Tillerson says US no more will condition foreign relationships on countries adopting US values such

[kpete]

Source: AP

The former Exxon Mobil CEO distinguished between U.S. "values," which he described as enduring, and "policies," which Tillerson said must adapt to the times.

"In some circumstances, if you condition our national security efforts on someone adopting our values, we probably can't achieve our national security goals," Tillerson said. "It really creates obstacles to our ability to advance our national security interests, our economic interests."

Still, he insisted the U.S. won't abandon core values. In some instances, Tillerson said, the U.S. should and will require other nations to adopt "certain actions as to how they treat people" if they want to cooperate with the U.S. In other instances, he said the U.S. would continue advocating for its values without using them as leverage.

"It doesn't mean that we leave those values on the sidelines," Tillerson said. "It doesn't mean that we don't advocate for and aspire to freedom, human dignity, and the treatment of people the world over."

Read more: https://www.apnews.com/7afff2131d7b4b10b2c84b89c721b6c9?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP_Politics

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Link to tweet

[msongs]

1. the US has always supported and endorsed the most despicable foreing leaders nt

[tenorly]

7. Under Rethugs anyway.

Democrats have too, sadly - though much less often.

Here's Henry Kissinger, best friend to right-wing despots everywhere, visiting Argentina in June 1978 - 17 months after leaving office - to give the dictatorship moral support and to basically encourage them to disregard President Carter's calls for an end to the Dirty War.

[ck4829]

2. Oh yes, that will do nothing but lead to greatness and never, ever come back and bite us in the rear

[yallerdawg]

3. Assad just said:

"No more after-dinner entertainment!"

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Nah, values are something to ram down the throats of liberals

where tolerant policies would suffice to please both sides

We wouldn't force enemy states to adopt any values

[mdbl]

5. It will all be based on drilling, sales and marketing of gas and oil.

Sad.

[TheFrenchRazor]

12. exactly; "national security" equals corporat profits, nothing more. nt

[brush]

6. It's a stamp of approval for the dictators trump is so fond of.

[Honeycombe8]

8. Steadily marching on to opening the door to embrace Russia and ITS values.

The Trump team, in its extreme egotism and nacissism and self-interest, they haven't skipped a beat in continuing to work towards a close relationship with Russia, the goal of which is to enrich Russia and Trump and a handful of billionaires and companies who want loans and to do business in and with Russia. America First? Hardly.

[miyazaki]

9. Values like lie, cheat and steal. It's the American Way. n/t

[malthaussen]

10. Well, when you get down to it, when have we done otherwise? n/t

[Blue Meany]

11. Has the US foreign policy ever been based on values?

Even our anti-communist "values" did not keep us from supporting the Khmer Rouge (because they were rivals of Vietnam), probably the worst communist regime ever, or at least since Stalin. Carter tried to center foreign policy on human rights, but "our interests" always ended trumping our values even in his state department, thanks largely to Brezenski.