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Hard Choices
Hillary Rodham Clinton’s inside account of the crises, choices, and challenges she faced during her four years as America’s 67th Secretary of State, and how those experiences drive her view of the future.
“All of us face hard choices in our lives,” Hillary Rodham Clinton writes at the start of this personal chronicle of years at the center of world events. “Life is about making such choices. Our choices and how we handle them shape the people we become.”
In the aftermath of her 2008 presidential run, she expected to return to representing New York in the United States Senate. To her surprise, her former rival for the Democratic Party nomination, newly elected President Barack Obama, asked her to serve in his administration as Secretary of State. This memoir is the story of the four extraordinary and historic years that followed, and the hard choices that she and her colleagues confronted.
Secretary Clinton and President Obama had to decide how to repair fractured alliances, wind down two wars, and address a global financial crisis. They faced a rising competitor in China, growing threats from Iran and North Korea, and revolutions across the Middle East. Along the way, they grappled with some of the toughest dilemmas of US foreign policy, especially the decision to send Americans into harm’s way, from Afghanistan to Libya to the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
By the end of her tenure, Secretary Clinton had visited 112 countries, traveled nearly one million miles, and gained a truly global perspective on many of the major trends reshaping the landscape of the twenty-first century, from economic inequality to climate change to revolutions in energy, communications, and health. Drawing on conversations with numerous leaders and experts, Secretary Clinton offers her views on what it will take for the United States to compete and thrive in an interdependent world. She makes a passionate case for human rights and the full participation in society of women, youth, and LGBT people. An astute eyewitness to decades of social change, she distinguishes the trendlines from the headlines and describes the progress occurring throughout the world, day after day.
Secretary Clinton’s descriptions of diplomatic conversations at the highest levels offer readers a master class in international relations, as does her analysis of how we can best use “smart power” to deliver security and prosperity in a rapidly changing world—one in which America remains the indispensable nation.
“All of us face hard choices in our lives,” Hillary Rodham Clinton writes at the start of this personal chronicle of years at the center of world events. “Life is about making such choices. Our choices and how we handle them shape the people we become.”
In the aftermath of her 2008 presidential run, she expected to return to representing New York in the United States Senate. To her surprise, her former rival for the Democratic Party nomination, newly elected President Barack Obama, asked her to serve in his administration as Secretary of State. This memoir is the story of the four extraordinary and historic years that followed, and the hard choices that she and her colleagues confronted.
Secretary Clinton and President Obama had to decide how to repair fractured alliances, wind down two wars, and address a global financial crisis. They faced a rising competitor in China, growing threats from Iran and North Korea, and revolutions across the Middle East. Along the way, they grappled with some of the toughest dilemmas of US foreign policy, especially the decision to send Americans into harm’s way, from Afghanistan to Libya to the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
By the end of her tenure, Secretary Clinton had visited 112 countries, traveled nearly one million miles, and gained a truly global perspective on many of the major trends reshaping the landscape of the twenty-first century, from economic inequality to climate change to revolutions in energy, communications, and health. Drawing on conversations with numerous leaders and experts, Secretary Clinton offers her views on what it will take for the United States to compete and thrive in an interdependent world. She makes a passionate case for human rights and the full participation in society of women, youth, and LGBT people. An astute eyewitness to decades of social change, she distinguishes the trendlines from the headlines and describes the progress occurring throughout the world, day after day.
Secretary Clinton’s descriptions of diplomatic conversations at the highest levels offer readers a master class in international relations, as does her analysis of how we can best use “smart power” to deliver security and prosperity in a rapidly changing world—one in which America remains the indispensable nation.
788 pages, Hardcover
First published June 10, 2013
About the author
Hillary Rodham Clinton
108 books2,855 followersHillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947) was the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the cabinet of President Barack Obama. In 2016, she became the first woman in U.S. history to win a major party's presidential nomination, and the first woman to win the popular vote in a presidential race - despite losing the election.
She was a Senator from the state of New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd, President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, Hillary served as First Lady from 1993 to 2001. In the 2008 election Clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.
A native of Illinois, Hillary Rodham attracted national attention in 1969 when she was chosen by her peers to be the first student commencement speaker at Wellesley College. As a graduate of Yale Law School, Class of 1973, she served temporarily as a Congressional legal counsel. Rodham moved to Arkansas in 1974, marrying Bill Clinton a year later. Hillary Rodham Clinton co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families in 1977, and became the first female chair of the Legal Services Corporation in 1978. Named the first female partner at Rose Law Firm in 1979, she was twice listed as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America. First Lady of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992 with husband Bill as Governor, Clinton successfully led a task force to reform Arkansas's education system. She has served on the board of directors of Wal-Mart as well as several other prominent corporations.
In 1994 as First Lady of the United States, her major initiative, the Clinton health care plan, failed to gain approval from the U.S. Congress. However, in 1997 and 1999, Clinton played a role in advocating for the establishment of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and the Foster Care Independence Act. Her time as First Lady drew a polarized response from the American public. She is the only First Lady to have been subpoenaed, testifying before a federal grand jury in 1996 due to the Whitewater controversy, but was never charged with any wrongdoing in this or any of the other investigations during her husband's administration. The state of her marriage was the subject of considerable speculation following the Lewinsky scandal in 1998 that spurred Articles of Impeachment to be issued against her husband, Bill Clinton.
In January of 2000, Clinton was elected as senator to the State of New York after moving to the small suburban hamlet of Chappaqua in Westchester County. That election marked the first time an American First Lady had run for public office; Clinton was also the first female senator to represent New York. In the Senate, she initially supported the Bush administration on some foreign policy issues, including a vote for the Iraq War Resolution, subsequently opposing the administration on its conduct of the war in Iraq, and most domestic issues. Senator Clinton was re-elected by a wide margin in 2006. In the 2008 presidential nomination race, Hillary Clinton won more primaries and delegates than any other female candidate in American history, but narrowly lost to Senator Barack Obama. As Secretary of State, Clinton became the first former First Lady to serve in a president's cabinet
She was a Senator from the state of New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd, President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, Hillary served as First Lady from 1993 to 2001. In the 2008 election Clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.
A native of Illinois, Hillary Rodham attracted national attention in 1969 when she was chosen by her peers to be the first student commencement speaker at Wellesley College. As a graduate of Yale Law School, Class of 1973, she served temporarily as a Congressional legal counsel. Rodham moved to Arkansas in 1974, marrying Bill Clinton a year later. Hillary Rodham Clinton co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families in 1977, and became the first female chair of the Legal Services Corporation in 1978. Named the first female partner at Rose Law Firm in 1979, she was twice listed as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America. First Lady of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992 with husband Bill as Governor, Clinton successfully led a task force to reform Arkansas's education system. She has served on the board of directors of Wal-Mart as well as several other prominent corporations.
In 1994 as First Lady of the United States, her major initiative, the Clinton health care plan, failed to gain approval from the U.S. Congress. However, in 1997 and 1999, Clinton played a role in advocating for the establishment of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and the Foster Care Independence Act. Her time as First Lady drew a polarized response from the American public. She is the only First Lady to have been subpoenaed, testifying before a federal grand jury in 1996 due to the Whitewater controversy, but was never charged with any wrongdoing in this or any of the other investigations during her husband's administration. The state of her marriage was the subject of considerable speculation following the Lewinsky scandal in 1998 that spurred Articles of Impeachment to be issued against her husband, Bill Clinton.
In January of 2000, Clinton was elected as senator to the State of New York after moving to the small suburban hamlet of Chappaqua in Westchester County. That election marked the first time an American First Lady had run for public office; Clinton was also the first female senator to represent New York. In the Senate, she initially supported the Bush administration on some foreign policy issues, including a vote for the Iraq War Resolution, subsequently opposing the administration on its conduct of the war in Iraq, and most domestic issues. Senator Clinton was re-elected by a wide margin in 2006. In the 2008 presidential nomination race, Hillary Clinton won more primaries and delegates than any other female candidate in American history, but narrowly lost to Senator Barack Obama. As Secretary of State, Clinton became the first former First Lady to serve in a president's cabinet
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,285 reviews
June 12, 2014
I have about 100 pages left to read. It is very well written and even funny in places. It is really the story of democracy, how hard it is, and how worthwhile it is to make it work. Clinton uses her 4 years in the cabinet as data for telling the story of the difference between governing and posturing. She uses situations that are fresh in our minds to lift the veil on the 'sausage making of foreign policy'. She also illustrates how diversity of experiences, gender, race, religion, and ethnicity shapes debates, enlarges possible solutions, and in general makes for a better, albeit far from perfect, world. Governing is hard, mistakes are made, and compromise is a necessary ingredient. Without using a hammer she reminds all to understand democracy is winning some, loosing some, but continuing to persevere is a must because it's the best we got.
June 17, 2014
I guess if you're running for President and you write a book, it gets vetted a lot. Every sentence here is rather stilted and awkward. The whole book reads like a resume: I did this great thing over here, then I went over there and I did this other great thing. Hillary apparently loved loved loved everyone she's ever worked with and is just kicking ass all the time.
I wanted more drama! I wanted to know her real opinions on things! I guess I shouldn't have expected that from someone whose every word has the potential to be scrutinized on the nightly news. Anyway, come 2016, she's still got my vote. This book, though, does not.
I wanted more drama! I wanted to know her real opinions on things! I guess I shouldn't have expected that from someone whose every word has the potential to be scrutinized on the nightly news. Anyway, come 2016, she's still got my vote. This book, though, does not.
April 22, 2016
This is a long review. If you want the Readers' Digest version, skip to the last couple of paragraphs for the essence of the book.
I read one hundred pages the first night. It was more interesting than I expected. I enjoyed reading about her travels, the difficult and complex situations that arose in the world and the challenges to resolve those issues when the Obama White House said fix it.
I also enjoyed the occasional stories with more of a personal touch - her love for her mother; her walks with Bill to puzzle out tough answers; the kindness shown to her by the other Secretaries of State, most notably the warmth of Condoleeza Rice; and the affection she and Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma felt for each other. There isn't much humor in this book, but you do get a sense of the profound irony sometimes. Like when the tenacious Richard Holbrooke continued arguing his point while following her into the ladies' room--in Pakistan.
A hundred pages in, she acknowledges her mistake in voting for the war in Iraq, and she uses that word several times. She expresses deep regret which I appreciated. (I've been voting for presidents since 1972, and I remember that the Clintons are not apologizers. But this one was essential.)
As I'm reading about Afghanistan, the peace efforts and attempts at negotiations are so complex, and her accounts so detailed (and this is only one country, albeit a hugely problematic one) that I can't imagine any other candidate being president. She's just too experienced and knowledgeable - probably the reason she wrote the book. Hard Choices is called a "memoir," but if it's a memoir, then a world atlas is TripAdvisor. Would be cool to read more personal accounts, such as the time Hill and Bill got to rendezvous in Bogata', Columbia for dinner and a walk, but this isn't that kind of book.
One day later, I have read about Pakistan, Europe, Russia, and now I'm starting on Latin America. Pakistan was interesting because of its involvement with the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and its corrupt military. Russia is interesting and scary because of Putin.
We're into Africa now. Very informative and educational (although I wonder how objective it is, considering her plans). She does give the Bush administration credit at times, while also dropping occasional criticisms - although thankfully the tone of the book is fairly positive and I'm sure she could say a lot worse if she chose.
Another sixty-some pages and I've been educated as to Mrs. Clinton's perspective on Israel and the Arab countries, including the Arab Spring. Her book has been out a few days now, and pundits, even friendly ones, are criticizing her careful descriptions and rationalizations of her actions while on the world stage. I'm not as smart as her, and I trust that she has a keen sense of the dynamics between and among countries, but the book is lacking something. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think it's candor. This is like a textbook, only a shade more chatty. Hillary is definitely laying out her view of America's relationships around the globe.
I'm about to start on Libya and I fear it's going to be a full-blown defense of her role in the Benghazi attack.
Okay, Libya is interesting, but I'm so tired of the phrase, "on the ground." You hear it everywhere these days, and Mrs. Clinton uses it exhaustively. On page 367, I began counting, but by page 403, she had used the phrase thirteen more times, and I figured I made my point, so I stopped. Where was the editor?
I'm reading all about Iran now, and I realize that the reason this book is so interesting, in spite of being pretty dense writing, is because there is a certain degree of dramatic tension. As I read about the machinations of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for example, there's always the question of what is going to happen, which pulls you along and keeps you reading. (Of course we know "what is going to happen" on one level, but I mean behind the scenes.)
Okay, we're through the tour of global countries, and now we're covering issues, which is not captivating. If Mrs. Clinton isn't laying out her campaign platform, she's lobbying for a professorship. She's addressing climate change, jobs (relative to foreign countries, trade, and an even playing field - she's making an argument that the Secretary of State must engage, as she did, in "economic statecraft"), the foolishness of Congress re debt limit ultimata, working conditions around the world, human trafficking, energy policy at home and abroad, the middle class here and abroad, global sustainability, and the situation of women and girls everywhere.
I'm skimming now. I've churned through a hundred pages a night for the past five, and frankly, I can't read any more. If I were a campaign strategist, I would feel differently, but as a normal citizen reader, I've done my best.
I like Mrs. Clinton, and I think she'd be a capable president, but I can't recommend buying this book. It's for political operatives. If you really want to know where she stands, wait until the campaign heats up.
On the plus side, I feel I've just audited a course on world politics and economics. It's a complicated, dangerous, and fascinating place. Personal relationships with world leaders seems critically important, and Mrs. Clinton probably knows more of them than anyone on the planet. And even if you discounted half of everything she says, the woman is a skilled negotiator who succeeded in bringing about solutions between unwilling parties. She talks about using "smart power," but I think her account is equally a testament to "soft power," and I think it's time a woman had a chance to show what she could do from the Oval Office.
I read one hundred pages the first night. It was more interesting than I expected. I enjoyed reading about her travels, the difficult and complex situations that arose in the world and the challenges to resolve those issues when the Obama White House said fix it.
I also enjoyed the occasional stories with more of a personal touch - her love for her mother; her walks with Bill to puzzle out tough answers; the kindness shown to her by the other Secretaries of State, most notably the warmth of Condoleeza Rice; and the affection she and Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma felt for each other. There isn't much humor in this book, but you do get a sense of the profound irony sometimes. Like when the tenacious Richard Holbrooke continued arguing his point while following her into the ladies' room--in Pakistan.
A hundred pages in, she acknowledges her mistake in voting for the war in Iraq, and she uses that word several times. She expresses deep regret which I appreciated. (I've been voting for presidents since 1972, and I remember that the Clintons are not apologizers. But this one was essential.)
As I'm reading about Afghanistan, the peace efforts and attempts at negotiations are so complex, and her accounts so detailed (and this is only one country, albeit a hugely problematic one) that I can't imagine any other candidate being president. She's just too experienced and knowledgeable - probably the reason she wrote the book. Hard Choices is called a "memoir," but if it's a memoir, then a world atlas is TripAdvisor. Would be cool to read more personal accounts, such as the time Hill and Bill got to rendezvous in Bogata', Columbia for dinner and a walk, but this isn't that kind of book.
One day later, I have read about Pakistan, Europe, Russia, and now I'm starting on Latin America. Pakistan was interesting because of its involvement with the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and its corrupt military. Russia is interesting and scary because of Putin.
We're into Africa now. Very informative and educational (although I wonder how objective it is, considering her plans). She does give the Bush administration credit at times, while also dropping occasional criticisms - although thankfully the tone of the book is fairly positive and I'm sure she could say a lot worse if she chose.
Another sixty-some pages and I've been educated as to Mrs. Clinton's perspective on Israel and the Arab countries, including the Arab Spring. Her book has been out a few days now, and pundits, even friendly ones, are criticizing her careful descriptions and rationalizations of her actions while on the world stage. I'm not as smart as her, and I trust that she has a keen sense of the dynamics between and among countries, but the book is lacking something. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think it's candor. This is like a textbook, only a shade more chatty. Hillary is definitely laying out her view of America's relationships around the globe.
I'm about to start on Libya and I fear it's going to be a full-blown defense of her role in the Benghazi attack.
Okay, Libya is interesting, but I'm so tired of the phrase, "on the ground." You hear it everywhere these days, and Mrs. Clinton uses it exhaustively. On page 367, I began counting, but by page 403, she had used the phrase thirteen more times, and I figured I made my point, so I stopped. Where was the editor?
I'm reading all about Iran now, and I realize that the reason this book is so interesting, in spite of being pretty dense writing, is because there is a certain degree of dramatic tension. As I read about the machinations of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for example, there's always the question of what is going to happen, which pulls you along and keeps you reading. (Of course we know "what is going to happen" on one level, but I mean behind the scenes.)
Okay, we're through the tour of global countries, and now we're covering issues, which is not captivating. If Mrs. Clinton isn't laying out her campaign platform, she's lobbying for a professorship. She's addressing climate change, jobs (relative to foreign countries, trade, and an even playing field - she's making an argument that the Secretary of State must engage, as she did, in "economic statecraft"), the foolishness of Congress re debt limit ultimata, working conditions around the world, human trafficking, energy policy at home and abroad, the middle class here and abroad, global sustainability, and the situation of women and girls everywhere.
I'm skimming now. I've churned through a hundred pages a night for the past five, and frankly, I can't read any more. If I were a campaign strategist, I would feel differently, but as a normal citizen reader, I've done my best.
I like Mrs. Clinton, and I think she'd be a capable president, but I can't recommend buying this book. It's for political operatives. If you really want to know where she stands, wait until the campaign heats up.
On the plus side, I feel I've just audited a course on world politics and economics. It's a complicated, dangerous, and fascinating place. Personal relationships with world leaders seems critically important, and Mrs. Clinton probably knows more of them than anyone on the planet. And even if you discounted half of everything she says, the woman is a skilled negotiator who succeeded in bringing about solutions between unwilling parties. She talks about using "smart power," but I think her account is equally a testament to "soft power," and I think it's time a woman had a chance to show what she could do from the Oval Office.
June 16, 2014
كتاب دسم, يتناول تفاصيل الدبلوماسية الخارجية الأمريكية للكثير من الملفات العالمية المفتوحة إيران و الخطر النووي, الصين, روسيا, الشرق الأوسط, إسرائيل و فلسطين, الثورات, الاقتصاد العالمي, أفريقيا, الأزمة السورية, أفغانستان, العراق, باكستان, أوروبا, أمريكا اللاتينية.. والعديد من العلاقات و القضايا الأخرى.. تعرض هذه التفاصيل المرأة القوية (هيلاري كلنتون) التي شغلت منصب وزيرة الخارجية من 2009 - آخر 2013, و التي تصف ما تسميه (القوة الذكية Smart power ) التي تمتلكها أمريكا للتعامل مع هذه الملفات.
بالطبع وجهة النظر التي يطرحها الكتاب, والتي يتم تصديرها للناخب الأمريكي لحشده وراء مواقف بلده السياسية -بغض النظر عن مدى مصداقية الطرح- تمثل فقط نصف الحقيقة, وهذه المواقف قمة في المثالية إذا ما قورنت بالوجه المظلم للسياسات الأمريكية البرجماتية الحقيقية, من ازدواج معايير و بلطجة سياسية وغيره, و الأساليب القذرة التي يتم تنفيذ هذه السياسات بها.. ,ولكن شخصياً, أرى الكتاب مهم لعدة أمور:
- يعطي فكرة عن الذكاء الشديد والحرفية البالغة التي يمارس بها الديبلوماسيين الأمريكيين عملهم, والتي تجعل الديبلوماسية العربية أقرب إلى (حظيرة دجاج) بالمقارنة.
- يلقي الضوء على أسباب التخبط الذي حدث في القرار الأمريكي بخصوص ثورة 25 يناير التي أطاحت بمبارك, وملفات متشابكة أخرى مثل التدخل العسكري في سوريا.
- يظهر بوضوح مبدأ أنه لا أبيض/أسود في السياسة.. وكيف أنك قد تضطر للتعامل مع خصم يختلف معك بعمق في ملفات معينة, ولكن المصلحة تقتضي التعاون لحل ملفات أخرى.
- به تأريخ مختصر ومفيد للأحدث الفارقة في تاريخ البلاد التي تناولتها فصول الكتاب, والأثر التي تركته على السياسة العالمية.
وأخيراً, للوصول إلى نظرة واقعية إلى ما يحدث فعلاً في العالم, ولرؤية الوجه المظلم من القمر, فأنا أنصح بقراءة (السيطرة على الإعلام - ناعوم تشومسكي) و (الاغتيال الاقتصادي للأمم - جون بركنز) إلى جانب هذا الكتاب :)
بالطبع وجهة النظر التي يطرحها الكتاب, والتي يتم تصديرها للناخب الأمريكي لحشده وراء مواقف بلده السياسية -بغض النظر عن مدى مصداقية الطرح- تمثل فقط نصف الحقيقة, وهذه المواقف قمة في المثالية إذا ما قورنت بالوجه المظلم للسياسات الأمريكية البرجماتية الحقيقية, من ازدواج معايير و بلطجة سياسية وغيره, و الأساليب القذرة التي يتم تنفيذ هذه السياسات بها.. ,ولكن شخصياً, أرى الكتاب مهم لعدة أمور:
- يعطي فكرة عن الذكاء الشديد والحرفية البالغة التي يمارس بها الديبلوماسيين الأمريكيين عملهم, والتي تجعل الديبلوماسية العربية أقرب إلى (حظيرة دجاج) بالمقارنة.
- يلقي الضوء على أسباب التخبط الذي حدث في القرار الأمريكي بخصوص ثورة 25 يناير التي أطاحت بمبارك, وملفات متشابكة أخرى مثل التدخل العسكري في سوريا.
- يظهر بوضوح مبدأ أنه لا أبيض/أسود في السياسة.. وكيف أنك قد تضطر للتعامل مع خصم يختلف معك بعمق في ملفات معينة, ولكن المصلحة تقتضي التعاون لحل ملفات أخرى.
- به تأريخ مختصر ومفيد للأحدث الفارقة في تاريخ البلاد التي تناولتها فصول الكتاب, والأثر التي تركته على السياسة العالمية.
وأخيراً, للوصول إلى نظرة واقعية إلى ما يحدث فعلاً في العالم, ولرؤية الوجه المظلم من القمر, فأنا أنصح بقراءة (السيطرة على الإعلام - ناعوم تشومسكي) و (الاغتيال الاقتصادي للأمم - جون بركنز) إلى جانب هذا الكتاب :)
June 10, 2014
Let me begin by what everyone is looking for. Clinton is undecided whether she will run for president in 2016. She has not come to the point of taking the decision, and she has not decided yet.
Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton is a memoir that you can’t avoid. It is almost everywhere. It is well-written and readable but not as explosive as expected. History will not judge her on the basis of this engaging memoir but on the basis of the works and deals executed and concluded during her tenure as America’s 67th Secretary of State.
Though the book fails to give away too much, perhaps, with the coming 2016 election mind, it has interesting information about the secret diplomacy that led to the November 2013 interim nuclear agreement with Iran. Though the agreement with Iran was reached long after she left office, Clinton did much of the spade work through Sultan of Oman, who offered to help in arranging direct and secret talks. America received the first feeler in January 2011. Jake Sullivan, her aide, was dispatched to Oman in July 2012, followed by another visit to Oman, paving the way for her deputy, Bill Burns, for the beginning of real bargaining.
Hard Choices may not live up to the hype surrounding the release of the book but, still, it is a fascinating account of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s four years as secretary of state. Take a look at the contents of the memoir:
PART 1: A FRESH START
Chapter 1/2008: A Team of Rivals
Chapter 2/Foggy Bottom: Smart Power
PART 2: ACROSS THE PACIFIC
Chapter 3/Asia: The Pivot
Chapter 4/China: Uncharted Waters
Chapter 5/Beijing: The Dissident
Chapter 6/Burma: The Lady and the Generals
PART 3: WAR AND PEACE
Chapter 7/Af-Pak Surge
Chapter 8/Afghanistan: To End a War
Chapter 9/Pakistan: National Honor
PART 4: BETWEEN HOPE AND HISTORY
Chapter 10/Europe: Ties That Bind
Chapter 11/Russia: Reset and Regression
Chapter 12/Latin America: Democrats and Demagogues
Chapter 13/Africa: Guns or Growth?
PART 5: UPHEAVAL
Chapter 14: The Middle East: The Rocky Path of Peace
Chapter 15/The Arab Spring: Revolution
Chapter 16/Libya: All Necessary Measures
Chapter 17/Benghazi: Under Attack
Chapter 18/Iran: Sanctions and Secrets
Chapter 19/Syria: A Wicked Problem
Chapter 20/Gaza: Anatomy of a cease-fire
PART 6: THE FUTURE WE WANT
Chapter 21/Climate Change: We're All in This Together
Chapter 22/Jobs and Energy: A Level Playing Field
Chapter 23/Haiti: Disaster and Development
Chapter 24/21st Century Statecraft: Digital Diplomacy in a Networked World
Chapter 25/Human Rights: Unfinished Business
EPILOGUE
With a wide range of experiences from being a First Lady to Senator to Secretary of State, her resume is quite impressive, and this memoir is her contribution to the historical record of which she has been one of the main players. Though it is still too early to judge her achievements, Hard Choices still makes for an impressive read.
Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton is a memoir that you can’t avoid. It is almost everywhere. It is well-written and readable but not as explosive as expected. History will not judge her on the basis of this engaging memoir but on the basis of the works and deals executed and concluded during her tenure as America’s 67th Secretary of State.
Though the book fails to give away too much, perhaps, with the coming 2016 election mind, it has interesting information about the secret diplomacy that led to the November 2013 interim nuclear agreement with Iran. Though the agreement with Iran was reached long after she left office, Clinton did much of the spade work through Sultan of Oman, who offered to help in arranging direct and secret talks. America received the first feeler in January 2011. Jake Sullivan, her aide, was dispatched to Oman in July 2012, followed by another visit to Oman, paving the way for her deputy, Bill Burns, for the beginning of real bargaining.
Hard Choices may not live up to the hype surrounding the release of the book but, still, it is a fascinating account of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s four years as secretary of state. Take a look at the contents of the memoir:
PART 1: A FRESH START
Chapter 1/2008: A Team of Rivals
Chapter 2/Foggy Bottom: Smart Power
PART 2: ACROSS THE PACIFIC
Chapter 3/Asia: The Pivot
Chapter 4/China: Uncharted Waters
Chapter 5/Beijing: The Dissident
Chapter 6/Burma: The Lady and the Generals
PART 3: WAR AND PEACE
Chapter 7/Af-Pak Surge
Chapter 8/Afghanistan: To End a War
Chapter 9/Pakistan: National Honor
PART 4: BETWEEN HOPE AND HISTORY
Chapter 10/Europe: Ties That Bind
Chapter 11/Russia: Reset and Regression
Chapter 12/Latin America: Democrats and Demagogues
Chapter 13/Africa: Guns or Growth?
PART 5: UPHEAVAL
Chapter 14: The Middle East: The Rocky Path of Peace
Chapter 15/The Arab Spring: Revolution
Chapter 16/Libya: All Necessary Measures
Chapter 17/Benghazi: Under Attack
Chapter 18/Iran: Sanctions and Secrets
Chapter 19/Syria: A Wicked Problem
Chapter 20/Gaza: Anatomy of a cease-fire
PART 6: THE FUTURE WE WANT
Chapter 21/Climate Change: We're All in This Together
Chapter 22/Jobs and Energy: A Level Playing Field
Chapter 23/Haiti: Disaster and Development
Chapter 24/21st Century Statecraft: Digital Diplomacy in a Networked World
Chapter 25/Human Rights: Unfinished Business
EPILOGUE
With a wide range of experiences from being a First Lady to Senator to Secretary of State, her resume is quite impressive, and this memoir is her contribution to the historical record of which she has been one of the main players. Though it is still too early to judge her achievements, Hard Choices still makes for an impressive read.
June 20, 2014
Like her or not; politics aside: you cannot read this without having an appreciation for the complexity of geo-politics in a post 9/11 world. And, you can't help but acknowledge that HRC is as knowledgeable as anyone on the horizon when it comes to the conditions and players across the globe. Read it. You'll learn a lot.
December 18, 2018
تقرير إنجازات هيلارى كلينتون فى 650 صفحة وعلى هيئة كتاب
تقدم هيلارى كلينتون نفسها فى هذا الكتاب للناخب الأمريكى بحكم كونها واحدة من صناع القرار فى الماضى والمرشح الرئاسى الأوفر حظاً فى الانتخابات الأمريكية 2016, فإذا كنت متوقع – كحالى حين قررت قراءة هذا الكتاب – أنك ستقرأ مذكرات كاشفة فاضحة لكل أسرار الفترة التى اعتلت فيها هيلارى سنام الدبلوماسية الأمريكية 2008 – 2013 فدعنى أخبرك أنك لن تقرأ ��لا الكثير جداً من الكلام والحكايات والقليل جداً جداً من أسرار وخبايا هذه الفترة المهمة التى شهدت مظاهرات وتحركات وتقلبات المنطقة العربية فيما عُرف بالربيع العربى.
تستعرض هيلارى كلينتون للعديد من المحطات فى مشوارها كوزيرة الخارجية للولايات المتحدة ومنها الانتخابات الداخلية عام 2008 واختيارها كوزيرة خارجية ثم تنتقل للقوة العظمى الجديدة الصين وعن طبيعة العلاقات الأمريكية مع الصين وأهم نقاط الخلاف السياسى مع الصين وأهمية الصين كشريك اقتصادى للولايات المتحدة ثم تنتقل للحديث عن بورما وكيفية إخضاع الجيش البورمى لمبادئ الديمقراطية الأمريكية ثم تنتقل إلى باكستان وأفغانستان وتمر مرور الكرام بحادث قتل أسامة بن لادن دون كشف أى ملابسات أو أسرار.
ثم تصل ليناير 2011 فتحكى فى سرد مقتطع بعض الأحداث والروايات من هنا وهناك:
مصر:
كان مبارك الحليف الاستراتيجى لأمريكا طوال عقود فى المنطقة العربية وكيف أن الولايات المتحدة وعلى مدار 50 عاماً “فضَّلت الاستقرار على حساب الديمقراطية" وكيف كانت التضحية بهذا الحليف صعبة على قدامى البيت الأبيض يسيرة وسهلة على باراك أوباما الذى رأى فى انتصار الثورة انتصاراً لمبادئ الحرية والديمقراطية الأمريكية, ثم تمر مرور الكرام على فترة حكم المجلس العسكرى والتى استمرت قرابة عام ونصف فبراير 2011 إلى يونيو 2012, إلى أن تصل لفترة حكم الإخوان بمصر فتصف مرسى بأنه رجل قُذف به من الغرف الخلفية إلى كرسى كبير ولم يدرك هو وجماعته حجم التظاهرات والاحتجاجات فى الشارع فأدى ذلك إلى الإطاحة به من كرسيه فى 30 يونيو.
البحرين – العراق – سوريا:
تتشابه البلاد الثلاث بأن الأقلية هى من تحكم الأغلبية وترصد هيلارى وقائع التدخل السعودى فى الشأن البحرينى وكذلك التدخل الإيرانى فى الشأن السورى والتدخل التركى فى الشأن العراقى وحاجة الولايات المتحدة للتدخل فى كل تلك العلاقات لضبط إيقاع مصالحها فى المنطقة.
السعودية:
تنتقد هيلارى أوضاع المرأة فى السعودية وتشدد على تدخلها فى أكثر من مناسبة لتوفيق أوضاع النساء فى السعودية منها واقعة إرسالها رسالة للسعوديين لتوفيق أوضاع طفلة -8 سنوات- زوجها والدها لرجل خمسينى مقابل مبلغ 13 ألف دولار وانتهاء تلك الواقعة بتعيين السعوديين قاضياً يقوم بتطليق الطفلة دون إحراج لهم بإصدار قرار ببطلان الزواج.
تعرج كلينتون على قطر وتأثير وسائل إعلامها فى الشأن العربى وإستخدامها لقناة الجزيرة تحديداً فى جعل دورها أكثر بروزاً فى المنطقة وتتحدث عن ليبيا ولا تذكر تونس بشئ إلا أن حمى الثورة التونسية انتشرت فى المنطقة وكذلك لبنان لم تذكر عنها شئ.
الأردن والمغرب:
تقول هيلارى بأن الملكين فى كلا المملكتين قاما ببعض الإصلاحات الاستباقية بمجرد نشوب حمى الثورة فى البلاد العربية سعياً منهم لؤد أى شرارة للثورة فى البلدين الهادئين على حد تعبيرها.
تقدم هيلارى كلينتون نفسها فى هذا الكتاب للناخب الأمريكى بحكم كونها واحدة من صناع القرار فى الماضى والمرشح الرئاسى الأوفر حظاً فى الانتخابات الأمريكية 2016, فإذا كنت متوقع – كحالى حين قررت قراءة هذا الكتاب – أنك ستقرأ مذكرات كاشفة فاضحة لكل أسرار الفترة التى اعتلت فيها هيلارى سنام الدبلوماسية الأمريكية 2008 – 2013 فدعنى أخبرك أنك لن تقرأ ��لا الكثير جداً من الكلام والحكايات والقليل جداً جداً من أسرار وخبايا هذه الفترة المهمة التى شهدت مظاهرات وتحركات وتقلبات المنطقة العربية فيما عُرف بالربيع العربى.
تستعرض هيلارى كلينتون للعديد من المحطات فى مشوارها كوزيرة الخارجية للولايات المتحدة ومنها الانتخابات الداخلية عام 2008 واختيارها كوزيرة خارجية ثم تنتقل للقوة العظمى الجديدة الصين وعن طبيعة العلاقات الأمريكية مع الصين وأهم نقاط الخلاف السياسى مع الصين وأهمية الصين كشريك اقتصادى للولايات المتحدة ثم تنتقل للحديث عن بورما وكيفية إخضاع الجيش البورمى لمبادئ الديمقراطية الأمريكية ثم تنتقل إلى باكستان وأفغانستان وتمر مرور الكرام بحادث قتل أسامة بن لادن دون كشف أى ملابسات أو أسرار.
ثم تصل ليناير 2011 فتحكى فى سرد مقتطع بعض الأحداث والروايات من هنا وهناك:
مصر:
كان مبارك الحليف الاستراتيجى لأمريكا طوال عقود فى المنطقة العربية وكيف أن الولايات المتحدة وعلى مدار 50 عاماً “فضَّلت الاستقرار على حساب الديمقراطية" وكيف كانت التضحية بهذا الحليف صعبة على قدامى البيت الأبيض يسيرة وسهلة على باراك أوباما الذى رأى فى انتصار الثورة انتصاراً لمبادئ الحرية والديمقراطية الأمريكية, ثم تمر مرور الكرام على فترة حكم المجلس العسكرى والتى استمرت قرابة عام ونصف فبراير 2011 إلى يونيو 2012, إلى أن تصل لفترة حكم الإخوان بمصر فتصف مرسى بأنه رجل قُذف به من الغرف الخلفية إلى كرسى كبير ولم يدرك هو وجماعته حجم التظاهرات والاحتجاجات فى الشارع فأدى ذلك إلى الإطاحة به من كرسيه فى 30 يونيو.
البحرين – العراق – سوريا:
تتشابه البلاد الثلاث بأن الأقلية هى من تحكم الأغلبية وترصد هيلارى وقائع التدخل السعودى فى الشأن البحرينى وكذلك التدخل الإيرانى فى الشأن السورى والتدخل التركى فى الشأن العراقى وحاجة الولايات المتحدة للتدخل فى كل تلك العلاقات لضبط إيقاع مصالحها فى المنطقة.
السعودية:
تنتقد هيلارى أوضاع المرأة فى السعودية وتشدد على تدخلها فى أكثر من مناسبة لتوفيق أوضاع النساء فى السعودية منها واقعة إرسالها رسالة للسعوديين لتوفيق أوضاع طفلة -8 سنوات- زوجها والدها لرجل خمسينى مقابل مبلغ 13 ألف دولار وانتهاء تلك الواقعة بتعيين السعوديين قاضياً يقوم بتطليق الطفلة دون إحراج لهم بإصدار قرار ببطلان الزواج.
تعرج كلينتون على قطر وتأثير وسائل إعلامها فى الشأن العربى وإستخدامها لقناة الجزيرة تحديداً فى جعل دورها أكثر بروزاً فى المنطقة وتتحدث عن ليبيا ولا تذكر تونس بشئ إلا أن حمى الثورة التونسية انتشرت فى المنطقة وكذلك لبنان لم تذكر عنها شئ.
الأردن والمغرب:
تقول هيلارى بأن الملكين فى كلا المملكتين قاما ببعض الإصلاحات الاستباقية بمجرد نشوب حمى الثورة فى البلاد العربية سعياً منهم لؤد أى شرارة للثورة فى البلدين الهادئين على حد تعبيرها.
June 22, 2014
Don't waste your time. Lots of propaganda and lies. Hillary is clearly running for President but may be less qualified than the one we have now. But "what difference does it make?"
June 26, 2014
I am a huge fan of the Clinton. I want to start out by saying that. Though I identify as Independent, I tend to vote Democrat. I say all this because I don't want you to think what I'm about to say in this review is politically motivated. Having said that:
This book is practically unreadable.
I love to read, and I've been plugging away at this thing since the day it was published, and I only managed to make it to page 415. That's when I finally had to be honest with myself and say that, while I was getting some amazing naps in, I wasn't enjoying the book at all.
While there are glimmering moments of personal connection, the book is mostly encyclopedic in its approach. Fair enough--I'm not opposed to being taught, but when you call a book "a memoir," I'm expecting at least some personal reflection, some insights into connections. Those moments exist, and when they do occur, they are magical. However, I had to slog through so much geopolitical sludge to get to them that they seemed like accidents rather than the point.
Now, I get it. There are still people who think women are stupid, and can't handle "real" authority. Because of that, Clinton has to write this book in (what I am sure sexist minds such as those I mentioned) a "manly" tone. This tends to mean fact-driven, emotionless prose. This book goes too far in that direction, though, and wound up feeling to me like trying to run a marathon in quicksand. Almost like she would have rather left the personal insights out entirely and just written a textbook on world events from 2009 to 2013.
So, with regret, I pulled the ripcord just after the bulk of the Benghazi incident was explained, and a lengthy, if involuntary, mid-morning nap.
I salute all of those reviewers here who have finished it (though I admit I am somewhat skeptical). This one is getting donated to the library book sale fundraiser.
This book is practically unreadable.
I love to read, and I've been plugging away at this thing since the day it was published, and I only managed to make it to page 415. That's when I finally had to be honest with myself and say that, while I was getting some amazing naps in, I wasn't enjoying the book at all.
While there are glimmering moments of personal connection, the book is mostly encyclopedic in its approach. Fair enough--I'm not opposed to being taught, but when you call a book "a memoir," I'm expecting at least some personal reflection, some insights into connections. Those moments exist, and when they do occur, they are magical. However, I had to slog through so much geopolitical sludge to get to them that they seemed like accidents rather than the point.
Now, I get it. There are still people who think women are stupid, and can't handle "real" authority. Because of that, Clinton has to write this book in (what I am sure sexist minds such as those I mentioned) a "manly" tone. This tends to mean fact-driven, emotionless prose. This book goes too far in that direction, though, and wound up feeling to me like trying to run a marathon in quicksand. Almost like she would have rather left the personal insights out entirely and just written a textbook on world events from 2009 to 2013.
So, with regret, I pulled the ripcord just after the bulk of the Benghazi incident was explained, and a lengthy, if involuntary, mid-morning nap.
I salute all of those reviewers here who have finished it (though I admit I am somewhat skeptical). This one is getting donated to the library book sale fundraiser.
February 13, 2015
Clinton sets herself up to be compared with Dean Acheson by recalling his Pulitzer Prize-winning book at the outset. But her title echoes Cyrus Vance, Secretary of State during the Carter administration. What she is doing is tracing the thread of American foreign policy through the administrations of Democratic presidents to show the continuity of political thinking and foreign involvment. One must remember that Acheson wrote at a time when faith in government was at an all-time high, and many folks read his memoir before criticizing it. I am not at all sure the same could be said for Clinton’s comprehensive memoir about her four-year (2009-2013) term as Secretary of State for the Obama Administration.
I come away thinking there is perhaps no person with better credentials to be president. She could handle the job, certainly. But we would have to decide if she is the person we want to lead our country and the world into the future. She would be an activist president for sure, clearly convinced that American leadership is all we should or could consider. Clinton blasts critics who proclaimed Obama “led from behind” on Libya, and said his leadership was in fact critical to the success of that international involvement.
Clinton’s time as senator from New York was good preparation for the prodding, jockeying, and cajoling that is done in international forums and with government heads of state. Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense while Clinton was Secretary of State, expressed a vast admiration for Clinton’s intelligence, experience, restraint, and pragmatism in his own memoir, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War. Both longtime Washington insiders, Gates and Clinton shared a sense of service, a clear-eyed realism, and a healthy skepticism. I believe they also shared a mutual distrust of Vladimir Putin and both sought to marginalize, where possible, his inputs.
A lot happens in four years when the world is the stage, as Hillary Clinton’s memoir of her time as Secretary reminds us. Clinton logged nearly a million miles in her role as Chief Diplomat, though like all managers, spends more time dealing with and talking about trouble areas than about countries whose troubles were not catastrophic.
Most revealing and interesting for me were her discussions about Syria, Iran, Gaza, Libya, Russia, and Afghanistan, including the Bin Laden raid and Benghazi. She was remarkably open about the steps that led to backdoor talks with Iran, and the calculations she had to make when considering deteriorating situations in Syria, Libya, and Gaza.
The Syria section reveals the calculus around the support for rebels. The Iran talks were equally revealing—Clinton is remarkably frank about her assessment of country rulers and their personal ‘styles.’ It almost reads like a Wikileaks cache in this section and perhaps she is willing to talk it about because of those leaks. When it comes to Gaza, Clinton hauls out the (surely tattered by now) “strong support for Israel” that we have come to expect, but tempers it with unenthusiastic observations about Prime Minister Netanyahu’s political history, party backing, and current positions. She managed to avoid the wider invasion of Gaza that we are experiencing now, but consistently reiterated the increasingly critical need and strong support for a two-state solution.
The Edward Snowdon leaks in May 2013 came after Clinton resigned in February 2013. Clinton must have been aware of and not in opposition to the information collected during her tenure…perhaps even using it in fact. It would have been interesting to hear what she would say to Angela Merkel about the taps on Merkel’s personal phone, when Clinton makes the observation that she and Merkel are often considered two of a kind and expresses admiration for what Merkel has been able to do while she has been in office.
Clinton had areas of concern that she championed wherever she went: women’s rights and human rights. She is a tough negotiator and gave plenty of government leaders some restless nights with those “hard choices” she talks about. Clinton recognized and harnessed the power of the connected world, and the tendency of the world to shrink as telecommunications, cell phone connection, and social media improved. Fortunately, she is not afraid of changes in the status of women, LGBT citizens, and minority voices, and instead welcomes them.
She recognizes that all talent will be needed in a 21st Century world facing climate change, shifts in energy dependencies, and the economic upheavals that will bring. We cannot afford to shun anyone with a good idea and had better take advantage of all the skills our citizens can bring. It’s a question of making sure they are all able to grasp opportunity when it presents itself. I like this concept a lot, and think her insistence on human and economic and political rights for all citizens may be her longest legacy.
Clinton felt so strongly about energy policy, economics, and the interdependencies of trade that her role as a wide-view activist Secretary of State surely encroached on the roles of other cabinet-level officials. In her memoir she sounds positively Presidential in making decisions, deciding directions, and in the scope and definition of her role. Obama had much on his plate in handling domestic intransigence so he was probably pleased to have someone with Clinton’s understanding, reach, and clout. She says they worked well together, and I’m sure it worked about as well as any team with high stakes and powerful players.
What struck me as I listened to Clinton’s memoir is the number of times familiar names were recycled again and again in different jobs, some from much earlier administrations, as though they are the only ones who could handle the work. I suppose it is true that experience counts, but isn’t that one reason Obama was elected to office…that he actually didn’t have all the experience (and all the baggage)? Foreign countries trying to keep tabs on who is doing what in the American government must be pleased they don't have to research the background of anyone new. There simply has to be some transfer of responsibilities to new players: a requirement of top-level posts should be finding and training their own replacements. Sometimes it just sounded like a closed system though I can appreciate the time constraints in finding someone able to handle a task effectively and with grace. If anyone is interested in trying to solve the intractable problems involved with government work, they should make their wishes known, and be known, because it is who you know that counts.
I do not think there is any certainty about Hillary Clinton taking on another campaign for President, though there is probably no person better equipped to handle her activist agenda, despite her age. She is both revered and feared at home and abroad. Enormously motivated, she believes she has and can still make a difference in people’s lives. I feel confident that this seasoned political actor wants to see what American voters decide in November. [Biden says he is doing the same.] If the attitudes and will of the American people were to significantly change the balance of power in the Congress in favor of Republicans, she may be swayed one way or the other. On the other side of the equation, the Democrats must find and field another credible candidate for Clinton to relax her sense of responsibility. In many ways, we'd be lucky to have her--she is a dogged American proponent. She can't be the only person able to take this on, though we have seen what lack of leadership has done for other countries, the Middle East in particular. That wouldn't happen on Clinton's watch.
Readers who lived through this period may feel they’ve “heard all that” Clinton has to say, but I don’t think anyone can say they’ve heard it all until they hear it from the woman who did the driving. It was a tumultuous period in world history and it was completely enlightening to hear what our Chief Diplomat had to say about it. Hillary Clinton remains something of a marvel.
Clinton only narrated the introduction and the epilogue, but Kathleen Chalfant had a voice that recreated Clinton’s accents and speaking style so completely, I was unsure sometimes who was narrating. Chalfant did a fantastic job with the place and personal names and the pacing. Simon & Schuster Audio provided a copy of this to me for review.
I come away thinking there is perhaps no person with better credentials to be president. She could handle the job, certainly. But we would have to decide if she is the person we want to lead our country and the world into the future. She would be an activist president for sure, clearly convinced that American leadership is all we should or could consider. Clinton blasts critics who proclaimed Obama “led from behind” on Libya, and said his leadership was in fact critical to the success of that international involvement.
Clinton’s time as senator from New York was good preparation for the prodding, jockeying, and cajoling that is done in international forums and with government heads of state. Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense while Clinton was Secretary of State, expressed a vast admiration for Clinton’s intelligence, experience, restraint, and pragmatism in his own memoir, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War. Both longtime Washington insiders, Gates and Clinton shared a sense of service, a clear-eyed realism, and a healthy skepticism. I believe they also shared a mutual distrust of Vladimir Putin and both sought to marginalize, where possible, his inputs.
A lot happens in four years when the world is the stage, as Hillary Clinton’s memoir of her time as Secretary reminds us. Clinton logged nearly a million miles in her role as Chief Diplomat, though like all managers, spends more time dealing with and talking about trouble areas than about countries whose troubles were not catastrophic.
Most revealing and interesting for me were her discussions about Syria, Iran, Gaza, Libya, Russia, and Afghanistan, including the Bin Laden raid and Benghazi. She was remarkably open about the steps that led to backdoor talks with Iran, and the calculations she had to make when considering deteriorating situations in Syria, Libya, and Gaza.
The Syria section reveals the calculus around the support for rebels. The Iran talks were equally revealing—Clinton is remarkably frank about her assessment of country rulers and their personal ‘styles.’ It almost reads like a Wikileaks cache in this section and perhaps she is willing to talk it about because of those leaks. When it comes to Gaza, Clinton hauls out the (surely tattered by now) “strong support for Israel” that we have come to expect, but tempers it with unenthusiastic observations about Prime Minister Netanyahu’s political history, party backing, and current positions. She managed to avoid the wider invasion of Gaza that we are experiencing now, but consistently reiterated the increasingly critical need and strong support for a two-state solution.
The Edward Snowdon leaks in May 2013 came after Clinton resigned in February 2013. Clinton must have been aware of and not in opposition to the information collected during her tenure…perhaps even using it in fact. It would have been interesting to hear what she would say to Angela Merkel about the taps on Merkel’s personal phone, when Clinton makes the observation that she and Merkel are often considered two of a kind and expresses admiration for what Merkel has been able to do while she has been in office.
Clinton had areas of concern that she championed wherever she went: women’s rights and human rights. She is a tough negotiator and gave plenty of government leaders some restless nights with those “hard choices” she talks about. Clinton recognized and harnessed the power of the connected world, and the tendency of the world to shrink as telecommunications, cell phone connection, and social media improved. Fortunately, she is not afraid of changes in the status of women, LGBT citizens, and minority voices, and instead welcomes them.
She recognizes that all talent will be needed in a 21st Century world facing climate change, shifts in energy dependencies, and the economic upheavals that will bring. We cannot afford to shun anyone with a good idea and had better take advantage of all the skills our citizens can bring. It’s a question of making sure they are all able to grasp opportunity when it presents itself. I like this concept a lot, and think her insistence on human and economic and political rights for all citizens may be her longest legacy.
Clinton felt so strongly about energy policy, economics, and the interdependencies of trade that her role as a wide-view activist Secretary of State surely encroached on the roles of other cabinet-level officials. In her memoir she sounds positively Presidential in making decisions, deciding directions, and in the scope and definition of her role. Obama had much on his plate in handling domestic intransigence so he was probably pleased to have someone with Clinton’s understanding, reach, and clout. She says they worked well together, and I’m sure it worked about as well as any team with high stakes and powerful players.
What struck me as I listened to Clinton’s memoir is the number of times familiar names were recycled again and again in different jobs, some from much earlier administrations, as though they are the only ones who could handle the work. I suppose it is true that experience counts, but isn’t that one reason Obama was elected to office…that he actually didn’t have all the experience (and all the baggage)? Foreign countries trying to keep tabs on who is doing what in the American government must be pleased they don't have to research the background of anyone new. There simply has to be some transfer of responsibilities to new players: a requirement of top-level posts should be finding and training their own replacements. Sometimes it just sounded like a closed system though I can appreciate the time constraints in finding someone able to handle a task effectively and with grace. If anyone is interested in trying to solve the intractable problems involved with government work, they should make their wishes known, and be known, because it is who you know that counts.
I do not think there is any certainty about Hillary Clinton taking on another campaign for President, though there is probably no person better equipped to handle her activist agenda, despite her age. She is both revered and feared at home and abroad. Enormously motivated, she believes she has and can still make a difference in people’s lives. I feel confident that this seasoned political actor wants to see what American voters decide in November. [Biden says he is doing the same.] If the attitudes and will of the American people were to significantly change the balance of power in the Congress in favor of Republicans, she may be swayed one way or the other. On the other side of the equation, the Democrats must find and field another credible candidate for Clinton to relax her sense of responsibility. In many ways, we'd be lucky to have her--she is a dogged American proponent. She can't be the only person able to take this on, though we have seen what lack of leadership has done for other countries, the Middle East in particular. That wouldn't happen on Clinton's watch.
Readers who lived through this period may feel they’ve “heard all that” Clinton has to say, but I don’t think anyone can say they’ve heard it all until they hear it from the woman who did the driving. It was a tumultuous period in world history and it was completely enlightening to hear what our Chief Diplomat had to say about it. Hillary Clinton remains something of a marvel.
Clinton only narrated the introduction and the epilogue, but Kathleen Chalfant had a voice that recreated Clinton’s accents and speaking style so completely, I was unsure sometimes who was narrating. Chalfant did a fantastic job with the place and personal names and the pacing. Simon & Schuster Audio provided a copy of this to me for review.
November 27, 2014
1. الكتاب الضخم والذي يحوي تلخيص الفترة التي شغلت فيها هيلاري كلينتون منصب وزير خارجية الولايات المتحدة، مكتو�� بعناية لا تخطئها العين. والأهداف من وراء ذلك عديدة، ولكن لربما كان الهدف الأكبر هو تجهيز الرأي العام الأمريكي، لترشح هيلاري كلينتون في الانتخابات الرئاسية الأمريكية 2016.
2. الكتاب مكتوب باللغة التي يحب أن يسمعها الأمريكيون من سياسييهم، اللغة التي تعظم من شأن خدمة الوطن، والأمل بمستقبل أفضل، والإصرار على النجاح و"الفوز".
3. هناك بعض الأمور اللافتة للنظر عند حديث كلينتون عن العالم الخارجي، ولكنها احتفظت بلغة دبلوماسية لبقة عند الحديث عن الآخرين.
4. ما لاحظته طوال الكتاب، هو انعكاس شخصية هيلاري كلينتون على عملها ونظرتها للآخرين والعالم. فهي مثال للمرأة الأمريكية المتحررة القوية، ولكن القادمة من خلفية بروتستانتية بيضاء تقليدية تؤمن بقيمة الانضباط والجدية في العمل، والعزيمة والاصرار للوصول للهدف، وفي بعض الأحيان تحكم بشدة على الآخرين بالنظر إلى التزامهم أو عدم التزامهم بهذه القيم الصارمة.
June 14, 2014
Review of
Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton
Review by R.L. Bailey
A Biography
5/5 angel wings
A caveat…I love Hillary Clinton and I have since she was nothing more than the wife of a man wanting to be President, so it was with great glee that her newest book finally hit the shelves. Let me say right from the get go, if you aren’t a fan of Mrs. Clinton, this book won’t change your mind.
The book starts on June 5, 2008, with Hillary on her way to a secret meeting with then candidate, Barack Obama. Mrs. Clinton describes that meeting as something akin to an awkward first date, and the reader can see why. It was a first chance to reunite the party, and make a solid unified run for the White House.
Of course, then came the speech. The one that broke the heart of every Hillary supporter; mine included. I can remember sitting there, tears pouring down my face as she so graciously dropped out of the running.
“Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America.”
Her speech later on at the Democratic National Convention was one of her finest moments in public life and forever sealed her place in the national circuit. After the disappointment of losing the nomination, Mrs. Clinton assumed she would go back to doing what she did so well; represent the people of New York. But the now President Obama had bigger and better plans for her. Soon, she was sworn in as Secretary of State, the most senior post in the Cabinet and fourth in line to the presidency. A job she, quite frankly, didn’t want. Yet her spirit of public duty, of putting the good of the country ahead of her own needs, kicked in and she took the job.
The book runs over the course of the four years she was Secretary of State. To me, the most dramatic of those years was the night the SEALS captured and killed Osama Bin Laden. You can feel the collective hearts pounding in unison as the President, Secretary of State Clinton, and others watch in horrified awe as first the copter set down, then the heroic actions of the men sent in to do the job take over. She writes of the strained relations between the U.S. and Europe, and the terrible, awful night of September 11, 2012, when our Embassy in Bengazi, Libya was attacked and four men were killed. During the hearings over what happened, Mrs. Clinton took responsibility for the security lapses that led to the attacks.
No matter what she dealt with, from a rude Russian Premier, to those who would pat her on the head and say good little girl, Mrs. Clinton has held her head high and proud. She isn’t afraid to confront an issue head on, and she doesn’t back down when right is on her side. Her writing is crisp, clear, and very concise. She doesn’t sugar coat anything, nor would I expect her to. As I said in the beginning of this review, if you are not a fan, you won’t be after reading this book. If you are, then what you will take away is a better understanding of the woman behind the titles of wife, mother, Senator, Secretary of State, and for me and a generation of women who have waited patiently for our turn, hopefully one day, President Hillary Clinton.
Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton
Review by R.L. Bailey
A Biography
5/5 angel wings
A caveat…I love Hillary Clinton and I have since she was nothing more than the wife of a man wanting to be President, so it was with great glee that her newest book finally hit the shelves. Let me say right from the get go, if you aren’t a fan of Mrs. Clinton, this book won’t change your mind.
The book starts on June 5, 2008, with Hillary on her way to a secret meeting with then candidate, Barack Obama. Mrs. Clinton describes that meeting as something akin to an awkward first date, and the reader can see why. It was a first chance to reunite the party, and make a solid unified run for the White House.
Of course, then came the speech. The one that broke the heart of every Hillary supporter; mine included. I can remember sitting there, tears pouring down my face as she so graciously dropped out of the running.
“Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America.”
Her speech later on at the Democratic National Convention was one of her finest moments in public life and forever sealed her place in the national circuit. After the disappointment of losing the nomination, Mrs. Clinton assumed she would go back to doing what she did so well; represent the people of New York. But the now President Obama had bigger and better plans for her. Soon, she was sworn in as Secretary of State, the most senior post in the Cabinet and fourth in line to the presidency. A job she, quite frankly, didn’t want. Yet her spirit of public duty, of putting the good of the country ahead of her own needs, kicked in and she took the job.
The book runs over the course of the four years she was Secretary of State. To me, the most dramatic of those years was the night the SEALS captured and killed Osama Bin Laden. You can feel the collective hearts pounding in unison as the President, Secretary of State Clinton, and others watch in horrified awe as first the copter set down, then the heroic actions of the men sent in to do the job take over. She writes of the strained relations between the U.S. and Europe, and the terrible, awful night of September 11, 2012, when our Embassy in Bengazi, Libya was attacked and four men were killed. During the hearings over what happened, Mrs. Clinton took responsibility for the security lapses that led to the attacks.
No matter what she dealt with, from a rude Russian Premier, to those who would pat her on the head and say good little girl, Mrs. Clinton has held her head high and proud. She isn’t afraid to confront an issue head on, and she doesn’t back down when right is on her side. Her writing is crisp, clear, and very concise. She doesn’t sugar coat anything, nor would I expect her to. As I said in the beginning of this review, if you are not a fan, you won’t be after reading this book. If you are, then what you will take away is a better understanding of the woman behind the titles of wife, mother, Senator, Secretary of State, and for me and a generation of women who have waited patiently for our turn, hopefully one day, President Hillary Clinton.
June 15, 2014
In the book Hillary Clinton tells about her time as Secretary of State. I had read “The Secretary” by Kim Ghattas and “HRC” by Jonathan Allan and Amie Parnes which covered the same topic. The interesting part of the book for me was her side comments such as her discussion about William Seward; I read his biography last year. He also was a senator from New York who lost his Presidential nomination and then faithfully served Lincoln, the man who beat him, as Secretary of State. She frequently quotes Eleanor Roosevelt which I found delightfully as I am a big fan of Eleanor Roosevelt. The meeting to discuss increasing troops to Afghanistan was also described in detail in the book “Duty” by Robert Gates. Hillary covers in great depth her philosophy of “Smart Power.” She opens her tour as Secretary of State by travelling to Asia. She tells why she thought it was important to emphasize Asia, the problems facing the area, in fact, she goes area by area throughout the book describing each areas problems, what has been done, needs to be done to overcome the problems. She covers Burma, China and Pakistan in depth. A picture of Hillary does come through as a person who is an optimist and very persistent. It appears she keeps going, by building on the small victories so they outweigh the defeats. She goes about breaking things down. She is a disaggregator, who can’t see problems without trying to make it smaller, more manageable, and then she tries to fit the pieces back together again. Between the stories of diplomacy are scattered personal stories about her mother, her life as a college student, meeting and marrying Bill Clinton, her daughter and how much she is looking forward to being a grandmother. The book is cautiously written and free of politically charged rhetoric and appears to be factually correct. The only comments she made about two politically charged issues was on Iraq, she apologized. She said “I got it wrong” and she learned from the mistake. On the deaths of State Department people killed in Benghazi Libya she said she is responsible because she was Secretary of State. Hillary mostly has good thing to say about people including George W. Bush. She quotes a maxim from China’s Deng Xiaoping: “Coolly observe, calmly deal with things, hold your position, hide your capacities, bide your time, accomplish things where possible.” I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. The book was narrated by Kathleen Chalfont and Hillary Clinton.
June 17, 2014
A remarkable woman! I admire her so much!
June 24, 2014
Yes, Hillary is running for president. You don't get a publisher to waste $14 million publishing a book by a non-candidate. The problem with the idea of purchasing this book is that Hillary has not been candid about any scandal in the past, so there is little reason to believe that anything has changed this time around. I would advise reading independent sources to determine the truth about the various scandals, especially Benghazi. After all, I continuously ask people, "What are Hillary's accomplishments as Sec of State?" There aren't any. The entire world is falling apart. Do we really believe that Hillary wrote this book herself? Okay, even if she had help, it is not going to be very candid. I think that this book should have been titled "Wrong choices."
Want to read
September 22, 2017
We'll see, in 2016
15th June 2014.
21st September 2014
Exclusive: Hillary Clinton to launch 2016 campaign on Sunday en route to Iowa
in The Guardian, Friday 10 April 2015
(in The Economist)
(in The Economist)
(in The Economist)
(in The Economist, a propos the 13th October debate)
(how many sixes do you count?...and how many nines??)
Hillary's strategy to defeat Isis:
✓Defeat Isis in Syria & Iraq
✓Disrupt & dismantle terrorist infrastructure
✓Harden our defenses
in:https://twitter.com/johnpodesta/statu...
It seems, she's ahead....
"If the election result matched current RCP averages: Clinton would win, 323 to 215".
in WaPo
5th October 2016
BUT THEN; SHE'S NOT that AHEAD!!
see here:
The Electoral Map Is Definitely Moving In Donald Trump’s Direction
WASHINGTONPOST.COM
4th November 2016
2017: What Happened???
-YOU LOST
January 25, 2019
انتخابهای سخت خاطرات خودنوشت هیلاری کلینتون، از دورهای که پس از رقابت انتخاباتی با باراکاوباما جا ماند و پس از آن با پیشنهاد رئیس جمهور آمریکا در جایگاه وزیر امور خارجه مشغول فعالیت شد.
کتاب سراسر استراتژی و راهبرد سیاست خارجی آمر��کا است. خواننده اگر نیک بنگرد متوجه بسیاری از آنها خواهد شد.
این کتاب را امیر قادری ترجمه کرده و نشر میلکان آن را منتشر کرده است.
در بخش مربوط به ایران وقتی صحبت از تحریمهای ضد ایرانی میشود او از رفتار سیاست خارجی دولت احمدینژاد با عنوان ضدحمله دیپلماتیک یاد میکند در حالی که بسیاری در داخل آن را تقبیح میکردند و میگفتند چرا دولت به جای ارتباط با جهان سراغ کشورهای گمنام میرود در حالی که طرف آمریکایی فهیمده بود که «محمود احمدینژاد» برای خنثی کردن قطعنامههای شورای امنیت در حال رایزنی با اعضای غیر دائم شورا است
کتاب سراسر استراتژی و راهبرد سیاست خارجی آمر��کا است. خواننده اگر نیک بنگرد متوجه بسیاری از آنها خواهد شد.
این کتاب را امیر قادری ترجمه کرده و نشر میلکان آن را منتشر کرده است.
در بخش مربوط به ایران وقتی صحبت از تحریمهای ضد ایرانی میشود او از رفتار سیاست خارجی دولت احمدینژاد با عنوان ضدحمله دیپلماتیک یاد میکند در حالی که بسیاری در داخل آن را تقبیح میکردند و میگفتند چرا دولت به جای ارتباط با جهان سراغ کشورهای گمنام میرود در حالی که طرف آمریکایی فهیمده بود که «محمود احمدینژاد» برای خنثی کردن قطعنامههای شورای امنیت در حال رایزنی با اعضای غیر دائم شورا است
June 26, 2014
"Meet the New Boss. Same as the Old Boss."
June 23, 2014
I would recommend simply reading a few picture captions before reshelfing this title. Everything in this book is carefully worded for self importance. It is all about Billary.
She never "goes to see a diplomat" but rather the "diplomat is with me." Even when she is in that host's country.
When you pay attention to how things are worded for self importance, it almost comes off as juvenile. It is hick storytelling with all the belly-scratching and jowl flapping. "What difference does it make?"
In a popularity contest, she'd lose to "Teflon Bill."
At least her husband knew how to say, "Maybe I was wrong..." without actually taking blame.
Whoever we vote in for president in 2016, I hope the end result isn't some popularity contest or to provide us with yet another 'first.' We really need leadership with business sense, someone other leaders will actually shake hands with, and a person we can ALL look up to.
Hillary just seems like the type of person who would kick people off her sinking boat for the sake of buoyancy.
***
This just in: According to Ed Klein's new book, Hillary has a heart, but it's a bad one.
http://drudgereport.com/flashek.htm
She never "goes to see a diplomat" but rather the "diplomat is with me." Even when she is in that host's country.
When you pay attention to how things are worded for self importance, it almost comes off as juvenile. It is hick storytelling with all the belly-scratching and jowl flapping. "What difference does it make?"
In a popularity contest, she'd lose to "Teflon Bill."
At least her husband knew how to say, "Maybe I was wrong..." without actually taking blame.
Whoever we vote in for president in 2016, I hope the end result isn't some popularity contest or to provide us with yet another 'first.' We really need leadership with business sense, someone other leaders will actually shake hands with, and a person we can ALL look up to.
Hillary just seems like the type of person who would kick people off her sinking boat for the sake of buoyancy.
***
This just in: According to Ed Klein's new book, Hillary has a heart, but it's a bad one.
http://drudgereport.com/flashek.htm
June 27, 2014
When Hillary Clinton launched her recent book tour promoting her memoir of her State Department tenure the political pundits concluded that this was the launch of her 2016 presidential campaign. While that may be accurate the book, HARD CHOICES should be evaluated as to whether it provides greater understanding of American foreign policy during the first Obama administration. The answer lies somewhere in the middle. The book has many components. It is Clinton’s attempt to justify the course of action taken during her years as Secretary of State, provide explanations to counter the myriad Republican criticisms that seem to emerge no matter what the issue or situation at that time, project a softer image for the American public, offer advice as to what tools American diplomacy should employ during the “digital age,” and discuss non-traditional topics that normally do not take up a great deal of space in political memoirs, i.e.; environmental and economic policy. For Clinton the conduct of foreign policy seeks a balance of “smart” and the hard power of projecting military might. For the former Secretary “smart power” needs to be “integrated with the traditional tools of foreign policy—diplomacy, developmental assistance, and military force—while tapping the energy and ideas of the private sector and empowering citizens, especially the activists, organizers, and problem solvers we call civil society, to meet their own challenges and shape their own futures.” (pp. x-xi) In doing so America’s strengths can be employed to develop more partners and fewer adversaries by sharing responsibility and becoming involved in fewer conflicts. This includes reaching out to the people of whatever country policy is being developed, promoting jobs and less poverty, and expanding the middle class to lift people up with less damage to the environment.
At a time when President Obama’s foreign policy decision making is under attack, especially over events in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Ukraine, Clinton’s memoir is a useful tool to see how decisions were reached, particularly the background considerations. The “pivot” toward Asia was pronounced as soon as Clinton entered the State Department and currently it is seen by opponents as a failure because of the unrest in the Middle East. The other major pronouncement was a “reset” with Russia that has fallen under scrutiny as Vladimir Putin has used events in the Ukraine to seize the Crimea and threaten the eastern part of the former Soviet republic. Clinton spends a great deal of time providing the rational for these policy changes and makes the case that the results have not been perfect but were worth the effort. In the case of the “pivot” toward Asia, Clinton called for broadening our relationship with China. To accomplish this a sophisticated strategy was needed to encourage China to be “a responsible member of the international community, while [we] stood firm in defense of our values and interests.” (42) At the same time the United States needed to strengthen our treaty alliances in the region to provide a counterbalance to China’s growing power. A third goal was to “elevate and harmonize the alphabet soup of regional multilateral organizations” and use these venues “for all nations of the region to work together on shared challenges, resolve disagreements, establish rules and standards of behavior, reward responsible countries with legitimacy and respect, and help hold accountable those who violated the rules.” (44) Clinton admits that the jury is still out as to whether this emphasis on Asia was a success, but with the growing influence the region has on the world economy, demand for energy, and the many disagreements on trade, human rights, boundaries, and the environment, the effort was well worth it and in the long run should yield positive results. In the case of the reset with Russia the jury remains out. When Putin left office and was replaced by Dmitry Medvedev as Russian Prime Minister in 2009 the world witnessed greater cooperation between Moscow and Washington. The “reset” produced a strategic arms agreement, use of Russian soil to supply American forces in Afghanistan, Russian support for a no-fly zone in Libya, bringing Russia into the World Trade Organization, the expansion of counterterrorism cooperation, and Russian support for economic sanctions against Iran and North Korea. This was in contrast to the intransigence of US-Russian relations under Putin that returned when the former KGB officer returned to his role as Prime Minster after Medvedev served his term. Putin believes in restoring Russia to its preeminent role in world politics that it experienced before the collapse of the Soviet Union. He is a Slavic nationalist who does not believe in the concept of “smart power,” for him it is a reflection of weakness. Further, he blames the United States for the economic crisis begun in 2008 and believes the United States hood winked Moscow in gaining support for a UN resolution in dealing with Libya and then turned into strong military action that resulted in the overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi. Many of President Obama’s critics blame him for events in the Ukraine and the Russian seizure of the Crimea, but based on Putin’s belief system and ambitions there was little that could have been done to deter him. The question remains what should the United States do in response and Clinton is clear that economic sanctions can work as they did with Iran, but for those who want immediate gratification the time it takes to have an impact will not be satisfied.
Clinton organizes her memoir around specific issues and problems rather than a chronological approach to her term as Secretary of State. She does an effective job of providing the background history of the subjects she chooses to address and to her credit she continues to explain her viewpoint pertaining to those issues during the period after she resigned. The most interesting chapters deal with events in Afghanistan, the ongoing crisis in Syria, the difficulties dealing with Pakistan, the inability to achieve any progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the effects of the Arab spring, relations with Iran, and of course Benghazi. It was fascinating to read about the internal discussions in the Obama administration in deciding whether to launch a “surge” in Afghanistan the way President Bush had done in Iraq. Vice President Biden was against the “surge,” and Richard Holbrooke who was in charge of the Afghanistan-Pakistan portfolio in the State Department was very skeptical that a surge could prove effective. Clinton supported President Obama’s decision to send another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan believing that if nothing was done the Taliban would continue to seize more of the country, making it harder for the United States to conduct counterterrorism operations.
The Obama administration has been very careful in dealing with Syrian rebels who oppose the Assad regime and has drawn a great deal of criticism. The fear has always been if weapons were supplied how we could guarantee that they would reach the moderate elements in the fractious grouping of rebels who were fighting Damascus and eventually would be used against the United States as occurred in Afghanistan. I disagree with the pronouncement of “red lines” that once crossed would produce American military action, if none was intended. However, the United States has provided a tremendous amount of non-military aide, and it is obvious from polling that the American people do not want to intervene with “boots on the ground.”
Pakistan also presents a difficult problem and an obstacle to peace. Clinton supports the conclusions of Carlotta Gall in her recent book, THE WRONG ENEMY that the Pakistani intelligence service (ISI) which has had a long running relationship with the Taliban is one of the major obstacles for peace. They have provided safe haven for insurgents inside Pakistan and worked behind the scenes to prevent President Karzai from making a separate peace with the Taliban. Clinton is right on the mark when she argues that the Pakistanis need to become invested in the future of Afghanistan and that they have more to gain from peace than a continuation of the current military conflict. Pakistan has its own national security fears in dealing with India and events and its attitude toward Afghanistan must be seen from that perspective. As in all cases Clinton provides comments about the individuals she is dealing with especially Afghani President Hamid Karzai who she describes as a proud man who believed that the Taliban was not his primary opponent, it was Pakistan and he was reluctant to use his own forces against the Taliban. He believed the United States and coalition forces should conduct the “lion’s share of the fighting against Pakistan, while he negotiated with his fellow Pashtuns in the Taliban. (145)
In dealing with the Middle East Clinton provides a detailed history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and her relationships with the main players, particularly Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barack in Israel and Mahmoud Abbas the leader of the Palestinian Authority. Since the memoir appears to be the launching of a presidential campaign the reader will witness the obligatory support for Israel that is a necessity for any Democratic candidate. Clinton chooses her words very carefully in supporting a two-state solution for the conflict and her opposition to Hamas and the role of Hezbollah in Lebanon in dealing with Israeli security needs. I commend Clinton’s attempt to mediate a solution to the conflict but from the outset it was apparent that the odds of success were remote. With Netanyahu’s support for the continued construction of settlements on the West Bank, being hamstrung by the religious right of his own governing coalition, success was doubtful. Clinton’s advice to Netanyahu concerning the burgeoning Palestinian birth rate as being the greatest threat to Israeli security in the future was also very timely.
As soon as excerpts of the book were released in advance of publication the pundit world jumped on the Benghazi episode. There is really nothing new presented here that has not come out in the numerous congressional hearings dealing with the crisis. Clinton correctly points out that “the total elimination of risk is a non-starter for U.S. diplomacy, given the need for the U.S. government to be present in places where stability and security are often most profoundly lacking and host government support is sometimes minimal to non-existent.” (385) The criticism dealing whether the attack was incited by a disrespectful video dealing with Mohammad should not be the center piece of what might have gone wrong. State Department and Congressional investigations have shown that the mob was provoked by the video and terrorists took advantage of the situation to launch its attack. Another criticism of Clinton centers around her leaving her office the night of the crisis and going home, a home that was outfitted with the same intelligence and communication equipment as her State Department office. Clinton took responsibility for events before a Senate committee; perhaps others who have created many of the issues in the region today might do the same.
Clinton is at her best when she is describing the reality of the diplomatic process. The machinations behind the scene are ever present and some of her details are fascinating. A good example was the attempt to create a coalition of NATO and Arab League members to thwart Qaddafi’s troops as they marched on Benghazi. Maintaining relations with the United Arab Emirates after Bahrain was criticized for using Saudi troops to help crush domestic descent, Franco-Turkish relations were sour because French President Sarkozy had opposed Turkey’s membership in NATO, Italian-French competition to lead the coalition against Libya, gaining Russian and Chinese support for a UN resolution, and President Obama’s goal of having the US take a more limited role in any action all had to be balanced. Opponents called this “leading from behind,” Clinton answers her critics by stating, “That’s a silly phrase. It took a great deal of leading from the front, side, and every other direction, to authorize and accomplish the mission and to prevent what might have been the loss of tens of thousands of lives.” (375)
Clinton concentrates a great deal on her experiences in Africa and Latin America. She details crises in Kenya and Somalia in Africa, and crises in Honduras and El Salvador in Latin America. Her discussion of the future role of Brazil is important as is her poignant chapter dealing with the earthquake in Haiti that took place on January 12, 2010. Her coverage of poverty sets her memoir apart from others. She devotes a significant part of her book to the role of American foreign aid as a vehicle to assist those countries in need. She debunks the view that foreign aid is a significant part of the federal budget, some believing it is as high as 25%, when in reality it is less than 1%. Clinton’s emphasis on assisting countries through economic aid, education, human rights, and medical assistance is part of her goal of using what she terms as “soft power” to improve the lives of those in need and uplifting America’s image in the world.
Apart from the traditional discussion of policy and planning, Clinton lets the reader see her softer side. Whether it is to improve her image as a presidential candidate or not her she is able to integrate personal moments into her narrative. Her emotions related to her daughter Chelsea’s marriage and her moniker “M.O.T.B,” short for mother of the bride while negotiating with the Chinese is revealing. Her feelings dealing with Chelsea’s pregnancy and her new role as a grandmother are very heartening. She talks about her own honeymoon a number of times and refers to her husband as her best friend. Her emphasis on the role of woman in diplomacy is important as she argues that women pursue a different approach than men and are less likely to employ the military in solving crises. Clinton has an excellent chapter on the role of the environment and its relation to current economic issues and the health of future generations is well put. Pundits search for differences with President Obama, but in large part they agreed on policy and when disagreements took place her views were aired and any issues going back to the 2008 presidential campaign were easily overcome. If she strongly disagreed with policy she had no difficulty in saying so, i.e.; when asked to attack Sarah Palin during the 2008 campaign she refused arguing she would not criticize a woman for trying to attract women voters. Clinton, unlike other politicians admitted her vote to support the war in Iraq was wrong and she realizes how that war has hurt the United States, particularly with events in Iraq as of this writing.
If one reads HARD CHOICES you should come to the conclusion that Clinton has wide-ranging experience on national security and foreign policy issues, however, if one followed the news carefully during her time at the State Department there is very little that is new in the book. If you are interested in a female perspective on world events during her tenure as Secretary of State, the book will come across as fascinating and informative and will provide you with the background for events, explain why certain policies were pursued, and suggest what might occur in the future.
October 4, 2014
Excellent accounting of Hillary Clinton's years as Secretary of State. Between her years as First Lady, her years as US Senator from New York and her four years as Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton is better prepared to be president of the United States of America than any of the previous presidents in the last 30 years!
September 12, 2015
Hard Choices indeed. The title of this book is perfect. It´s not easy being the US Secretary of State. It is one tough and strenuous job trying to be the policeman of the world, and regardless of the political party represented, I have tremendous respect and admiration for the holder of this position. I am not a democrat, but I admire Hillary and respect her, as one hell of a courageous lady. In her own words, “Inevitably, making policy is always a balancing act. Hopefully we get it more right than wrong. But there are always choices we regret, consequences we do not foresee, and alternate paths we wish we had taken”.
Hillary´s book is super interesting, filled with backstage stories on her 4-year career, including some backdrops of her memories as the first lady, 10 years back. During her four years in office, she visited 112 countries, and travelled nearly one million miles. Working in global sales and travelling non-stop myself, I recognize the hardship of this fact, and realize the sacrifices it means, and salute the professionals representing their countries in these positions. Clinton in fact covers the whole globe, continent by continent, in her book, making her account a great history book of the first decade of the 21st century.
Clinton covers the political global landscape of 2009-2012 in her book. One can just imagine the feelings of solitude and responsibility involved in taking the decision to send thousands more of young US soldiers to die in Afghanistan, or the raid to capture and kill Bin Laden, while watching the show alive from the White House situation room. Hillary conveys the delicacy and difficulty of the foreign policy against growing China, as well as the challenge of helping Burma towards democracy. She describes the challenges of the Putin administration in Russia, as well as the tough negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan to break away from Al Qaeda. Hillary´s team was facilitating the peace negotiations between Abbas and Netanyahu around the sensitive Israeli Palestine conflict, as well as negotiating for the Arab peace initiative. Latin American challenges obviously involved Cuba and Venezuela, as well as the drug war in Mexico. How would US deal towards Africa, while China was raising its stakes in that continent as the main foreign investor and how should the US respond to the Arab spring, and how to deal with the dilemma on whether to condemn Mubarak or not. Libya intervention was covered, as well as the challenges with Iran and Syria…
The reader gets to laugh occasionally too, with some amusing details such as e.g. Hugo Chavez , as a sign of goodwill, gifting Obama with a book on US imperialism and exploitation of Latin America, or on learning how Hillary tried to “restart” the US/Russian relations with Lavrov with a “restart button” ( a bright red button on a yellow base) or on reading about the battle of egos between Sarkozy and Berlusconi in who should lead the airstrikes to Libya etc.
As my only criticism to this interesting piece of work, I can say that I must have been too naïve in expecting to read an unbiased autobiography/memoire rather than a political tool to undermine the Republicans whenever possible, but I guess I understand this is part of her (upcoming, at the time of the publication of this book) presidential campaign. Additionally, at times, the writing was a bit too theatrical and over patriotic (.i.e. in the true “American way”).
Nevertheless, this book was great, and I have enormous respect for Hillary. She herself sums up her work in the words of Lord Salisbury (former British foreign secretary and PM) :
“diplomatic victories are made up of a series of microscopic advantages: of a judicious suggestion here, of an opportune civility there, of a wise concession at one moment and a far sighted persistence at another, of sleepless tact, immovable calmness, and patience that no folly, no provocation, no blunder can shake”
Hillary´s book is super interesting, filled with backstage stories on her 4-year career, including some backdrops of her memories as the first lady, 10 years back. During her four years in office, she visited 112 countries, and travelled nearly one million miles. Working in global sales and travelling non-stop myself, I recognize the hardship of this fact, and realize the sacrifices it means, and salute the professionals representing their countries in these positions. Clinton in fact covers the whole globe, continent by continent, in her book, making her account a great history book of the first decade of the 21st century.
Clinton covers the political global landscape of 2009-2012 in her book. One can just imagine the feelings of solitude and responsibility involved in taking the decision to send thousands more of young US soldiers to die in Afghanistan, or the raid to capture and kill Bin Laden, while watching the show alive from the White House situation room. Hillary conveys the delicacy and difficulty of the foreign policy against growing China, as well as the challenge of helping Burma towards democracy. She describes the challenges of the Putin administration in Russia, as well as the tough negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan to break away from Al Qaeda. Hillary´s team was facilitating the peace negotiations between Abbas and Netanyahu around the sensitive Israeli Palestine conflict, as well as negotiating for the Arab peace initiative. Latin American challenges obviously involved Cuba and Venezuela, as well as the drug war in Mexico. How would US deal towards Africa, while China was raising its stakes in that continent as the main foreign investor and how should the US respond to the Arab spring, and how to deal with the dilemma on whether to condemn Mubarak or not. Libya intervention was covered, as well as the challenges with Iran and Syria…
The reader gets to laugh occasionally too, with some amusing details such as e.g. Hugo Chavez , as a sign of goodwill, gifting Obama with a book on US imperialism and exploitation of Latin America, or on learning how Hillary tried to “restart” the US/Russian relations with Lavrov with a “restart button” ( a bright red button on a yellow base) or on reading about the battle of egos between Sarkozy and Berlusconi in who should lead the airstrikes to Libya etc.
As my only criticism to this interesting piece of work, I can say that I must have been too naïve in expecting to read an unbiased autobiography/memoire rather than a political tool to undermine the Republicans whenever possible, but I guess I understand this is part of her (upcoming, at the time of the publication of this book) presidential campaign. Additionally, at times, the writing was a bit too theatrical and over patriotic (.i.e. in the true “American way”).
Nevertheless, this book was great, and I have enormous respect for Hillary. She herself sums up her work in the words of Lord Salisbury (former British foreign secretary and PM) :
“diplomatic victories are made up of a series of microscopic advantages: of a judicious suggestion here, of an opportune civility there, of a wise concession at one moment and a far sighted persistence at another, of sleepless tact, immovable calmness, and patience that no folly, no provocation, no blunder can shake”
September 15, 2017
مخادعة ، هذه هي السمة الغالبة على هذه المذكرات .
تقرأها فتظن للوهلة الأولى أنها جذابة منصفة إلا أنها حقاً وفعلاً مخادعة كدأب السياسة الأمريكية خاصة فيما يتعلق بشؤون الشرق الأوسط. و لكي لا أُتهم بالتجني سأسرد لكم هنا بعض الفقرات و بالحرف :
في الصفحة (299) تقول هيلاري : "لستُ الوحيدة في إيلاء اهتمام خاص بأمن إسرائيل و نجاحها، يعجب بها أمريكيون كثر بصفة كونها موطن شعب ظُلم طويلاً، و ديمقراطية عليها أن تدافع عن نفسها عند كل منعطف، تعكس قصة إسرائيل ما عانيناه و حكاية جميع الشعوب التي كافحت من أجل الحرية و الحق في تقرير مصيرها" .
بعد هذا الكلام بخمس صفحات و تحديداً في نهاية الصفحة (304) تقول وزيرة الخارجية الأمريكية : "فازت حركة حماس عام 2006 في الانتخابات التشريعية في الأراضي الفلسطينية (....) و لقد أصدرتُ بياناً فور تلقي نتائج الانتخابات في مكتبي في مجلس الشيوخ يدين حماس، و شددت : ما لم تنبذ حركة حماس العنف و الإرهاب و تتخلى عن موقفها الداعي إلى تدمير إسرائيل لا أعتقد أن على الولايات المتحدة الاعتراف بها و يجب على كل دولة في العالم أن تقوم بالمثل. ذكّرتنا هذه النتيجة بأن الديمقراطية لا تقتصر على الفوز في الانتخابات ، و إذا أرادت الولايات المتحدة دعم إجرائها (أي الانتخابات) تقع علينا مسؤولية مساعدة الناس و الأحزاب على فهم مسارها و قواعدها " .
بعبارة أخرى : أي عملية انتخابية يفوز فيها أي طرف لا يتبنى السياسات الأمريكية فهو بالتأكيد لا يصنف على أنه "ديمقراطية" و إنما وصل للفوز بسبب قصور الفهم لدى الناس و الناخبين ! أما إسرائيل فهي الديمقراطية التي يتوجب عليها الدفاع عن نفسها عند كل منعطف ! يا للحنان !!
طبعاً بررت كلينتون موقفها هذا بسبب أن حركة حماس إرهابية و تتبنى العنف في سياستها ، حسناً هذا كلام لا غبار عليه، ما من أحد يحب العنف بالتأكيد ، و لكن بسبب أني معجبة للغاية بمبدأ "من لسانك أدينك" ، دعوني أعود إلى صفحة واحدة سابقة (303) حيث تقول هيلاري : "قُتل حوالي ألف إسرائيلي و جرح ثمانية آلاف في الهجمات الإرهابية منذ أيلول/2000 إلى فبراير /2005 ، في حين سقط للفلسطينيين ثلاثة أضعاف هذا العدد قتلى ، إضافة إلى آلاف الجرحى في المرحلة نفسها" !!
و هنا لا بد من أطرح سؤالي الوقح : أيهما برأيك أكثر عنفاً و إرهاباً يا وزيرة خارجية أكبر دعاة للديمقراطية في العالم؟؟
في الحقيقة ، أنا لا يهمني أبداً أن تتبنى هيلاري الجانب الإسرائيلي ، هذه سياسة و يحق لك فيها أن تكون وغداً كما يحلو لك ، لكن لا تخدع شعبك بأكاذيبك البراقة و تستغفلهم باستخدام أكثر كلمات مثيرة للرعب لديهم كالإرهاب و العنف و ما إلى ذلك ، أنت بذلك تمارسين الإرهاب الفكري سيدتي .
في المجمل الكتاب محشو بالمعلومات و الأخبار التي تتناول رحلات كلينتون عبر العالم أثناء توليها منصب وزارة الخارجية فترة حكم أوباما ، أعجبتني للغاية فكرة التقائها بوزراء الخارجية الذين سبقوها للاستفادة من تجاربهم في هذا المجال ، و للإنصاف أقول أنه على الرغم من استيائي من معظم ما دونته كلينتون إلا أنني لم أندم على قراءة الكتاب .
قبل أن أختم هذه المراجعة لا بد أن أنوه إلى جملة وردت في الكتاب عبّرت فيها كلينتون عن حزنها على الشعب الفلسطيني بوصفه شعباً معذباً بلا وطن !
أقول : لا تحزني سيدتي ، إن كانوا لا يملكون وطناً فهو بفضلك أنت و إدارتك و بريطانيا العظمى من قبلكم ، و تباً لكم جميعاً و تباً لجميع حكامنا الذين ساندوكم و ما يزالون لتصبح النتيجة أننا : شعب بلا وطن .
تقرأها فتظن للوهلة الأولى أنها جذابة منصفة إلا أنها حقاً وفعلاً مخادعة كدأب السياسة الأمريكية خاصة فيما يتعلق بشؤون الشرق الأوسط. و لكي لا أُتهم بالتجني سأسرد لكم هنا بعض الفقرات و بالحرف :
في الصفحة (299) تقول هيلاري : "لستُ الوحيدة في إيلاء اهتمام خاص بأمن إسرائيل و نجاحها، يعجب بها أمريكيون كثر بصفة كونها موطن شعب ظُلم طويلاً، و ديمقراطية عليها أن تدافع عن نفسها عند كل منعطف، تعكس قصة إسرائيل ما عانيناه و حكاية جميع الشعوب التي كافحت من أجل الحرية و الحق في تقرير مصيرها" .
بعد هذا الكلام بخمس صفحات و تحديداً في نهاية الصفحة (304) تقول وزيرة الخارجية الأمريكية : "فازت حركة حماس عام 2006 في الانتخابات التشريعية في الأراضي الفلسطينية (....) و لقد أصدرتُ بياناً فور تلقي نتائج الانتخابات في مكتبي في مجلس الشيوخ يدين حماس، و شددت : ما لم تنبذ حركة حماس العنف و الإرهاب و تتخلى عن موقفها الداعي إلى تدمير إسرائيل لا أعتقد أن على الولايات المتحدة الاعتراف بها و يجب على كل دولة في العالم أن تقوم بالمثل. ذكّرتنا هذه النتيجة بأن الديمقراطية لا تقتصر على الفوز في الانتخابات ، و إذا أرادت الولايات المتحدة دعم إجرائها (أي الانتخابات) تقع علينا مسؤولية مساعدة الناس و الأحزاب على فهم مسارها و قواعدها " .
بعبارة أخرى : أي عملية انتخابية يفوز فيها أي طرف لا يتبنى السياسات الأمريكية فهو بالتأكيد لا يصنف على أنه "ديمقراطية" و إنما وصل للفوز بسبب قصور الفهم لدى الناس و الناخبين ! أما إسرائيل فهي الديمقراطية التي يتوجب عليها الدفاع عن نفسها عند كل منعطف ! يا للحنان !!
طبعاً بررت كلينتون موقفها هذا بسبب أن حركة حماس إرهابية و تتبنى العنف في سياستها ، حسناً هذا كلام لا غبار عليه، ما من أحد يحب العنف بالتأكيد ، و لكن بسبب أني معجبة للغاية بمبدأ "من لسانك أدينك" ، دعوني أعود إلى صفحة واحدة سابقة (303) حيث تقول هيلاري : "قُتل حوالي ألف إسرائيلي و جرح ثمانية آلاف في الهجمات الإرهابية منذ أيلول/2000 إلى فبراير /2005 ، في حين سقط للفلسطينيين ثلاثة أضعاف هذا العدد قتلى ، إضافة إلى آلاف الجرحى في المرحلة نفسها" !!
و هنا لا بد من أطرح سؤالي الوقح : أيهما برأيك أكثر عنفاً و إرهاباً يا وزيرة خارجية أكبر دعاة للديمقراطية في العالم؟؟
في الحقيقة ، أنا لا يهمني أبداً أن تتبنى هيلاري الجانب الإسرائيلي ، هذه سياسة و يحق لك فيها أن تكون وغداً كما يحلو لك ، لكن لا تخدع شعبك بأكاذيبك البراقة و تستغفلهم باستخدام أكثر كلمات مثيرة للرعب لديهم كالإرهاب و العنف و ما إلى ذلك ، أنت بذلك تمارسين الإرهاب الفكري سيدتي .
في المجمل الكتاب محشو بالمعلومات و الأخبار التي تتناول رحلات كلينتون عبر العالم أثناء توليها منصب وزارة الخارجية فترة حكم أوباما ، أعجبتني للغاية فكرة التقائها بوزراء الخارجية الذين سبقوها للاستفادة من تجاربهم في هذا المجال ، و للإنصاف أقول أنه على الرغم من استيائي من معظم ما دونته كلينتون إلا أنني لم أندم على قراءة الكتاب .
قبل أن أختم هذه المراجعة لا بد أن أنوه إلى جملة وردت في الكتاب عبّرت فيها كلينتون عن حزنها على الشعب الفلسطيني بوصفه شعباً معذباً بلا وطن !
أقول : لا تحزني سيدتي ، إن كانوا لا يملكون وطناً فهو بفضلك أنت و إدارتك و بريطانيا العظمى من قبلكم ، و تباً لكم جميعاً و تباً لجميع حكامنا الذين ساندوكم و ما يزالون لتصبح النتيجة أننا : شعب بلا وطن .
June 11, 2014
I really enjoyed this memoir of her life as Secretary of State. Found it a fascinating account of the corridors of power. Many banalaties could have been avoided ( one must expect that from politicians) but that said, they didn't stop me from completing the book.
June 25, 2014
Thought provoking, Brilliant, Overwhelming, yet relatable and respected....... Loved this book.....
June 27, 2015
I greatly admire Hillary Clinton. The final chapter in the book about human rights has only increased my admiration. I'm looking forward to reading her autobiography Living History.
Want to read
May 28, 2014Definitely going to read!
April 16, 2019
روایتی غیرصادقانه از تلاش آمریکا برای حفظ رهبری بر دنیا. مفاهیم حقوق بشر، اعمال عدالت، توسعه و... به راحتی برای توجیه جنایات پنهان و آشکار دولت آمریکا استفاده شده و خود نویسنده هم گاه به تضاد بین ارزشها و افعال برخورده است.
تنها فایده مطالعه کتاب، آشنایی با سیاستهای آمریکا در نقاط مختلف دنیا و فهم تلاش و پشتکار آنها برای حفظ آقاییشان است.
تنها فایده مطالعه کتاب، آشنایی با سیاستهای آمریکا در نقاط مختلف دنیا و فهم تلاش و پشتکار آنها برای حفظ آقاییشان است.
Shelved as 'unfinished-business'
January 31, 2017This book is fascinating but I can't read it right now. All that calm, well-reasoned statecraft makes me cry.
February 9, 2015
This was an audiobook unabridged listen of the entire book. Hillary Clinton was the narrator for the beginning and Kathleen Chalfant was the narrator for the remainder of the book. I thought it would have been nice for Ms. Clinton to have narrated the entire book but it is a long one. At first you do not realize that the transition has occurred because the tonal quality of Kathleen's reading voice is quite similar to Hillary's.
I think the major difference between the George W. book about his Dad and Clinton's is that even though she focused on herself and the time she was secretary of state - the book also exudes "intelligence".
The book is a much better writing effort - stylistically and is quite detail rich with historical fact, oral history, personal anecdotes, it includes interesting details on a whole host of characters and events and is chock full of intelligent discussion on a variety of foreign and diplomatic challenges and engagements with a host of countries. Though the book is about Clinton and her experiences - I did feel that I gained a great deal of information in the process and enjoyed the book a great deal.
Clinton discussed that she first met Dean Acheson at Wellesley when she was a college student and she never dreamed that one day that she would be Secretary of State or that she would ever have been first lady. The book begins after the primary when then candidate Barack Obama had become the Democratic candidate.
I found Clinton to be as intelligent as an entire tree full of owls as one of her former professors I believe said. She had in depth knowledge of the nations, their leaders, their problems, their relationships with America, their strengths and their weaknesses and had "detailed" solutions and ideas on how to deal with each of these countries" awesomeness and/or all of their warts and difficulties. I think the problem that any woman has in one of these jobs is that they simply are not a man. Of course there is a vast percentage of the American population that will deny that this is true - but it is. I was really proud of America when they elected a black man and I will be prouder still when it gets beyond the gender issue.
Let's face it - the media and the pundits criticize how a woman dresses, her hair, what she wears, her makeup, what kind of a mother and wife she is or was - whereas any woman's counterparts (all of the other males) just have to show up and when her male counterparts are discussed - the focus is on how they are simply doing their job.
There is not this albatross hanging around any of these men's necks.
The pundits and the extreme groups manufacture all sorts of things about women as not being temperamentally suited for the position, not being feminine and soft enough - that some are trying to be more of a man, or they say that some women are stupid or crazy or when all else fails they start using profanity - she is a blank. I can't think of one woman candidate that has been judged as being suitable whether it was Ferraro, Rice, Albright, Clinton, Palin, Warren - even though some of these women would have been or could be remarkable.
It is unfortunate - but all of these actions are really "code words" for - we want a "man" - "any man" more than the best qualified and very intelligent woman!
Hillary Clinton may be a prospective candidate for President - I do not know what her decision might be - but it would be nice for our daughters and our grand daughters to think they "really" have a shot at being President and that the country is not just giving them a false sense of hope or lip service. And that the oval office is not just a club "for men only".
I read the reviews on this book and there was a campaign of hate for this book - a host of Hillary haters - who I do not believe even read or listened to this book.
I personally found it chock full of interesting tidbits and intelligent discourse - even down to the far out detail of Richard Holbrooke's bright yellow pajamas (which I hope gets you to give this book a whirl) - (lol)
Here is an interesting interview regarding Holbrooke:
http://www.americanacademy.de/sites/d...
Hillary Clinton is a fascinating woman and I think 90% of the polarization that occurs around her is because she is a) a woman b) Bill Clinton is her husband and his past or c) they are just jealous and worried that she is a viable candidate which she frankly could be. The book is worth a read and a discussion. I enjoyed the listen and of course that is just MHO.
by
George W. Bush
Bentley - 2015
I think the major difference between the George W. book about his Dad and Clinton's is that even though she focused on herself and the time she was secretary of state - the book also exudes "intelligence".
The book is a much better writing effort - stylistically and is quite detail rich with historical fact, oral history, personal anecdotes, it includes interesting details on a whole host of characters and events and is chock full of intelligent discussion on a variety of foreign and diplomatic challenges and engagements with a host of countries. Though the book is about Clinton and her experiences - I did feel that I gained a great deal of information in the process and enjoyed the book a great deal.
Clinton discussed that she first met Dean Acheson at Wellesley when she was a college student and she never dreamed that one day that she would be Secretary of State or that she would ever have been first lady. The book begins after the primary when then candidate Barack Obama had become the Democratic candidate.
I found Clinton to be as intelligent as an entire tree full of owls as one of her former professors I believe said. She had in depth knowledge of the nations, their leaders, their problems, their relationships with America, their strengths and their weaknesses and had "detailed" solutions and ideas on how to deal with each of these countries" awesomeness and/or all of their warts and difficulties. I think the problem that any woman has in one of these jobs is that they simply are not a man. Of course there is a vast percentage of the American population that will deny that this is true - but it is. I was really proud of America when they elected a black man and I will be prouder still when it gets beyond the gender issue.
Let's face it - the media and the pundits criticize how a woman dresses, her hair, what she wears, her makeup, what kind of a mother and wife she is or was - whereas any woman's counterparts (all of the other males) just have to show up and when her male counterparts are discussed - the focus is on how they are simply doing their job.
There is not this albatross hanging around any of these men's necks.
The pundits and the extreme groups manufacture all sorts of things about women as not being temperamentally suited for the position, not being feminine and soft enough - that some are trying to be more of a man, or they say that some women are stupid or crazy or when all else fails they start using profanity - she is a blank. I can't think of one woman candidate that has been judged as being suitable whether it was Ferraro, Rice, Albright, Clinton, Palin, Warren - even though some of these women would have been or could be remarkable.
It is unfortunate - but all of these actions are really "code words" for - we want a "man" - "any man" more than the best qualified and very intelligent woman!
Hillary Clinton may be a prospective candidate for President - I do not know what her decision might be - but it would be nice for our daughters and our grand daughters to think they "really" have a shot at being President and that the country is not just giving them a false sense of hope or lip service. And that the oval office is not just a club "for men only".
I read the reviews on this book and there was a campaign of hate for this book - a host of Hillary haters - who I do not believe even read or listened to this book.
I personally found it chock full of interesting tidbits and intelligent discourse - even down to the far out detail of Richard Holbrooke's bright yellow pajamas (which I hope gets you to give this book a whirl) - (lol)
Here is an interesting interview regarding Holbrooke:
http://www.americanacademy.de/sites/d...
Hillary Clinton is a fascinating woman and I think 90% of the polarization that occurs around her is because she is a) a woman b) Bill Clinton is her husband and his past or c) they are just jealous and worried that she is a viable candidate which she frankly could be. The book is worth a read and a discussion. I enjoyed the listen and of course that is just MHO.
by
George W. BushBentley - 2015
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