Public Diplomacy Means Always Having to Say You're Sorry
You especially have to apologize for endorsing Israeli self-defense:
Claims that Israel has a green light to fight in Lebanon until it ousts Hezbollah are “outrageous,” a top aide to President Bush said. In interviews over the weekend with Malaysian media, Karen Hughes, Bush’s envoy for public diplomacy in the Middle East, rejected Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon’s claim of U.S. authorization to wipe out Hezbollah. "That is an outrageous statement," Hughes said. "It is false, and my understanding is the government of Israel has disavowed it."
Public diplomacy: apologizing for defending civilization in the futile hope of pathetically currying favor with people who end up hating us anyway.
So does this mean that the United States is placing pressure on Israel in the hopes of winning over the Malaysian government? The government that punishes people for kissing in public and destroys Hindu temples? They're obviously willing to pretend that they're pressuring Israel - largely for reasons passing understanding since, we suggest again, there might be other problems in the US-Muslim relationship than "US support for Israel". Things like, you know, knocking down Hindu temples.
Claims that Israel has a green light to fight in Lebanon until it ousts Hezbollah are “outrageous,” a top aide to President Bush said. In interviews over the weekend with Malaysian media, Karen Hughes, Bush’s envoy for public diplomacy in the Middle East, rejected Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon’s claim of U.S. authorization to wipe out Hezbollah. "That is an outrageous statement," Hughes said. "It is false, and my understanding is the government of Israel has disavowed it."
Public diplomacy: apologizing for defending civilization in the futile hope of pathetically currying favor with people who end up hating us anyway.
So does this mean that the United States is placing pressure on Israel in the hopes of winning over the Malaysian government? The government that punishes people for kissing in public and destroys Hindu temples? They're obviously willing to pretend that they're pressuring Israel - largely for reasons passing understanding since, we suggest again, there might be other problems in the US-Muslim relationship than "US support for Israel". Things like, you know, knocking down Hindu temples.
