Dramatic Negotiations!

I was intrigued by a report on the front page of the Times on Thursday 24 June under the heading “Obama takes command”. The report reads, "a dramatic morning of negotiations at the White House culminated in an address to the nation in which Mr Obama insisted that the change (the replacement of General McChrystal by General Petraeus) was one of 'personnel, not policy' but warned: 'I welcome debate among my team, but I won’t tolerate division'”.

Now, negotiation is a means of resolving conflict by a process of give and take – in other words, it is a trading process. I am wondering just exactly what the “dramatic negotiations” were in the meeting between McChrystal and his Commander-in-Chief? I imagine that the meeting went something along the following lines:

General McChrystal: “Sorry Chief.”

President Obama: “Thank you. I accept your apology. You’re sacked.”

Obviously, I’m simplifying things here slightly, but in a nutshell, that is what is reported to have happened.

Perhaps the negotiations were between Obama and Petraeus? Not according to the good General who is reported as saying that he accepted the post without preconditions. He is reported to have opined that you don’t present ultimatums to your Commander-in-Chief.

Maybe, the President was discussing McChrystal’s pension arrangements with him. He needn’t worry. If Tony Blair can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars on the US lecture circuit, General McChrystal’s future would seem to be secure for the time being at least.

The morals of the tale are these

• You can only negotiate if you have power.
• And if you have absolute power, you don’t need to.