And here is where the problem lies.
Although Tillerson is resigning from Exxon
his financial and personal stakes in Exxon’s well-being are enormous.
Faced with a decision with an impact on Exxon’s well-being, he would be
under a considerable pressure from within, a classic case of conflict of
interest. About two years ago I criticized
the designation of Bernard Aronson as Obama’s representative to the
Colombia-FARC’s peace talks. I did it because Aronson had shares in oil
companies working in Colombia which were being targeted by the FARC
terrorists. How he behaved in those talks could
not help being influenced by this situation. Aronson should have
refused this designation. In the case of Tillerson the stakes are much
higher. If I was Tillerson I would not have accepted this nomination.
Having said this, I believe Tillerson will, if confirmed,
try to conduct himself honorably. I simply question the position he is
being put in.
In
regards to the links between Mr. Trump’s presidency and his business
interests I must say I have never seen a more important case of conflict
of interests as this one. What is more worrying to me is that
he does not seem to be aware of the situation. He must feel he is above
the law. In this respect he is adopting the same attitude as her old
adversary in the New York real estate and hotel scene, Leona Helmsley,
except that the stakes are now much higher.
Leona’s attitude did not do much good to her and led to her downfall. I
am afraid it will not do much good to him.
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