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Summary:
Trump recently appointed Rex Tillerson, Exxon C.E.O., for secretary of state. The president-elect dismissed Tillerson’s relations with President Putin that many are concerned with due to their involvement in Ukraine and their friendly relations with Syria. Tillerson has worked with many leaders of many countries as the representative of Exxon. However, he does not have any experience in foreign policy not regarding business. Tillerson has acknowledged climate change. However, he will most likely support policies that will “not hurt fossil fuel industries.” The most evident example of his ability to protect human rights was when he pushed for Boy Scouts of America to end the ban on gay scouts in 2013.
Connection: We have studied the executive branch and roles of secretary of state.
Questions to consider:
1. Do you think Tillerson is a good choice for secretary of state?
2. Do you think that Tillerson will be confirmed by the Senate?
3. Would Tillerson be able to improve or worsen relations with Russia?
Funny take on Tillerson's Russia connections-
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/amp/www.today.com/amp/popculture/latest-snl-donald-trump-sketch-alec-baldwin-also-features-john-t106123
Last question- what does Tillerson do with his HUGE Exxon stock portfolio?
https://www.google.com/amp/amp.timeinc.net/fortune/2016/12/14/rex-tillerson-exxon-stock-donald-trump/%3Fsource%3Ddam
I think that Tillerson is a bad choice for secretary of state as he is closely tied to Exxon an oil company. Furthermore, his relationship with Russia seems concerning as that further connects him with oil interests. The secretary of state should not have a bias toward any one interest, as he should be looking out for the interest of the state and have a solid foreign policy. All of this being said, I believe that Tillerson will be confirmed by the Senate as it is held by a Republican majority.
ReplyDeleteActually, the path to confirmation will likely be a difficult one for Tillerson. Several Republican Senators have commented that he is a concerning choice for Secretary of State. Marco Rubio has even stated that the Secretary of State should be an individual with "moral clarity" (CNN Politics). Both Democrats and Republicans are troubled by the nominee's connections to Russia.
DeleteI agree with Kate in that Tillerson will find it hard to be confirmed. Following the recent allegations of Russian hacking of the U.S. election I find it unlikely that any person with a relationship to Russia will be highly scrutinized. In addition his lack of experience will be a big negative for his case. So even though the Senate is Republican I believe that Tillerson will not have enough positive qualities to push him past his lingering past.
DeleteWhile I recognize that Tillerson could potentially be benificial I ultimately think that he is not the right choice for a few reasons. One reason is simply because he will clearly have personal interest and goals regarding oil because of his position in ExxonMobil. He doesn't have the proper experience or motive to fulfill this role. The positive in the situation however, means that he could potentially help further improve our economy.
ReplyDeleteAs the Trump gets closer to his inauguration, controversy over Russian involvement continues to dominate national news. This pick will further antagonize those who are skeptical of Russian-American relations. Regardless of whether Tillerson succeeds in his position, his appointment by Trump will add more controversy to an already contentious election.
ReplyDeleteI agree; I think with the scrutiny in which Trump is already under in regards to his relationship with Russia makes his choice of secretary of state extremely unwise. He is opening the door for more relations with Russia and this move will inevitably come with a certain degree of backlash from the public. In regards to the nomination, I think Tillerson was not a good choice. Trump himself has zero political experience. He should be surrounding himself with cabinet members that know what they are doing not only on a business level but on a political scope as well. While Tillerson may be an accomplished businessman like Trump, he also has very little political experience which could prove disastrous as he begins to negotiate and work with foreign countries.
DeleteI personally believe Tillerson will only strengthen the bond between Russians and Americans. However, it is yet to be seen if this will benefit or destroy our country. Furthermore, I believe Tillerson is involved with too many people to be truly trusted.
ReplyDeleteDespite possible better relations with Russia (which is what Trump seems to be going for), I don't think Rex Tillerson will be a very good Secretary of State. He lacks any foreign diplomatic experience besides that of having to do with business. There were far better choices for the position, however; Trump seems to be aligning himself with wealthy people in big businesses, which is something we should all be concerned about
ReplyDeleteHaving Tillerson as our Secretary of State would aid our relationship with Russia, but it will come at the cost at a worse relationship with most of the world (Latin America, Europe, China). Trump's hard-line, anti-expansionist, anti-China, isolationist, anti-Muslim, conservative policies will alienate us from much of the world and it will antagonize many countries we already have fragile relationships with (China, Saudi Arabia).
ReplyDeleteOne of the most concerning aspects of Tillerson as our Secretary of State is that his only diplomatic experience has been business related. He may be useful in terms of our relationship with Russia, but it is also possible that he won't make a difference when it comes to the United States. Again, his relationship with the Russian government was on behalf of Exxon, not the U.S government, so Russia won't necessarily be friendly just because they have dealt with Tillerson's company in the past.
ReplyDeleteEven with the recent victory of several Senate seats by the Republican Party, it is unlikely that Tillerson will be approved, at least immediately. The Republicans only control slightly over half of the seats in the Senate, so it would require a substantial number of Democrats to vote across party lines to confirm him. Given that Tillerson's public image is ambiguous and not especially aligned to most of the Democratic Party's platform, Democratic Senators might risk their seats in the next elections by supporting him. However, more conservative Democrats might approve of Tillerson's stances on energy development, and therefore might be convinced to vote in his favor.
ReplyDeleteTillerson is also a controversial due to his lack of experience and predisposed relationship with Russia. Moving forward, it will be important for the Democratic party to unify inorder to have their voices heard, especially when the Republicans control all 3 branches.
DeleteTillerson would be another example of conflicting personal interests, and clearly would not be an ideal candidate for secretary of state. Especially considering how large the company he represents is, he would have a huge influence over oil and foreign policy that would benefit himself. Climate change is prominent and pressing issue, and his support for oil that is causing this issue is backwards to what America should be pushing towards.
ReplyDeleteIf trump truly wants to improve relations with Russia then Tillerson will be a good choice for secretary of state because of his close relationship with Putin. However Tillerson will likely have conflict of interests due to his long history with Exxon. Because of his current position he is likely to not be confirmed by the senate and receive substantial public opposition. Another factor that will likely weigh against him is his inexperience in dealing with foreign nations that is business related.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Andre in the fact that Tillerson could improve the U.S.' relationship with Russia, which could be beneficial to foreign relations, especially since many Americans are concerned about terror and cyber attacks from opposing nations- including Russia. In addition, I agree that Tillerson may have some trouble in being confirmed by the Senate because some of his views oppose those of the conservative senate, which was demonstrated in his support of allowing gay Boy Scouts.
DeleteI personally believe that Tillerson is unfit to be secretary of state. Though he may have a preexisting connection to Russia, much of his foreign policy experience lies within business dealings and little within legitimate political contributions. He may also experience a conflict of interest, as accepting the position would mean losing his seat as CEO of Exxon. While his acceptance of climate change is a step in the right direction, it does not mean that he will attempt to persuade others to follow the proper actions to slow it down.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe Tillerson is responsible or fit enough to the Secretary of State. For one thing, the man does not have experience negotiating on an international level with the interests of a country behind him. For another, he has many business interests in Russia at the moment. Trump's campaign was already tied enough to Russia's influence, and now he has appointed a Secretary of State who will do whatever he can to improve relations with Russia to protect his income. This could majorly effect how the US conducts itself in Syria and other countries.
ReplyDelete