Thug Life
I was the Dean of Students, the discipline guy, for a 1200 kid high school for several years. Our public school had a vast majority of great kids, but we also had our share of bullies, wannabe tough kids, and, a few hardcore thugs. Over the years I got to know the thugs, as the Dean they were “my job,” and I learned a few of their rules.
I learned that while we were on opposite sides, there could still be respect. Respect was based on a kind of trust: they trusted that I would do whatever I could do to end their “thugdom,” but I wouldn’t “cheat.” If they made a mistake and broke the student conduct code, I came down on them, but I couldn’t just make up violations to get them. It had to be “fair.”
Their rules also said that they wouldn’t make a threat they couldn’t carry out, and I couldn’t either. There was nothing more empty or weak, than threatening to do something you wouldn’t, or couldn’t do. If you’re going to be a thug, then you better know the rules, and you better be willing to do what you say. You better be able to actually do it, too. If not, you were a “wannabe,” not deserving of respect. And, as the Dean of Students, not having respect meant not having control.
There is a new “play” going on in Washington today. It started out with Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who is colluding with the White House to try to act like “thugs.” Paul started by calling for the removal of former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance, because he criticized the President. It’s disappointing that Paul, who has earned some respect for his independence, has fallen into this little conspiracy. Like his losing golf game with the President, he must be trying to get something.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders conveniently was all set for questions about Paul’s suggestion in the Monday press conference. She expanded on his plan, adding a full six former intelligence leaders to the list. Brennan, former National Security Director Susan Rice, former DNI James Clapper, former NSA Director Mike Hayden, former FBI Director James Comey, and former FBI Assistant Director Andrew McCabe all are targets. All of them have been critical of the President’s actions, with Brennan being outspoken in his description of Trump’s actions in Helsinki as “treasonous.”
So by “thug rules” you need to threaten something you can do, and you need to carry it out. The President, Sanders and Paul are trying to silence and punish critics, and at the same time they are again attacking the reputation of the intelligence community. If these leaders no longer “deserve” a security clearance their story goes, then clearly they made bad decisions about Russian involvement in the 2016 election and the possible conspiracy of the Trump Campaign with Russian intelligence to alter the outcome.
Thug Rules – you better be able to do what you threaten. Well, McCabe and Comey already had their security clearances ended, that’s standard procedure when you leave the FBI. They were fired, as if the Trump White House didn’t know it, and removing the security clearance is part of the process. So here’s a good look for a “thug,” doing something that’s already done. Looking foolish is not a good “thug” look.
Rice, Clapper, Hayden and Brennan all still have clearances. This is not just a courtesy; they represent the institutional history of their agencies. With clearances, they can be “read into” current situations to gain their knowledge and experience. None of them receives current classified briefings, they only remain as resources for current decision makers. Removing their clearances, other than being an insult, doesn’t hurt them. It hurts our current leaders.
Thug rule – don’t do something that makes you look foolish, and don’t do something that hurts you more than hurts them.
And finally, Sanders presented as one of the reason for the clearance removal was that some of the targets were “monetizing” their clearances. That means, they are making money from their security status.
And it’s certainly true that they are “experts” for the media, and they are making money doing it. Their current security clearance has nothing to do with that, they are experts because of their experiences as government leaders. They will stay on CNN and MSNBC and other critical media outlets with or without a clearance.
My mother had an expression, “the pot calling the kettle black.” It meant, don’t complain about what someone else is doing, when you’re doing it yourself. Jared Kushner, the President’s son-in-law and senior advisor, made millions of dollars while on a “temporary” security clearance, while the President himself continues to make millions from the government by staying at his owned properties (over $70000 alone for his weekend at the Scottish golf course.) Aren’t they “monetizing” their security clearances?
The President, his press secretary and Senator Paul are trying to be “thugs,” to scare critics and further attack the intelligence agencies. But their “play” looks foolish: at best they are “wannabes.” If they want to learn how to be thugs, they need to look to their friend Putin. He’s got it down – go find some Novichok if that’s the goal. Then they can be real thugs.
