To virtually every commenter here. I agree with the sentiments critical of Tillerson for not speaking up sooner, while in office. But consider that no one in the circles whose minds we want to change cares what any NYT subscriber thinks. They DO have some respect, some of them, for what Tillerson might say. Tillerson's is a valuable voice. He is infinitely more valuable to those of us who are concerned about the state of US politics as someone speaking up, than he is as someone silenced by those who wish to shame him. Encourage Tillerson to speak up, don't just ridicule him. Yes, he should have spoken up sooner. Nonetheless, we need every such voice we can get, right now. Tillerson's voice is valuable.
21
Ever notice how film and literature sometimes captures the future exactly how it turns out? Like the surveillance state we have now (see "Enemy of the State") or alternative facts and language turned inside out (see "1984").
I am convinced that we're now watching live in 45's circus is "The Devil's Advocate"!
Tillerson, Conway, Sessions, Kelly, Pompeo, Huckabee-Sanders, Porter and Pruitt (just to name the first to mind!!)...ALL straight from central casting. No? Catch any one of them near a mirror...you'll see for yourself!
3
Pathetic. Goes way beyond a "day late and a nickle short." Accepting Trump's offer of Secretary of State makes him just as guilty as the "Liar in Chief."
5
Tillerson is stating the obvious, but what happens when you have a President who is so under-informed, under-educated (apologies to one of my alma maters), and so myopic that he doesn't know fact from fiction or doesn't care. Just consider what happens to a co-worker who habitually fabricates or makes statements that flaunt truth: his/her colleagues have no trust, then have no interest, then quietly shun that person. That is what's happening among the best of the leaders of democratic nation: how do we individually or as allies move forward without this bimbo. Not good: we will leave it to the next president to make America great again, and repair the deep damage and mistrust that Donald has caused.
6
Rex Tillerson was an enabler of Mr. Trump for his entire year in service. Not once did he speak ill of the president's lies. Only now, when he's been fired, has he suddenly found a conscience. Better late than never, I suppose, but hypocrite seems more accurate.
Just because you were part of the problem, Mr. Tillerson, does not mean you get to automatically pretend you're part of the solution.
6
TILLERSON Comported himself with dignity and professional demeanor in his public statements. He came across to me as modest, sincere, serious, intelligent and dignified. Also, he came across as accurate, logical and truthful. To the extent to which he understood the complexity of the State Department, he did make an effort to serve the US well. Trump, by contrast, could be said to have done absolutely none of he things Tillerson did to fulfill his sworn duty to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the US. Tillerson also showed humility, stating that he was naive in his belief that cuts in funding and staff would serve US interests well. In that, he may have been duped by ideologues, along with idiotologues, who wanted to tear down the expertise of this in the State Department, with the result that we're flying blind in a very dangerous world. With Trump nominally as the "leader" (our Fuehrer), who is an ignoramus and proud of it. One could not correctly call him a fearless leader; but rather a mindless leader. God help us all if he indulges his itchy fingers to play around with the "football" where he can give the order to use NOO KYUH LER weapons of mass destruction.
2
Thank you, Mr. Tillerson.
4
Way, way too little and too late, Mr. Tillerson. You can't duck your responsibility for what America is becoming - weak, insular, aggressively immature, the enabler of blood-thirsty rouge states - with "veiled" criticisms. Your reputation is in ashes. Congratulations.
2
Yeah, but this isn't MS office. You can't hit undo.
1
Tillerson should go a step further and call out Trump by name. Show some courage Rex!
4
I hope not, but how do we know for sure Tillerson still isn't a Trumpista and his speech was referring to the "fake news media" and not to Dear Leader?
What? How do you carry swagger humbly?
1
Tillerson needs to remove the veil.
4
While I'm not a big fan of Rex Tillerson --- the former CEO of Exxon --- at least he was less damaging than his predecessor, Lee "dumping negative externality costs for profit " and 'What Global Warming?"" Raymond.
Rex, IMHO, does deserve some substantial credit, both for calling faux-Emperor Trump a 'moron', and for his excoriation and 'exposure' of this megalomaniac sociopath of an installed 'patsy-president' by the EMPIRE.
2
I have a great deal of respect for Tillerson. I was delighted to see him as secretary of state because he gave some semblance of balance and esteem to the all the other madness. He is a man of great character with a lifetime of accomplishments and integrity. He is an old school solid, educated and dignified Reagan style Republican like James Baker.
What astounds me are all the negative and often spiteful remarks being made. First of all, while all the other lackeys surrounding Trump pay homage and give lip service, as secretary he correctly and without reservation called him a moron. And whats more, he didn't take it back or apologize.
And for all the people suggesting he should have done this while he was secretary, I ask you--which one of you hasn't worked for someone you disliked or even loathed but stayed on the job anyway because that was your job or you still enjoyed what you did? I thank and respect Tillerson for his remarks with this speech.
12
If Tillerson performed at ExxonMobil as he did a Secretary of State, he would never have gotten the job of Chairman and CEO of XOM.
1. A spouse-induced patriotism obliged Tillerson to accept the Secretary of State position that he would have been better advised not to. A CEO does not necessarily make a good public servant and much less a servant of Trump.
2. Inadequate due diligence and terms of the job during his interview with the boss, Trump.
3. Publicly calling his boss a "moron" is a career ending move. He would do the same.
4. Advancing policies without checking with the boss, or worse contradicting policies of his boss is not team play, no matter how self righteously justified.
5. Either stand up to Trump openly and be fired bravely or play ball. Not neither.
6. Fight for the staff you need to do the job you have. Tillerson lost his staff support and his boss support at once. Don Quixote.
7. Quit when you can with dignity rather than be fired by Tweet.
Post-mortem wisdom in commencement speeches are as effective as paper arrows. World has moved on without Tillerson. Tillerson did not lose a job, he lost a legacy.
2
Why would the NYT think Tillerson is talking about the President? He could have easily been talking about the Democrats, the FBI, the DOJ, the Obama Administration, the Clinton Campaign, Hillary Clinton, etc etc....only a biased writer would automatically think Tillerson was referring to the president, since all of the above also are known to lie, deceive, etc etc....
The fact is Mr T was unqualified for the position. Gutting the State Dept was stupid and showed lack of leadership skills.
Even though I am not famous or rich, and it would, in theory, be a really, really remarkable turn for my life, I think that if Donald Trump suggested that I become “Secretary of State”, the nation’s top diplomat, I would decline.
Well, certainly now, I would decline. But even around the time the guy from Exxon was accepting the job, I would have declined.
Well, at least he figured things out in the end. But this was a bad decision, deciding to have anything at all to do with Donald Trump.
Donald Trump is somebody to run away from.
4
The lies don’t come only from Trump and the WH on a daily basis. They are replicated, amplified and broadcast to the 35% out there who listen to ONLY Fox News and Hannity drivel every day and buy that as truth. It’s appalling and dangerous. It’s become an alternate America, unhinged from reality.
11
Did Tillerson or the NYT say “constructs his own truths”? If Tillerson, I would suggest to him that he find a more truthful way to say that the president appears to believe his own falsehoods. If the Times, I suggest that it would be more accurate to say that the president appears to think we will believe his lies if he insists on them repeatedly.
3
Mr. Tillerson bet the fortune of Exxon and thus his own fortune on cooperation with Putin's Russia. That too is seeming more and more like an existential threat. His attempt to neuter the State Department, and with it our national "soft" power makes this address seem like an effort to rehabilitate his own legacy, since it is not clear at all how truthful he has been in his public life. This is to say nothing about the increasing evidence of existential damage his hydrocarbon business is bringing down on us and our children, and when he knew about that....
2
How, exactly, does one swagger humbly?
4
Finally, someone with a backbone who is free to speak candidly and truthfully about "Lyin' Don the Con".
This is nothing that EVERYONE doesn't know; it would be much more reassuring for our Democracy if more of The Cult of Trump would see the danger in their Fuhrer's words and actions and do something about it instead of supporting this electoral aberration and national disgrace.
4
The sentiments are good, but the timing belies cowardice. Sorry, but this is too little, too late. Might make Rex feel better, but he missed his chance to do something for the country while he could.
4
With the comments of Tillerson and others that have either resigned or been fired, it reminds somewhat of a marriage between two people each of whom has some habits that annoy the other and by marrying them thinks they can make the other change. Ultimately, it does not work and when things get worse, they divorce. Other than the REAL corrupt types like Mnuchin, Pruitt and others currently on "Trumps payroll", Tillerson was probably like many before, perhaps with "some" principles who thought they honestly could reign in this "clown" President and when they realized it was an exercise in futility, ultimately, lost interest and either resigned or put themselves in a position to get fired.
3
When the former CEO of an energy company talks about a "crisis of ethics" you know things are getting weird.
7
We have to stop giving Trump a pass! He is a con man and a liar. Can't say it any better than Mr. Tillerson. I will add however, The damage Trump has done to this country and continues to do so, will take years to repair... if it's not too late.
6
Just how does one swagger humbly?
3
The biggest news amongst the storm of current developments is actually that Senate republicans are now admitting that Russia attacked the US elections ("meddled") -- specifically to get trump into the White House.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Russia, America's enemy (let's not sugarcoat this) wanted trump to "win" the election.
I repeat: Russia, American's enemy wanted trump to "win" the election, steal the Presidency, occupy the White House.
That's really all that anyone needs to know about this whole thing.
Why do you think the Russians would want trump in the White House -- because he would be such a great President for America?!?!
(Hint: no, they wanted him in there because they knew he would destroy the US from within, and he is well on his way doing just that)
(Against this background it is almost irrelevant whether trump knew that the Russians were helping him or whether he even was actively conspiring with them -- which we know beyond any doubt, let's not sugarcoat this either, that he did -- which is treason)
6
Too little, too late.
2
Not enough Mr Tillerson. Call him out by name.
2
I guess when Trump put an oil company in charge of foreign policy he didn't feel the same way.
1
"Mr. Tillerson also said citizens must demand that America’s future be “fact-based, not based on wishful thinking,..."
Here is a fact. 366,000 jobs lost to H1-B in 2017
https://insights.dice.com/2018/05/14/h-1b-visa-petitions-approvals-risin...
Both Trump and Congress in collusion with multinationals eating away at our jobs. But they lie to us!
1
Lies may be a threat, but they have been endemic to our political system since the Revolution and we have survived. Evidence is abundant in the marvelous new biographies of Alexander Hamilton and President Grant. The lies told about these two great men put even Trump to shame.
1
Tillerson's biggest weakness was that he did not re3ly on his deputies at the State Department - he was a one-man show thus easily undermined by Trump.
1
This is another case of, "Do as I say, not as I do."
1
Too bad that Tillerson didn't have courage that say that when it mattered -- when he was part of the Administration. Instead, then he was just another craven, enabling Trump syncopate.
2
Tillerson the latest white guy with uber power and money who remains silent while part of the Trump power structure. Silent through the documented 3,000 Trump lies. Then only speaks up after he leaves the Administration. As slowly the nation sinks into an autocratic corrupt quagmire that Tillerson and each silent partner set in motion.
3
Last time I heard, the State Dept was dramatically under-staffed and the legions of career diplomats who make possible the goals of actual statesmanship were very depleted. Anyone heard otherwise? This falls on Tillerson's watch.
2
A man of courage would have admitted that he called Trump a moron.
14
Yes, and THAT would have immediately ended any chance he may have had to influence The Dotard in human principles. It's a tight rope, and walking it is not easy.
The only viable option America has is to get rid of Trump.
2
Of all the cabinet choices, Rex Tillerson, in my opinion, was his own man and a straight shooter whie in office. He governed the State Dept like the CEO he once was, culling out part of the excess built up at State over many years.
I read where many readers wanted him to call out Trump while he was Secretary of State. Thing is, as in almost all jobs, one does that privately or after retirement or job completion. Otherwise, one loses their effectiveness and thier only alternative is to quit. Try it on your own job and see what happens.
Like it or not, Trump is the leader of the USA at this time of our history. I think that Tillerson was the most honest of the administration members. He served the President as he saw fit, even though his style and beliefs ran contrary to the old guard and most Democrats.
By the way, I despise Trump as one of the most amoral individuals who ever served our government and easily, the worst president in US history. However, not all of his appointments fit in the same category.
Thank you Rex Tillerson for your service.
6
The myth of the businessman as political leader has really been debunked by the Trump administration. Trump, if anyone believes he was ever a competent businessman, has dispelled all belief in that as a benefit in a political leader. Tillerson, who actually was a competent businessman has shown how limited those skills are in the political realm. Both did a lot of damage, but Trump's assault on all ethics,truth, morality and norms is considerably worse. Tillerson just reveals that narrow knowledge about business does not make one capable of managing a complex realm like the State Department, where dollars are only part of the equation.
6
As with McCain, better late than never, I suppose. Next one projected to initiate spinal development: House Speaker Paul Ryan, following his retirement of course. Prospects remain dim for the rest of the Republican Party though.
4
And Pompeo says we should "swagger humbly” - sounds like a neat trick.
Humbleness and nobility are perhaps the two virtues that Trump most conspicuously lacks. The State Department may still be a building full of professional diplomats who possess those qualities, but it's not as full as it was before Trump got his hands on it (https://nyti.ms/2AcUMIX).
Tillerson went to Washington with questionable intentions, but, when given access to the unadulterated truth—the ‘real’ facts—that comes with the office and the responsibility of acting in the best interest of the American people, he found himself advocating policies I bet he thought he’d never support: sticking with the Paris Climate Accord and the Iran deal; taking a hard line against Russia; continued dialogue/diplomacy with North Korea (as opposed to aggression and threats of physical force).
Trump also went to Washington with questionable intentions (to put it mildly). Despite getting the same intel as Tillerson and the same ‘higher calling’ to serve his country, Trump went in the opposite direction: the presidency has reinforced and amplified his worst qualities. He has become pettier, vainer, more narcissistic, more self-serving, more spiteful. His ego comes first; the country is a distant second.
[To be clear, Tillerson was not a good Secretary of State—by any measure. Compared to the rest of Trump’s cabinet, however, he shined.]
5
We watched in dismay, the operating budget at the State department being slashed. We were and continue to be concerned when so many professional and career diplomats were leaving the State department. All of this was happening when Mr.Tillerson was Secretary of State.
We also noted, there was little or no place for the Press when Mr. Tillerson would make his global rounds.
On a hindsight, what Mr. Tillerson would learn is that having been a CEO of a large corporation like Exxon Mobil, with international connections, does not necessarily mean is the same to be the Secretary of State. Two places, with different structure and environments to deal with, made the difference.
Mr. Tillerson, thank you, for your service. All the best to you.
2
Trump era has made possible for everyone to use the word "alternative" with everything, both subjective and objective.
When is comes to Facts, Truth and Realities, there are no "alternatives". They may be "perceived" or "misperceived" realities or facts or truths.
About time for language and communications experts to step up and deride the use of the word "alternative" in association with virtues.
4
You're a fraud, Rex. You had ample opportunity when you were the Secretary of State to rebuke Donald Trump, yet you said nothing and acquiesced. You now come to the American people to deliver a weak admonishment of Trump and warning to the United States that “we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom”. Please, how dare you lecture from afar about what leaders should do when you were in a leadership position and did nothing? Sit down, Rex, we do not care to listen to you.
14
It is interesting to see that my boy Tex Tillerson has come to his senses about, Trump, but he has yet to unthaw from the frozen coma he suffered from as Secretary of State. He failed to address his own contribution to ethical incongruity when he fired 5 thousand years of institutional memory from our diplomatic corps, then decided to leave 'Country Desks' empty? Now, I would not ordinarily disagree with a man who managed to call Trump a moron, but Tex Tillerson may need to take a little deeper dive into his autopsy assessment of 'where things went wrong under Trump,' because he made a stinky mess out of our State Department!
19
Sorry Rex ,you might have said something when it counted . Shooting over your shoulder is weak move even for you.
16
Although not a fan of Tillerson, a theorist in diplomacy who drowned for lack of practice, he is absolutely right about Trump, a dedicated liar destroying whatever is left in trusting our democratic institutions...by confusing his base and even the press in an elaborate mix of fiction with alternative facts, distorting the truth to his flavor, and perverting reason and common sense by insulting any and all who dare advance criticism of his stupid big-mouth nonsense, no matter how constructive. Have you ever heard an apology from this bully (a coward in disguise), on account of his false accusations and distracting exaggerations when proven false over and over? Didn't think so. Hats off to Tillerson!
2
Denying climate change because you are an oil company shill is a big lie. Rex, if you want to atone for your Trump days, stand up and fess up to trying to damage the planet. We all know that Trump is a liar and immoral. You, Rex, need to act. Put your considerable fortune that you made on wrecking the Earth’s respiratory system to better use by supporting real science. If you need help ......Bloomberg can give you advice.
14
It’s easy to criticize unnamed entities. What Mr. Tillerson and virtually every Republican seems to find impossibly hard is honestly assessing his/her own actions and seeing how they may have contributed to or in many cases actually created the existential crisis facing our world.
Mr. Tillerson please learn about climate change. The decisions you have made are in large part responsible for putting Earth on track toward the worst case climate change scenario. No one’s young children or grandchildren - not even yours, Mr. Tillerson - has any chance of enjoying a decent, healthy future on an Earth that is largely uninhabitable by the time they are your age now.
2
So NOW, after you leave, you develop a conscience to speak out against the madness, after enabling the "moron" in the WH for better than 14 months.
Thanks for your service, Rex. May all the roads you travel be potholed.
6
Where have you been self-righteous fighter for the truth during last eight years of lies?
4
Why did he take the job in the first place? The Donald hasn’t changed his stripes. What you see is what you get.
Tillerson must have known he was going to clash with trump. No surprise there. After all he called trump a moron. No surprise there, either.
To me Tillerson’s 3 biggest mistakes: taking the job in the first place, decimating the State Dept, and not quitting when he still had a shred of credibility.
5
Who cares what Tillerson says now? He served Trump for an entire year without speaking out. What a hypocrite.
5
Welcome to the party, Rex. Next we need to to talk about big oil's role in injecting confusion and discord into public perception of uncertainty and science. That was a very effective demonstration of how easy it can be for a well-funded interest group to neuter inconvenient truths. I'm as shocked as you are that others are now following your industry's lead!
2
It is correct that Donald Trump lies about many things, and the frequency of his changing stances on issues maybe just as problematic. This has been recognized by everyone, not just in the US but across the world, save for his base. But what isn't recognized is that Donald speaks the truth more than previous US presidents (especially Republicans) in some very critical areas. He has been more clear on our citizens' rights to be racist, judgmental, selfish, and intolerant than any President since the end of WW2. (This may be due to the fact that George Wallace was unsuccessful in his bid to be President). While not 100% candid in his prejudiced remarks, he has been about as open about it as one could be to make clear where he stands, and as candid about it as anyone could expect from a sitting President.
It is often said that wars don't solve problems, and apparently our civil war was no exception. Trump has helped to clarify that perhaps as much as half of our country continues to feel the way half the country felt in 1859. That half believes that blacks and other people of color are inferior, women should know their place, Christianity is the national religion, and the interests of the US, as they perceive them, supercede all other considerations, including the dangers of climate change.
Five days after the North "won" the civil war in the US, Lincoln was assassinated. That war, alas, has never ended, and Trump is the newest Confederate general.
2
The "North" did not win the Civil War, the United States of America did!
1
He could use the name Trump and he could give true insider ,specific,and detailed examples of his actions. His general comments are useless.
3
To anyone who embraces common sense and plain evidence, Rex Tillerson's Virginia Military Institute commencement address remarks are intelligent and welcomed.
But they are also profoundly disappointing in their timing, as they are susceptible of being disregarded as the rantings of a disgruntled former employee. Where were these principled notions when Mr. Tillerson was Secretary of State?
Unless and until a critical mass of current members of the President's own party and administration publicly reject his undemocratic behavior and disregard for the rule of law, nothing will change.
This is yet another moment for the many smart and accomplished people within the current administration to do the right thing. America is looking looking at you, John Kelly, Nikki Haley, Elaine Chao and Jim Mattis. America is also looking at every single sitting Republican US Senator. Each has a choice -- he or she can continue to aide and abet a man whose corruption and lies have no equal in Presidential history, or he or she can preserve their remaining dignity and ensure a place on the right side of history by walking away from and publicly renouncing this abomination.
Damaged legacies are irreparable -- just ask Mr. Tillerson.
5
Please remember that this guy seemed hellbent on dismantling the State Department, never spoke up about "Lies" during his tenure there and now, all of a sudden, decides it's time to make veiled references in a commencement speech. That's called cowardice.
PLEASE let's not make this guy a hero for the vague acknowledgment.
4
I will not disparage Tillerson, and I will save my concerns about the environmental performance of Exxon for another comment.
He is a dignified, educated, man who no doubt he loves his country. But he never had a chance as Secretary of State.
He disdained the low rent, malevolent ignorance of DJT (who wouldn't?) and he was undercut and undermined at every turn (what was slum lord Jared doing in Saudi w/o Rex even knowing about it ?)
Good for him for speaking up now.
Especially where our complicit, self-serving Congress remains mute.
Keep talking Rex.
4
Where was Tillerson in that infamous cabinet meeting when he took his turn extolling Trump's herculean achievements, so fiercely kissing Trump's ample back side while proclaiming it a blessing to do so?
The man has no shame. Nobody who works for Trump has shame. And Trump's tenacious supporters: they have no shame on top of having no sense.
2
Rex nailed it.
3
"Relations with Europe are at their lowest point in years, bedeviled by a series of disagreements with the Trump administration over the climate accord, the Iran deal and trade disputes. Mr. Tillerson suggested this was problematic."
Perhaps somebody can educate this neophyte as to how the recent former head of the world's biggest fossil fuel company can square his rebuking remarks with his helming of an entity more powerful than many major nations that during his tenure and even now is embroiled in facilitating massive greenhouse gas production, denying its active role in climate change denial, and posturing rather than leading on slowing down global warming.
2
I think Tillerson is talking about something much bigger than Trump. It's the media. Fox News, NY Times, WaPO, CNN and MSNBC. Used to be that news organizations at least attempted to tell an objective truth. But today they all have an agenda. Words and meanings are distorted, facts left out, information cherry picked to tell one side of a story, etc. In a way Trump is a reflection of this madness. He sure didn't start it.
I'm still waiting for Colin Powell to admit that he was instrumental in the Iraq catastrophe. Good luck! These men are paper tigers. When will we ever see a true man of honor tell the American people the truth. Tillerson found out exactly who he was working for at the Boy Scout Jubilee when Trump embarrassed the nation, its youth and its morality. It's so comfortable and cute using veiled snipes from Virginia . Why even bother.
2
This is a joke, right? The former head of Exxon Mobil, a company long engaged in the oil business and which has heavily funded every climate change denier out there, who as Secy of State consented to the gutting of that department and who assisted in letting many, many diplomatic jobs go unfilled....This is the guy now hinting that government lies are not a good thing? He needs to go away - like Colin Powell...another guy who had a chance to stand up for the US but didn't when it might have counted.
4
His comments do not come as a surprise and are shared by the majority in this country. But unlike those who share his point of view, he was actually in the position to do something and chose to remain silent. And that is what is maddening. Those in positions of power need to find their voices quickly. In a system which is rigged again common people through gerrymandering, voter suppression efforts, media corruption, and propaganda, those in power are ideally placed to make the necessary changes from within. Remaining silent for whatever reason simply emboldens those who are harming our country.
2
Yes. Leadership from an ethical individual is the last bastion against the tawdriness of a “free” press. In a free society, supposedly, any media can say anything, but if the leader of the land parrots the abuses to truth spewed by extremists, and discards common decency, then a “free” society careens off the edge.
Deplorable media content has been out there for decades — but it was given mainstream strength by Fox News, spreading like an opioid epidemic. The root of that social problem was planted in the previous decade, when Ronald Reagan repealed the broadcast Fairness Doctrine. He and his Republican cronies are directly responsible for the rise of the ethics-less deplorables who now declare that they are “The True Americans.”
My biggest fear is that the young people coming up now will infer that this state of affairs is the normal America, instead of understanding the details of just how we got here.
1
While it's nice to read that Tillerson has "learned something" (perhaps...but I'm an optimist), it's a bit late. I've always been puzzled: wouldn't the CEO of Exxon be a bit more savvy about who he was signing-up with? It was abundantly clear to the rest of us...
3
Mr. Tillerson made a noble attempt to repudiate Trump, however, it's not enough. If Stormy Daniels can fight her non-disclosure agreement, so can the former Secretary of State. If democracy is at stake (which clearly it is), we need to hear a lot more from him.
1
Mr. Tillerson's comments are a case of "too little, too late".
Mr. Trump's shortcomings were plainly evident long before November 2016 to anyone who was paying attention. Mr. Tillerson is just another Republican enabler who put the radical Trump platform ahead of loyalty to their country and the Constitution. He did his best to implement the Trump agenda until the day he was fired. He has no moral or ethical authority to speak to anyone on the threats to our democracy, he himself was one for over a year.
Apparently Mr. Pompeo has expressed a wish to bring the State Department's "swagger back". That brought me up short. Swagger. Defined in my dictionary as "1. to walk or strut with a defiant or insolent air. 2. to boast or brag noisily ,,,
4."ostentatious display of arrogance and conceit."
When I think of the greatest American Presidents, by whose leadership the country has been brought this far--and I will name George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, although the list is by no means exhaustive--not one of them would be characterized in terms of arrogance or swagger. So I conclude the country is not being well served.
2
Would you condone it if your own children constantly lied to get their way setting precedent for continuing to do so unabashedly as law abiding adults? Shame on all parents who support and rationalize this behavior in a President who should be providing moral and ethical standards for our future generations of upright citizens.
1
It seems the majority of commentators prefer to attack the messenger, rather than address the substance of Rex's message. Rex's observation is acute even if the man himself is less-than-convincing as a truth-teller: Trump supporters are so completely isolated in their own media ecosystem and tribal epistemology that nothing can dissuade them from their Deep State conspiracy theories; Trump and his media enablers operate on the assumption that there are no facts, only interpretations.
As Obama said in his farewell address, the greatest threat to our democracy is a political polarization so severe that partisans no longer share common facts and vocabularies. Discussion is only possible between people who have a common language and a baseline of commonly-accepted fact. In the post-truth world Trump represents, is it any wonder civic dialogue seems impossible?
Democracy assumes that its citizens share the same reality. We’re about to find out whether democracy can be preserved when this assumption no longer holds.
1
Rex is a good American! He took a job with Trump that he probably knew was a mistake but hung in there for 14 months taking personal hits the entire time.
We will miss his steady hand and dignified air. HIs replacement is a step in the wrong direction for American diplomacy.
There was a corporal in the second world war who regularly fired and humiliated his generals and then brought them back.
They failed to speak out because they wanted a second act.
There was a president who did much the same, humiliating his enemies and dangling the promise of redemption.
And when called upon all genuflected despite previous humiliation.
Is the Sec. waiting for his second act? Hence the guarded speech?
15
So let me get this straight, Rex. You choose to go work for Trump, but I'm supposed to believe that truth and integrity are somehow relevant/important to you? What garbage. Kindly take your hypocrisy and get lost.
63
More and more, accomplished and prolific liars are expressing concern about where we have arrived; another of many signs indicating just how far the US has strayed from its putative values.
16
Never ceases to amaze me how fame, fortune and power can turn someone into a coward and hypocrite.
Too little, too late, Rex.
38
Bravo! Before he was tweeted out of office I always had the impression that Tillerson was the only sane person in the room. He appeared to be one of the few who were literate. Furthermore, he was perhaps the only one who was an old-school Republican promoting a sense of balance. Fascinating that all these former employees are singing a sad and alarming song once they get the boot.
16
Thank you Mr. Tillerson.
While I doubted the wisdom of a man with your intellect joining the Trump administration, I never doubted your patriotism.
Since leaving the administration, you have done what so few have been brave enough to do: speak up and out in the defense of the American way of life.
What we are presently witnessing is an attempt by Putin to export his mafia state model of corruption and state-reported propaganda to the US.
Those with weak characters will be enticed by the fleeting wealth and transitory power reaped from corruption and lies, while selling American democracy for cents on the dollar.
Mr. Tillerson will have plenty of critics, as will all those who aligned themselves with Putin's choice for US President.
But for those who redeem their momentary ethical lapses to make it right with the American people for the sake of all future generation to follow, I have nothing but forgiveness and admiration and support.
This country must move forward from the most important test to the American way of life since 1776, and it will be people like Rex Tillerson who can help make that happen.
11
This story is a mess. Combining coverage of these two speeches, while theoretically interesting, does not work in practice. I haven't read everything the Times has written about Tillerson, and I have no particular love for him, but I sense a consistent disdain and bias in the reports about him. The bias may be founded, but the facts haven't been reported to support it, I don't believe. It's easy for me to believe the State Department was in disarray given that Hilary Clinton has a reputation for being a horrid manager. Tillerson has something on the ball or he wouldn't have achieved what he has.
2
Since he didn't call out Trump by name this is a big nothing.
Just saying what anyone who's been paying attention knows. This "veiled" rebuke is gutless.
16
Where was this indignation when he was Secretary of State, where was his moral compass. I know that it's hard to stand up when you are working for a person who is a bully at the time and easier when you are gone. However, you were a public servant working for the American People you need to stand your ground and speak up. Mr. Tillerson is correct, lies will destroy a democracy. That is why the press has to continue to do its best to shed light on the constant lies coming out of the White House. Shame on the republican party for allowing this to happen without so much as a word to condemn the lies and attacks on the media.
25
Where was his righteous indignation when he was a corporate CEO? The regular pattern of dishonesty, dissembling and euphemistic newspeak from corporate America sets the agenda for political dishonesty.
3
Tillerson's current statements are relevant to discussions in which some people say that "if someone has a real problem with what Trump is doing, they should resign, not leak or contradict their boss."
There is a term many organizations use when they are criticized by a former insider: "disgruntled employee." They naturally ask why the insider's heartfelt complaints and concerns were never an issue until they lost their job. The insinuation, of course, is that the former employee's statements are nothing more than petty revenge for being fired.
If Tillerson's belief that this administration's never-ending stream of lies about things large and small is a serious threat to the country, he had a duty to speak up when he was a public servant. If Trump fired Tillerson after that, everyone would know why and such retaliation would only invite MORE scrutiny in the same manner that Trump's ill-advised dismissal of Comey (because "this Russia thing is a hoax") earned him the gift of Mueller. And if Mueller is fired before finishing his investigation, he will exchange the metaphorical "cloud" over his administration for lead boots in an ocean of public suspicion.
It's hard, but speaking up is more effective when one still has skin in the game. As Tillerson himself seems to be saying, people need to hear facts and truth from their government. But Tillerson declined to speak up until he was OUT of government. That's part of the very problem he describes.
15
Really on point. He stayed quiet while disregard for truth happened on a daily basis. One also must wonder about former Secretary Tillerson's commitment to diplomacy when he presided over the gutting of the State Department.
3
Not only should he have spoken up when he was serving the administration, he could have and should have spoken out sooner than the graduation speech at VMI which he was committed to before getting fired. Get some guts Tillerson!
2
An Eagle Scout, he finally did himself proud.
Late is better than never.
8
Time for this would have been right before he handed in his resignation; not months after he was fired.
None of these oligarchs can do anything right anymore. Not in their DNA.
15
Over the next decade I expect a constant flow of these Mea Culpa stories from the actors in the Trump White House. Tillerson is smart he got his book out before all Americans tire of everything Trump.
6
the POTUS may well be the undoing of the racist right wing of this nation as it stands today. Like the pied piper (or the Ortho man), he is emboldening and drawing these cretins out of the woodwork in droves. If he were to act "presidential" it would only lend credibility to the party. As it stands, I see a blood bath in the coming elections for the GOP.
4
Maybe your crystal ball will tell you if Democrats plan to turn out in record numbers this Fall because traditionally those-in-power do not give it up easily?
1
I'm sick and tired of the "veiled references" by these rich guys--which includes both former President Bushes and even Obama--who have absolutely zero, zilch, nada to lose by calling Trump out by name.
Trump laughs at "veiled" references. He considers "implication" a weakness. He gets only one thing: attack. These guys like Tillerson who can still grab the nation's attention need to call Trump out by name for what he is--an autocratic, serial liar and white collar criminal.
13
Perhaps Tillerson's indirect condemnation of the amoral President he chose to work for is "better late than never", but his delay in doing so until after he was unceremoniously fired amply reveals the depth of his own compromised character, lack of principle, and absence of courage. Hardly, the action of a former Eagle Scout who professes to still adhere to the guiding Scout Oath.
Imagine the resounding impact if while still serving as Trump's Secretary of State Tillerson had publicly proclaimed "Enough already, for the sake of my integrity I must leave this corrupt and corrupting Administration", or similar words. But, of course, he didn't and couldn't.
8
As reported in Scientific American, Exxon, of which Tillerson used to be the CEO, spent decades and millions of dollars lying about climate change and actively undermining worldwide efforts to do something about it. So Tillerson isn't really someone with a great deal of moral authority when it comes to ethics and truth-telling. The fact alone that he went to work for the Trump administration, thereby irrevocably associating himself with the most mendacious and corrupt administration in our nation's history, permanently disqualifies him and every other self-serving and opportunistic collaborator with the Trump regime, from professing a love for truth, democracy, and basic human decency. History will record what these collaborators have done and we, who are living through this dark period, certainly haven't forgotten, barely 14 months in to this administration.
25
Ah, yes. Another one who has "seen the light" after being fired and no longer having anything to lose. Forgive me for being roundly unimpressed. I'm astounded that anyone at VMI would take this speech seriously.
10
Pompeo-
“aggressiveness born of the righteous knowledge that our cause is just, special and built upon America’s core principles.”
Aggressive righteousness - sounds like the crusades all over again.
Trump's administration has never adhered to America's core principles.
4
To those in the audience who rely on Fox & the right wing media for information, there was nothing in Tillerson's speech to make them think he was speaking of Trump, rather than, say, Obama, whose imagined criminality and dishonesty has been constantly condemned by pundits & politicians for the last 10 years. Was he?
1
It would be more pleasing to see the anti-Trump segments understand and listen when one of our sitting thug's former 'best people' breaks off due to the outrage and tries to communicate what he observed.
My advice to Democrats: yes, please get back in power, somehow, but don't relinquish any possible class you might have in doing so.
4
Did Mr. Tillerson have a hot potato in his mouth for 16 months when he was part of the Trump administration? His silence about the lies spewed out day in and day by the Trump administration speaks volumes. If he spoke out then, perhaps American democracy would not be so threatened as he is now alluding to. He didn't even have the courage to admit that he called his boss a moron.
My suspicion is that he Is he speaking out because he got the boot and is beginning to sound like a jilted lover.
Sorry Rex, you have missed your chance. You had a chance to speak out when you were in a position of power to do so. Nice try, but definitely no cigar !!!!
7
Dear Mr. Tillerson, now that you have seen the light and begun to speak out, don't stop. The only way we will gain integrity in this country is if people like you, who have suffered Trump's inner circle, speak out LOUDLY, CLEARLY AND CONTINUALLY. There may be a price to pay, but unless you do, we will all pay a much larger price.
1
Too bad Mr. Tillerson didn't' have the fortitude to express these statesman-like sentiments while still on office - misbegotten loyalty to his than, out-of-control boss notwithstanding. In like regard, he should have straight-out named Trump as the main culprit in his latest commentary.
3
You know what else is a sign of moral rot in America?
That people such as Tillerson are still summoned to make fancy speeches. Tillerson knew who Trump was when he took the job. His act rings hollow.
8
Look for ethical employers? Hmmm Tillerson didn’t take his own advice...And a speech that calls out lies and liars but doesn’t mention Trump by name is cowardly...just another wobbly speech.
1
Finally, my expectations have been met by one past failed job holder in the Trump Administration. Tillerson is now a reflection of many people’s thoughts and feelings regarding the conduct of Donald Trump and his government. I had given up on the fallout from people coming and going from our government regarding the deceit and blackness of it’s management.
1
From the horse's mouth. Would that he had made this statement by resigning in protest before he was fired. Now, it just looks like sour grapes.
7
Curious as to how long it will take to untangle the mess Tillerson left behind in "Foggy Bottom". So many experience foreign service officers quit, numbers of Ambassadorial posts are unfilled and those that Trump has filled are, in the main, occupied by quacks.
1
it appears there is no love lost between Mr. Tillerson and Trump. If the former Secretary of State wants to prove his patriotism, he should call on his corporate cohort to band together and demand that Trump step down. Amassing profits is what capitalism is all about, but at the expense of democracy? Please, Mr. Tillerson, stick to your guns, corral other Fortune 500 execs, and draft a letter to Congress demanding that Trump (whom you referred to as an "(expletive) moron") either step down or be removed from office. It will go a long way toward helping to save the republic.
3
Perhaps Mr. Tillerson will help major oil companies look to slow climate change, given that it is also a fact. Like so many of the others, I wonder why he says this now. Why did he not stand up to Trump from day one? Tillerson's dismantling of the State Department and his cowering in front of Trump will forever be a scar on his persona.
7
The so-called president daily drags our country away from those values that allowed us to prosper and succeed and link arms with others.
The next real president will have a mess to clean up. Hopefully beginning in January, 2019 Congress can provide a head start.
4
Mr. Tillerson has been part and parcel to the fascist overthrow of Democracy in the USA. His hypocrisy is astounding.
3
As CEO of Exxon, Tillerson led and oversaw a decades-long campaign of lies and disinformation by the oil & gas industry regarding climate science and the role of fossil fuels in causing climate change.
As head of the State Department, Tillerson led and oversaw a foreign policy strategy that ignored knowledge and conflicted with the advice of senior diplomats, which caused many to resign rather than be complicit in the Trump Administration's lies, falsehoods, and double-crossing our friends and allies.
Now Tillerson has the gall to call out President Trump for ethical shortcomings and dishonesty? That's the pot calling the kettle black!
3
It's ironic that the person giving the excellent advice, “Look for employers who set high standards for ethical conduct" is the former CEO of *Exxon*.
4
Rex Tillerson had his chance and he squandered it causing 60% of the top ranking career diplomats to resign decimating the State Department in support of DJT. Now he wants to talk "ethics" to recent graduates. Much too little too late!
6
There was probably a speechwriter involved but I don't doubt the speech reflects Tillerson's own thoughts. Of course Tillerson must have known Trump's character before he signed on for the job, and presumably he would still in the job if he hadn't been fired. Tillerson enabled Trump by serving in an important role in his administration,, and he now professes loyalty to lofty American principles of American democracy and attitudes, rejects lying. I don't buy what he is saying. He had significant personal experience in foreign relations as a result of his years at Exxon, he saw Trump as a rookie in the area, he saw an opportunity to to run US foreign policy himself, he marginalized State department staff, he ran afoul of Trump the liar and he got fired. Good reporting by the NYT.
I would like to tell people that just because a person owns land in Texas, that does not make it a "ranch". If you wouldn't call 2 acres in Vermont a ranch don't call 2 acres in Texas a ranch.
3
Donald Trump's difficulty with truth and ethics have been on display for years, yet Tillerson went to work for him. Was Tillerson blind to Trump's shortcoming or did he choose to ignore them? Neither of these is a good choice. Add to that the fact that Tillerson in his arrogance demoralized the State Department, agreed to large budget cuts and spent the bulk of his time on a reorganization of the department. At this point, Tillerson has all the credibility of the the huckster playing three card monty in Times square.
2
Does Mr. Tillerson deserve credit for 'throwing shade' in Trump's direction, from a safe distance in retirement? No, he does not.
Does Mr. Tillerson merit praise for spelling out the barest commitment to truth and honesty, a commitment that would be pat and conventional just two years ago? No, he does not.
Spare us the veiled gibes. If Mr. Tillerson wants any chance at redemption from his disastrous year at the helm of State, he should give us the full, unredacted story of his one year under Trump.
3
Really? Didn’t Exxon, under Tillerson’s leadership, lie for decades about climate change and the fossil fuel link to it? What’s different?
8
I find it unnerving that the NY Times can print a front-page article about Rex Tillerson's brief and inconsequential stint as a utterly unqualified Secretary of State without mentioning that In 2015, as Exxon Mobile CEO, he gave more than $2 million to climate denial organizations, including The American Enterprise Institute and The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
Rex Tillerson bears greater responsibility for mankind's delay in responding to global warming than anyone else on Earth, and for that reason alone he is the worst cabinet appointment in American history. Yet in its recent articles and opinion pieces on him, the New York Times has made no reference whatever to his potentially catastrophic crimes against humanity.
9
A weak sister speaks.
Tillerson seemed overwhelmed and incompetent in office.
Now he moralizes.
Mr. Tillerson never represented America First.
Have give the guy credit. Unlike the other toadies in Trump world, he correctly saw Trump was a moron and could not change him and got out.
It's like the wife who marries an abusing husband and vows she can change him.
1
Better late than never. I've never understood (if that's the correct way to put it) why people in power can almost never say the truth while in power. Am I naive? I think of Robert McNamara who knew in the mid-60's that the Vietnam War was lost but kept silent as people on both sides died. While still in the administration, Tillerson should have heeded the credo of the Texas Rangers - Little man beat a big man every time, if the little man is in the right and keeps coming. He missed the boat on calling out the trump on all the lies while a part of the rotten administration.
2
"In a veiled rebuke of President Trump, former Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson warned ...."
the stark warnings issued at VMI belie the sober tone delivered by Sec. Tillerson.
I don't think a campus speech is the place but where are the "unveiled" shouts and cries against a blatant attack on our country's laws, institutions, and principles?
2
Too little, too late Tillerson. You enabled this loser. Don't try and weasel out now.
4
So what insult will Trump hurl at Tillerson? Good to see an honorable man speaking truth to power.Sadly nothing will change. Trump’s lying and taunts are part of his DNA.
It is not that I disagree with Tillerson. Most decent people on both sides of the aisle will agree with him and hopefully heed his words when it comes to casting their votes this November. But I can not help but consider the source of these "pearls of wisdom." This is a wealthy business man whose life work until now was about profit at the expense of our environment. He was a man who accepted the highest and along with Defense the most delicate of all Cabinet positions. Couple that with agreeing to work for a known liar and unethical president and, well, it's hard not to wonder if his motives are vengeful rather than honorable. But...if he has grown a conscience, I accept it if it's a way to end this horror show in the White House.
66
There are decent people on the right side of the aisle? I don't believe it.
Will Trump take the bait and rise to defend himself or will his silence speak more truly of Tillerson's truth?
No one cares about the lies. Everyone knows Trump exaggerates and lies. He's a hardnosed business guy, a marketer and sales guy. He's been doing it for decades and it's well known. Who cares? He gets good results.
Just like a car salesman or a real estate agent. You know they are going to exaggerate and lie through their teeth. Who cares? You can still buy a excellent car or home through them.
I think Trump is genius. He makes the left go insane, hate him personally and become unfocused on issues. Normal Americans see the irrational hate and are turned off. What's wrong with merit-based immigration? What's wrong with preventing immigration from terror prone countries like Yemen, Syria, Libya, Somalia when you would never allow your children to go there for vacation or work? What's wrong with sending Hondurans back to Honduras when they are here on a "temporary" visa? What's wrong with standing up to China and threatening a trade war for American companies and their intellectual property rights? What's wrong with Twitter taunts at Little Rocket Man when it seems to be working far better than anything else over the past few decades?
Sure, Trump lies, exaggerates, and is a jerk. But who cares if he gets results? Tillerson is just another disgruntled staffer who got fired by Trump. If he had any pride, he'd distinguish himself from the others by keeping quiet.
8
I care. The American people and our allies, and even our enemies need to know that the President is telling the truth, and that we and they can rely on his word. Why would any country enter into a treaty with the US, now that they now that the next President may not honor that treaty. He changes his mind on key issues, so no one can rely no him or the US. For two hundred years, this country has been a haven for people in other parts of the world who are fleeing persecution and violence. Not everyone in the countrie syou mention are terrorists and people there are suffering from decades of war, famine, and other issues. Do you have no compassion? The President doesn't get results, but even if he did, he disrespects the political system and democracy. Our political system only works if we have honest debate about policies and issues. He is hated in Europe and Australia and Canada, our traditional allies. They will not come to our aid again, if asked. They will not fight beside us if there is another war, neither will they support us in the UN if we ask for support as we did during the Cuban Missile Crisis. We need more Republicans to put this country over politics and speak the truth so that this national nightmare will come to an end soon.
19
Because trust is important. Governments can do bad things and trample over people's rights and so we need to trust those in power that they are telling the truth. If the salesperson is lying to you you are more likely than not to not get an excellent car. What you say makes no sense and so far Trump has not really delivered much and his ideas are all antiquated and based on inaccuracies. It is important that a person setting policies has an idea of what he is talking about...
18
Results? What mechanism exists to force Mexico to pay for the wall? The biggest, bloviating promise while campaigning, is a face plant. Oh, but wait, cheaper, better health care, and repealing the ACA. Double face plant. What has happened is the standard, supply side tax cut, passed with a party line vote. Give yourself a big pat on the back Donald. And if you want to talk foreign policy, we are in triple, toe-loop, face plant territory.
15
Yes, lies are a threat to our system, and yes Trump is a liar.
However, Tillerson did not just name Trump, and for good reason.
Our politics is swamped in lies. Each side calls the other liars, and they are both telling the truth about just that and not much else.
This is frequently justified as necessary, as "just politics," or as not "morally equivalent" when it is our side telling lies. But they are all lies.
In fact, we had a Chicago School political scientist selling the idea of "the noble lie" that is necessary in politics. All too many of our politicians think they are noble liars, unlike their opponent.
The start to truth is telling the truth yourself.
Sometimes the truth is inconvenient, or embarrassing. Voters are grown ups, with their own inconvenient facts and embarrassments. They judge leaders in part on how they handle that, too.
Remember President Kennedy, who dealt with the Bay of Pigs fiasco by admitting it and owning it? People thought well of him for that, not harshly for making the mess. They found excuses for him (some of them good ones) BECAUSE he first admitted the truth that was painful.
Who since has taken that approach? Not many. I can't think of one just now.
But before that, it was fairly common. Nobody can point to "noble lies" by Washington or Jefferson or Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt. The heroic flaw of FDR is that he was prone to fib, and to hide from his right hand what his left hand did. But not Harry Truman or Eisenhower.
25
It's called The Swamp for good reason. However, the addition of irritating our important allies is a new wrinkle that is doing damage to our reputation. In playing to his constituents, Mr. Trump is not only hurting us abroad, he is opening the door and ushering in Russia and China to potential leadership roles. Once he is out of office, reversing that will be terribly difficult.
4
John -- China's leadership role comes from lots of money, and a willingness to spend it. Trump's lies don't help, but they don't cause China's leadership potential or success.
Russia does not actually have much leadership role in the world. Putin is loud and much noticed, but exactly who is following him? Assad?
Trump's lies and weird actions trouble our relationships with our friends, but they are not going to China, and they are not going to Putin. They're just angry. They'll resist Trump, and welcome whoever comes next just as not-Trump, rather as they did not-Dubya/Cheney.
This is classic false equivalency...everyone lies so there's no reason to single out Trump. Except you are ignoring quantity, frequency, and extent. Trump's lies aren't like everyone else's.
4
Name names, Tillerson. Step in front of a mic or write an op ed here or just go away. Because all you've done is add to the white noise which acts as a soporific on much of the public and the enter GOP. What you are doing now is neither brave or useful.
Have you given up hopes of a big paycheck when the sanctions on Russia are lifted and the Arctic is open for drilling? Or are you just hoping for all that along with a president who isn't so embarrassing? Staying quiet while the Administration dismantles any attempt to mitigate climate change is perhaps the biggest black mark on your record. You are arguably more responsible than anyone for the fate of the earth. You made it happen, and you mumbled about it when you were in a position to make fixes. No way you get out of this with your honor intact, no matter how many little high school speeches you make.
58
What a rudely spoken mis-truth Paula. Substituting anger and retribution for clear-headed observation and commentary puts you right into the middle of the errors you think you are addressing.
1
So after trying to drain the State Dept he talks of our role in the world? After being castrated by the Donald, he only comes up with oblique references? Come on, Rex, you'll feel so much better: Give us the details!
72
“Mr. Pompeo promised to bring the State Department’s “swagger back,” by “aggressiveness born of the righteous knowledge that our cause is just, special and built upon America’s core principles.”
Could we get Mr. Pompeo provide us his list of “America’s core principles?
Mr. Tillerson told the graduating cadets “Look for employers who set high standards for ethical conduct.”
Could Mr. Tillerson provide us with his list of Employers who set high standards for ethical conduct?
Then let the the debates begin.
13
If lies are a threat to democracy, then the American variety has been dead for more than two hundred years. It is no accident that the native predecessors saw through our pretenses and discerned that we spoke with "forked tongue." We have lied to ourselves and others about almost everything in our history. Notwithstanding, we continue in the fiction that we are "indispensable," and see the amassing of our unparalleled global power as confirmation of divine providence and our inherent "goodness." This all to say that Trump is more like our true selves that we are willing to admit. Tillerson should have had the courage to resign, given the sentiments and values he espouses.
7
Tillerson's statement was a "rebuke of Trump"? Publicly denouncing lies is like publicly denouncing graft or sexual harassment. It means nothing. If you want to get people to vote against Trump and his supporters, you have to denounce -- not lies in general -- but Trump in particular. That draws a line. Americans will have to be on one side of the line or the other. If Republicans like Tillerson want to be decent American citizens for a change -- putting country ahead of party -- they'll have to do better than this namby-pamby stuff.
31
So now he is worried about Trump's lies ? It was clear even before the election that Trump is incapable of stating the truth, yet Tillerson still enabled him by taking the job.
Too little, too late. Rex is covered in the mud he was wallowing in.
57
This country needs more people of merit to speak to the way that Donald Trump has led us down the sorry path of lies, pettiness, and ignorance. Thank you Mr. Tillerson.
9
Another latecomer to reality. Since you're in a reflective frame of mind, Rex, consider this: You were picked for this job with the sole qualification that you were the only private American citizen who had a working relationship with Putin. You had negotiated a half trillion dollar oil deal with Putin. Putin was giddy over the billions he would have to steal, but then came the Obama sanctions over election meddling. That prevented the deal from being completed. Trump was toying with Romney for Sec State, but Putin secretly signaled his preference for you. Exxon gave up on the sanctions ever being lifted and withdrew their offer the first of March, ending your potential usefulness to Putin. About two weeks later you committed the sin of publicly criticizing Russia and you were fired less than 24 hours later. Pompeo had stated publicly that Russia meddled in the election. He was pulled out of his very powerful position as CIA Director and placed directly under trump's wing, where Pompeo will be easily muzzled should he deign to criticize Russia again.
87
“If our leaders seek to conceal the truth, or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no longer grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom,”
Really, Tillerson? Ever heard of climate change?
16
You wouldn't be questioning it, if you lived in Alaska.
2
Amen. Thank you Mr. Tillerson. Please continue to speak out.
7
Amen???? Speak out about what??? Some unnamed individuals???? Why not ask Rex to name names and tell the truth?
1
Tillerson is right, obfuscation and lies are intended to fool the citizens and have no place in public life. There is no sharp line though and all politicians and business execs push the limits. The principle is correct but it is up to us the voters to sift out truth and that requires vigilance and self education and skepticism. The unfortunate fact is that we live in a sea of lies. We all know about politicians but I think we have lost some skepticism because of the bombardment of our senses with commercialization of all communication for profit, including the news media. "Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty". (Wendall Phillips?)
6
The problem here is news for profit, and with too many suppliers in the market. Profits drop as supply increases, and the quality of news goes down as providers cut costs.
Trump is loved by the media for he increases profits. Other obscene politicians are the same.
GREED is truly the most terrible challenge of our times, and capitalism is its tool, its means to power and more greed.
Greed is a (contagious) mental illness, an unfillable hole, a hunger that denies justice, a brutal expression of broken egos.
Greed is having a million times as much as the poor and still feeling you don't have enough.
Greed consumes the earth without respite, and is a cancer on humanity. Greed destroys us and our children and their future.
Greed is death.
13
Truth.
2
Tillerson worked for an abusive liar for more than a year, and left only when fired. In my book, that makes him one of the enablers. A thinly veiled swipe at the liar now does not exonerate his complicity.
146
Gee Rex, when you play-acted at being SOS, you were wobbly in your duties as America’s top diplomat. It does you credit that, with hindsight, you see the systematic destruction of American democracy by the person who swore to preserve, protect and defend, so help him God. I give you credit for public calling out the president for being the moron that he is, by far your most distinguished moment at Foggy Bottom. It’s a shame that your erstwhile friend doesn’t join you in retirement.
14
Yes, such lies and 'alternative facts' are corrosive tor democracy, but can they please call out the biggest purveyor: FOX 'News'. That has been the biggest spigot of lies and self serving untruths in this country for decades. It has warped the opinions of so many with its mendacity, and is sadly extremely popular.
Time for new rules on media ownership? We're back to the Citizen Kane days with Murdoch and Sinclair.
18
Go, Rex!!!
6
So, Rex, what do you think about the destruction of our State Department? Meh? Or a threat to diplomacy as a problem solver that leaves us only with war? Ah, but war requires lots of fuel. Exxon can bring us that from Russia. Amiright? Sorry if I can't celebrate this come to Jesus moment from the guy that brought respectability to our villainous administration and stripped from our State Department the ability to address international issues diplomatically.
44
As much as I agree with Tillerson's analysis that American democracy is threatened by a growing crisis of ethics and integrity, I am disheartened by the fact that these voices of sanity and reason are only evident when they are on their way out the door or have already crossed that threshold. Trump and his minions simply label comments such as these as "disgruntled ex office holders." Speaking truth to power is most effective when you are in the corridors of power rather than on the outside peeping through the windows.
53
This articles preamble to the speech, is frighteningly accurate. Such fears, mostly fostered by illogical politics, elected President Trump. Examples of such politics are too legion to note here. But US domestic politics, and its geopolitics, have become so intertwined in alternative realities, that the truth is not even considered as a practical approach -- if it could any longer be discerned. Let alone applied -- without great embarrassment. President Trump is offering simple truths as an alternative; not a moment too soon.
1
Trump has never offered simple truths or any other type of truths.
2
Look toward your South; you'll see a truth.
1
In retrospect, Tillerson's lecture on country-by-country threats should have started with his boss. No other figure so embodies deceit, corruption, cronyism and selfishness as much as Trump. No other figure represents such a threat to our democracy and our alliances. No other figure so erodes public trust, awakens destructive resentments, and divides us. The Russians probably understood this better than many Americans. It's like they sent a spinning top into our political system--too erratic to predict except you can be confident he'll knock down a lot of pins. It's a bit late, but finally Rex sounds like a statesman.
11
"If we do not as Americans confront the crisis of ethics and integrity in our society and among our leaders ... then American democracy as we know it is entering its twilight years,” Mr. Tillerson warned."
Has it occurred to Mr. Tillerson that he as a prime example of the crisis in integrity in our leadership?
A cabinet member at the center of a dishonest authoritarian adminstration, who is personally untouchable with a net worth over $300 million and no further career aspirations, and believes "confrontation" consists of an indirect mild rebuke during a commencement speech after he has left his position, is part of the problem. And a coward. At the very least, call Trump out by name.
If you are complicit in the normalization of Trump's presidency, you are complicit in in Trump's attack on American democracy.
Tillerson should be embarrassed to stand in front of any graduation class and do anything but ask for forgiveness for letting their nation down.
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Mr Tillerson ' s comments may not have been so subtly aimed at the Trump situation as you seem to report.
"Wobbly on truth ... wobbly on America." About a century ago, during difficult times, a Russian front organization sowed unrest in our country. It claimed to represent the world's workers. The IWW (the International Workers of the World) was dubbed, by its critics, the Wobblies.
Tillerson is old and likely educated enough to know that.
3
Too little, too late, but at least he said it.
6
Tillerson was the flag bearer of corporatist imperialism via “Free Trade” and Pompeo is the flag bearer of Manifest Desitiny and American Exceptionalism.
American hubris founded in these two slightly variant ideologies has caused immense amounts of human suffering across the globe.
Once again proof that your vote really does matter.
5
Too bad Tillerson didn't open his pie hole and talk about honesty and integrity when he was employed by the government. He's useless now.
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I am almost dumbfounded that NOW it is time for Tillerson to find his Profile In Courage?! The silence form those who should have been speaking Truth to Power has been absolutely deafening. The time to speak out was a year ago; when Rex had a front row seat to the Authoritarian bully he "served" before being thrown under the bus like so many others. Too little/Too late Rex!He is absolutely correct in saying Lies are a threat to Democracy...but MY GOD; did you really need this long to figure out how much a THREAT Trump is to your country. PATHETIC!
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I suppose I could opine on the hypocrisy between Mr. Tillerson's words at VMI and some of his actions as CEO of Exxon-Mobil.
Instead, I laud Mr. Tillerson for calling out Trump. We need a tide of honesty, ethics, integrity if our Democracy is to survive the assault on our Democracy that is the Trump Administration.
5
Truthfully, (funny way to start a sentence), Tillerson's hair is not on fire like patriots of old. I suggest he will go to his grave with a heavy heart and grave disappointments.
He should be standing in Time Square burning his NRA card and screaming that Trump is dangerous and crazy.
5
I'm curious as to why Mr. Tillerson waits until now to speak, maybe we all would have been better served if he spoke out earlier.
Was he that cowed by Trump?
Was it a sense of loyalty?
Or is he coming out with a book?
3
Rex's observation is acute even if the man himself is less-than-convincing as a truth-teller. Trump supporters are so completely isolated in their own media ecosystem and tribal epistemology that nothing can dissuade them from their Deep State conspiracy theories; Trump and his media enablers operate on the assumption that there are no facts, only interpretations.
As Obama said in his farewell address, the greatest threat to our democracy is a political polarization so severe that partisans no longer share common facts and vocabularies. Discussion is only possible between people who have a common language and a baseline of commonly-accepted fact. In the post-truth world Trump represents, is it any wonder civic dialogue seems impossible?
Democracy assumes that its citizens share the same reality. We’re about to find out whether democracy can be preserved when this assumption no longer holds.
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What about Exxon’s lies about climate change?
Thanks for helping support the beliefs of the only governing political party in the world that doesn’t accept the science of climate change.
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LOL...amazing. He gives a speech about ethics and truth...and what does the left and the leftist media do? The usual kneejerk reaction of pointing fingers and assume he's talking about the other side...or just Trump...in print no less, by pretend journalists. The lefties can't possibly be unethical or refuse the truth...LOL. Nowhere did he specify who he was talking about exactly...but look at all these imbeciles following the unethical and liers over the cliff...
I can't wait til 2020...
It's truly sad when it takes almost a year and a half for someone to come forward to state the obvious about the current administration.
Trump and his family in general have no moral or ethical character and show a total disregard for the law, which they feel they are above.
Midterms and 2020 elections can't get here fast enough.
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Well he finally did something right. I tip my hat to him.
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A day late and a dollar short Mr. Tillerson. I'm not sure if you thought you could fix this presidency or if you just went along for the ride. Coming out now can be construed as sour grapes. Your obligation as a patriot was to stand up up for our country when you were in the position. Had you called out the "moron" by name for his lack of ethics and constant lies while Secretary of State instead of backtracking and making excuses, your V.M.I. speech would be more convincing.
3
You Go Rex.
3
Thumbs up to Tillerson for speaking out against the appalling and disruptive behavior of this President!! Too bad more Republicans aren't
3
The highlights I saw of Mr Tillerson's speech were heartening. I wish he had been that passionate about protecting the State Department when he was in charge, but I expect he was following his boss' orders. Here is a conservative, wealthy Texan warning us that Trump is danger to this country. We had better take him seriously. Vote the GOP out in November. They steadfastly refuse to protect this country against a crooked, incompetent president.
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I’m surprised that Trump treated him so badly. Mr Tillerson doesn’t fear Trump and has nothing to lose in speaking out. Go Rex!j
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Let us hope that the young men and women who graduated from the Virginia Military Insitute go forward in their knowledge , but most importantly living V.M.I.'s honor code that they experienced in the four years of their education.
It is time to put aside the emmbarrasemet and indignity of Trump's adminisration of lies, coverups and political hacks, and perserve America's honor and social values for all people.
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You'll forgive me if I'm skeptical that Tillerson has really "seen the light."
He was an unapologetic hatchet-man for Trump at State: gutting a department that ought well have served as a counterweight to Trump-inspired chaos. Isolated in his chambers, Tillerson took on regal airs ("don't look me in the eyes"; "leave my presence by walking backwards"). As far as we know, his guiding aim was advancing which foreign policies best served the fossil fuel fraternity.
And he said nothing, nothing about the lies that his commander was advancing: the threats to democracy that were clear to any dispassionate observer.
Maybe Rex has a book coming out; I don't know. But if it's of a piece with his VMI address, the work can only be filed under 'fiction'.
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Mr. Secretary, you come to wisdom long after it was required. Your new-found patriotism would have been better served while you were in office.
You, as well as the Cabinet, knew the sort of man Donald Trump was but you ignored the warning signs. He treated you with contempt and dismissed your service as inconsequential.
I hope that the Virginia Military Institute cadets to whom you addressed your plea will heed it. It’s not too late for them; it is for you. Sir.
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While I agree with Mr. Tillerson's assessment of the state of our decmocrocy, I wonder how Mr. Tillerson squares this call-out of a crisis of "ethics and integrity" with the lies Exxon Mobil told for decades concerning climate change?
This call-out seems like the apogee of hypocrisy to me.
This Nation is so entangled in lies and deceit that we cannot find our way out. We can no longer tell the truth from a lie and we no longer care to as long as we personally profit from the lies and the deceit we are wallowing in.
MB
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How does one humbly swagger Mr Pompeo?
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By being punch-drunk on power
1
It is interesting, and extremely discouraging, that men in power do not seem to have the courage of their convictions when they are in power. Only afterwards do they seem to have the courage to speak truth to obvious evil and piggishness.
Now obviously, Rex Tillerson, reputed to have called Trump a moron while still in office, cannot publicly make such comments. However, men (and women) of integrity and honor always have the option to resign, and then honestly state their views. Rex chose to wait to be fired, and now will have to deal with the suspicion, that his comments are “sour grapes”.
I am flabbergasted by the fact that Chief of Staff, John Kelly, allows himself to be so humiliated - albeit, his recent comments on immigrants and the Gaza casualties seem to suggest that he is morally and intellectually of as low a character as Trump. The notion that he puts out, that he stays in his position in order to save the country from the worst of Trump’s character flaws is a complete cop-out.
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The problem with military men and women is that they are brainwashed to follow the orders their superiors give - whether they agree or not.
Think Hamburger Hill and the U.S. Civil War where hundreds of thousands were killed for no reason. The troops "took" Hamburger Hill and a few days later they were called down. Didn't need it but some officer surely got a promotion. Mothers and fathers, wives, children and other loved ones got "gratitude" from their government.
It's just crazy and WE THE PEOPLE are the only ones who can stop the madness.
5
The many "alternate truths" about how Jared, Ivanka, Kelly and Tillerson were to be a 'calming influence', reigning in the sociopathic tendencies of The Alternate Truth Teller In Chief. Duplicitous enablers, all.
VOTE.
3
In other words, Three-Card-Monte and a Twidiot-In-Chief are no way to run a serious country.
Reject the Liar-In-Chief and his co-conspirators on November 6 2018 in record numbers, America.
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YES, Socrates! Primary elections were held in Pennsylvania, North Dakota Idaho and Oregon yesterday and Socially Conscious Women won in many cases.
OUR Vote is truly what will restore/preserve democracy in America.
71
Thanks are not enough for Mr. Tillerson. Finally, it seems his true love for OUR United States of America has superseded greed and acceptance. It is months - years- past time for others in power to sound the alarm that The Con Don and his Robber Baron brethren are trying to destroy OUR America and take action to stop them.
Another true, courageous American who put love of democracy before personal considerations is the brave person who leaked Michael Cohen's financial documents. She or he are in grave danger and should "come out" now so WE THE PEOPLE who appreciate their contribution to saving OUR country can protect them.
Time for the Con Don and his Koch brothers and other Robber Baron brethren to be eradicated from OUR governments at all levels. Right NOW!
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Thanks will do just fine and there's no need to be overly effusive when someone simply speaks the truth.
I'm proud to be a (converted) liberal but dismayed that so many liberals will gush over people anytime they behave like moderately decent human beings. More attention needs to be paid to personal and political track records.
15
In this day and age when someone with power denounces The Con Don WE must be effusive in our thanks, DR. They must know that
WE THE PEOPLE are watching and care.
Why else would they put their comfortable lives in jeopardy?
njglea - I admire your optimism and generosity but Tillerson isn't putting anything in jeopardy. He's a wealthy man who can comfortably retire and do as he pleases.
We do need to care and be watchful. We also need to hold people accountable for their actions and Tillerson's career has been less than admirable.
1
This from the former head of a company that spent years trying to suppress the truth about climate change. It's nice to see him turning over a new leaf in retirement.
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It's easier to tell the truth when you've already banked all the money.
40
After the fact is always an easy position. Enjoy your lucrative retirement on the bones of many better persons.
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