Cold Snap
I'm mostly showing this clip because I think it's amusing. It's tricky to draw any conclusion from a mere moment. But when Hillary Clinton snaps at a student for a (possibly mistranslated) question about her husband, we seem to be witnessing genuine anger.
Anyone can get mad--maybe it's the jet lag--and I can understand that she wants to get out from under Bill's shadow, but really, as Secretary of State, abroad in Africa, she should show a little more self-restraint.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:27 AM
8 Comments:
Ah, how we all long for the silver-tongued John Bolton to be the diplomatic face of our nation again.
I think she was genuinely peeved at what sounded like a deeply sexist remark. Her words were polite, her tone was annoyed. I think it's poor diplomacy to show annoyance to fellow diplomats; it's trivial to do so to (possibly) rude high schoolers.
Was John Bolton our Secretary of State?
No. Are you intimating that's the only "diplomatic face of our nation" that matters?
It's not all "pretend you didn't hear it and ask him to pass the sweet and sour srhimp." The UN is a place where the representative should speak the feelings of the President. Strong statements of principle there don't bother me as much as intemperate, personal responses from the highest officer in the cabinet out meeting students.
"The Secretariat Building in New York has 38 stories. If you lost ten stories today, it wouldn't make a bit of difference."
"I am not going to be channeling my husband."
One of these statements is worse for our diplomatic relations with other countries. The other is a strong statement of principles. You have them precisely backwards.
One was thought out and true. The other was a person losing her temper.
These last two comments are perfectly reconciled.
But you have it wrong, QG. The best thing for our diplomatic relations with other countries would be if they felt convinced we would go to war for our principles.
CG, SWMB.
CG, are you concerned that other countries think we're too reticent to go to war for our principles? Which principles, would be my first question.
Post a Comment
<< Home