See You Later!

Published in El Universal
(Mexico) on 11 May 2017
by Mario Melgar Adalid (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Annabel Gill. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
James Comey takes the shame or the glory of having derailed the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton into his forced retirement.

“You’re fired!” That was Donald Trump’s favorite phrase when he was a TV host. Now that he’s a host of world politics he continues to use it, perhaps following the advice of Machiavelli: “When you see your advisor thinking more of his own interests than of yours, and seeking to further his own goals, such a man will never make a good advisor. You will never be able to trust him.” The violent removal of James B. Comey, director of the FBI, again inflames American policy. The reason that Trump intended to strike him down was that he acted at the recommendation of the attorney general and the attorney general’s second in command.

It is considered to be within the president’s authority to remove officials from his administration, and this is true. Only, Comey is not any official, he is not even comparable to Cabinet secretaries. The director of the FBI plays in the major leagues of American politics. It is therefore hoped that the removal will not cloud the current investigation, but will help to clarify the role of the Russians in the U.S. presidential election.

Comey has already picked up his things from the building named after J. Edgar Hoover on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Hoover was the founder of the FBI – the office that focuses on American intelligence gathering activity. Hoover carried out tasks that, at the time, seemed impossible to do; he even spied directly on the leaders of the world's most powerful countries during the Cold War years, namely the Soviet Union and China. He stopped a coup against an elected leader in the Dominican Republic – Joaquin Balaguer – and he subtly undermined the power of several U.S. presidents.

In the absence of the CIA, the FBI conducted espionage and counterespionage in connection with everything that seemed suspicious. One of the most well known episodes in 20th century American history is the case of Sacco and Vanzetti, about which so much has been written and so many films have been made. Hoover investigated groups opposing the execution of Italian anarchists. Liberal groups have always contended that it was a setup to try and eliminate them. Hoover was convinced that Sacco and Vanzetti were responsible for the terrorist bombings that left a bloodbath on Wall Street, even though he could never prove it. The case remained open indefinitely.

The relationship between Jeff Sessions, the attorney general (who recused himself from the investigation in the matter of Russian intervention in the presidential election), and the dismissed Comey is clearly a bad one. In that office, the relationship between the boss and the subordinate has never been an easy one. It is somewhat similar to the relationship between the secretary of energy of Mexico and the director of Pemex: the first, a hierarchical boss, and the second, a superior economic politician.

It is enough to remember the awful relationship between Hoover and the Kennedys. In the last conversation between Hoover and Robert Kennedy on Nov. 22 in 1963, Hoover called the attorney general by phone to inform him that his brother had been shot. “I have some bad news for you,” he said. Tim Weiner, the author of “Enemies: A History of the FBI,” thinks that he did not give him “bad news” – which undoubtedly it was – but simply news. After 45 minutes, Hoover called again to tell him that his brother had died. Not even the Kennedys with all their power dared to stop the director of the FBI. Hoover had the recordings of President Kennedy’s meeting with movie legend Marilyn Monroe.

Hated by Democrats and Republicans, Comey takes the shame or glory of having derailed the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton into his forced retirement. It is not yet known whether his dismissal could be the start of the long-awaited derailment of Trump's presidency. It is likely, if the president’s involvement with the Russians is confirmed, that the U.S. political system will say to Trump, “You’re Fired!”




¡Hasta la vista!

James Comey se lleva a su retiro forzado la pena o la gloria de haber descarrilado la campaña presidencial de Hillary

“¡Estás despedido!”, frase favorita de Donald Trump, desde que era animador de la televisión. Ahora que es animador de la política mundial la sigue utilizando, tal vez siguiendo el consejo de Maquiavelo: “Cuando veas que un ministro pienso más en sí mismo que en ti, y en todos los asuntos busca su propio provecho piensa que una persona que actúa en esa forma nunca podrá ser buen consejero, y nunca te podrás fiar de él”. La violenta remoción de James B. Comey, director del FBI, incendia nuevamente la política estadounidense. La razón que adujo Trump para fulminarlo fue la recomendación del abogado general y de su segundo.

Se pensará que está en las facultades presidenciales remover a los funcionarios de la administración y es cierto. Solamente que no se trata de cualquier funcionario, ni siquiera comparable a los secretarios de los diferentes despachos. El director del FBI juega el las ligas mayores de la política estadounidense. Por ello se espera que la remoción no ponga un velo sobre la investigación en curso, sino ayude a aclarar el papel de los rusos en la elección presidencial de Estados Unidos.

Comey recogió ya sus cosas del edificio que lleva el nombre de J. Edgar Hoover en la avenida Pensilvania en Washington DC. Hoover es el fundador del FBI, oficina que concentra las actividades de espionaje de Estados Unidos. Hoover llevó adelante tareas que en ese tiempo parecerían imposibles realizar: llegó a espiar directamente a los líderes de los países más poderosos del mundo durante los años de la Guerra Fría, concretamente la Unión Soviética y China. Detuvo un golpe de Estado, contra un líder electo en la República Dominicana (Joaquín Balaguer) y de manera sutil socavó el poder de varios presidentes de EU.

Ante la inexistencia de la CIA, el FBI realizó las tareas de espionaje y contraespionaje de todo aquello que parecía sospecho. Uno de los episodios más conocidos en la historia del Siglo XX estadounidense, es el de Sacco y Vanzetti, sobre el cual se ha escrito tanto y se han hecho producciones cinematográficas. Hoover se ocupó de investigar a los grupos que se oponían a la ejecución de los anarquistas italianos. Los grupos liberales siempre sostuvieron que se trató de un montaje para eliminarlos. Hoover estaba convencido que Sacco y Vanzetti eran responsables de los bombazos terroristas que dejaron un baño de sangre en Wall Street, aun cuando nunca pudo probarlo, El caso permaneció abierto para siempre.

Es clara la mala relación entre Jess Sessions, el abogado general (recusado para interferir en el asunto de la intervención rusa en las elecciones) y el cesado Comey. En esa oficina nunca ha sido fácil la relación entre jefe y subordinado. Algo parecido a la relación entre el secretario de Energía de México y el director de Pemex, el primero superior jerárquico, el segundo superior político económico.

Basta recordar la pésima relación entre Hoover y los Kennedy. En la última conversación entre Hoover y Robert Kennedy el 22 de noviembre de 1963, Hoover le llamó telefónicamente al abogado general, para avisarle que su hermano había sido baleado. “Tengo algunas noticias para usted” le expresó. Tim Weiner, el autor de Enemigo, una Historia del FBI, reflexiona que no le dijo “malas noticias” – como sin duda eran – sino simplemente noticias. A los cuarenta y cinco minutos Hoover volvió a llamarle para avisar que su hermano había muerto. Ni los Kennedy con todo su poder se atrevieron a cesar al director del FBI. Existe la leyenda llevada al cine de que Hoover tenía las grabaciones de los encuentros del presidente Kennedy, nada menos que con Marylin Monroe.

Odiado por demócratas y republicanos, Comey se lleva a su retiro forzada la pena o la gloria de haber descarrilado la campaña presidencial de Hillary. No se sabe todavía si su despido puede ser el inicio del descarrilamiento tan esperado de la presidencia de Donald Trump. Es probable, de confirmarse la liga del presidente con los rusos, que el sistema estadounidense grite entonces a Trump: “You are Fired!”
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