What, Didn’t We Have a Copy of “Red Dawn” Lying Around?
This week has put paid to the working theory that somewhere in the Obama administration lurks a foreign policy genius. Monday, we learned that the President sent a letter to the Russians offering them Poland and the Czech Republic if only they’d put in a good word for us to their friends in Tehran. Then, he treated the Prime Minister of one of our closest allies like he was the Interior Minister of Westcrapistan and hustled him back to London with an armful of DVDs and a couple crappy toy helicopters.
Today, we learn that his Secretary of State presented the Foreign Minister of Russia with a red button for his desk on which was supposed to have been written the word “Reset”, in Russian (you know, because Obama’s going to reset our relationship with a resurgent tyranny whose hat tip to free speech is not killing every journalist with the push of a magic button). Only the State Department apparently couldn’t find anyone around who spoke fluent Russian so the button actually said either “Overcharge” or “Overload”.
The translation problem was bad enough. What caught my attention is that the administration thought it was a fine idea to give the Russian Foreign Minister a big red button in a box? I mean, it’s not like there’s a history involving the Russians and a legendary button, right?
I swear it’s like our President never held an executive position before in his life.
Oh, wait…
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Category: Alliances and Allies, President Barack Obama
"I swear it’s like our President never held an executive position before in his life.
Oh, wait…"
Tragic reality. Classic line.
Heh. That's funny. I didn't even think about the red button and Red Dawn – which I've seen several times. I think I've been brainwashed by the Staples ad, which of course is the inspiration for this gift, and which I _do_ find really funny – how many times I've wished for an "Easy Button"!!
As far as I know though, Staples doesn't advertise in Russia. Just goes to show the danger in using local "idioms" in an international setting.
Frightening, isn't it?
Obama gots mad nuance.
Trading Poland and the Czech Republic for an undisclosed amount of respect and two promises to be named later – brilliant! Can you say, "Sudetenland"? I knew that you could . . .
Dissing the British PM of his corresponding party? Brilliant! To hell with their history of doing as we ask, they once oppressed some African savages! Bad Brits, bad, bad!
Giving Russia a "button" with the wrong inscription? Ha! Brilliant! Keep 'em guessing after the "Peace in our time' concessions . . .
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"I swear it’s like our President never held an executive position before in his life.
Oh, wait…"
Come on, now! He was the Editor of Harvard's Law Review and a "community organizer." What more qualification do you need to run the largest operation in the world? If you consider him anything less than BRILLIANT!, you must be a racist.