We're All Dead--Obama's Cabinet

I was reading on Foreign Policy about picks for Obama's Cabinet. These picks come from Katrina Vanden Heuvel, a near-anarchist for The Nation.

If these are true, we are in deep trouble:

Bill Bradley
Secretary of State
The former New Jersey senator and Knicks star is a slam dunk: He opposes NATO expansion and has a keen understanding of the importance of statecraft, multilateral diplomacy, and international economics.

In other words, Bradley (who I liked for the Democratic nomination in 2000, opposes multilateral cooperation (by opposing the expansion of NATO) as Obama and the left has stated that they so strongly support. He supports "multilateral diplomacy" which means that the U.S. will no longer have the leading voice in international affairs. Opposing the expansion of NATO may also cut off nations like Albania, which is unacceptable.

Lawrence Korb
Secretary of Defense
An assistant defense secretary under Ronald Reagan and now at the Center for American Progress, Korb has done groundbreaking strategic thinking on issues including a speedy and orderly exit from Iraq, support for troops and veterans, and cutting billions in wasteful Pentagon spending.

In other words, Korb, who has been a paleo-conservative rightist, supported al Qaeda winning in Iraq and is looking to downsize new programs to fight tomorrow's wars. But still, if Obama is elected, there will be no more wars, right?

James K. Galbraith
Secretary of the Treasury
Like his father, Galbraith understands that finance must serve the real economy. He recognizes the ruinous economic effects of our hypermilitarized foreign policy, thinks that world prosperity depends upon rising wages and public investment, and has the wisdom to guide us through the remaking of our global financial architecture.

Are you kidding? Galbraith? This guy has been a joke. A hypermilitarized foreign policy? This is the end to American exceptionalism.

James Bamford
Director of National Intelligence
An investigative journalist whose 1982 book about the NSA, The Puzzle Palace, has been used as a textbook at the National Defense Intelligence College, Bamford values wisdom and history above intelligence factoids. He will challenge convention and abuses and draw the line on covert action. A man of integrity, he’ll always refuse to bend intelligence for political purposes.

"Refuse to bend intelligence for political purposes..." in other words, is unwilling to apply intelligence to meet foreign policy objectives. That's like refusing to use Halabja as proof of Saddam's use or fondness of chemical weapons.

In short, if these picks or anyone similar are picked, we're in deep deep problems. I'm just glad I'm learning Farsi and collecting dinars because I need to be able to speak with and spend money on behalf of our new masters.