Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s characteristic restraint gave way Monday in Kinshasa, Congo, when she snapped at a student who nervously asked her what former President Clinton, as well as former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo, thought about an international loan. “Wait. You want me to tell you what my husband thinks?” Clinton responded. “My husband is not the secretary of state; I am. So you ask my opinion, I will tell you my opinion. I’m not going to be channeling my husband.” The student later said he meant to refer to President Obama, not President Clinton — leaving Americans to wonder whether the secretary of state overreacted because she felt overshadowed by her husband’s success in liberating two U.S. journalists from North Korea last week.
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- Jed on Let immigrants run
- Regular on Open thread 11/23
- Regular on Open thread 11/23
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/23
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/23
- Freebird1971 on Open thread 11/23
- Freebird1971 on Open thread 11/23
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/23
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/23
- Freebird1971 on Open thread 11/23
28 Comments
The important story here is that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is visiting various countries in Africa and, obviously, trying to improve relations with these countries. In this report, she is visiting the Congo. Seems like a few days ago, she was in Kenya, home of Obama’s father before he passed away.
I am told on good authority that China has technicians working throughout Africa searching for natural resources they can utilize. And developing relationships at the same time.
A breakdown in communications beteen Hillary Clinton and a student is not the important story although I hope Mrs. Clinton is treating the local people with respect.
First off, it’s the result of the translator’s error.
Second, she’s on what’s gotta be a pretty grueling tour of seven sub-Saharan African states.
Third, her primary message in Congo is to decry the military use of rapes as a weapon of war and the empowerment of women.
And then this student gets up and (according to the translation) says, “All well and good, but what does your husband think?”
It most certainly wasn’t a stellar moment in diplomacy, but it sure looked pretty much like a human moment to me.
Good for her. Not that I’m a fan of Hillary, but good for her.
Monkeyhawk
Posted August 12, 2009 at 1:05 pm | Permalink
First off, it’s the result of the translator’s error.
======================================
How do you say “cankle” in Conganese?
The oil folks are finding more and more usable fields all over Africa, and not just in the desert regions. The Chinese know it and are trying as hard as they can to get in ahead of us and Europe.
Oil politics. They will go on until we drain the last drop of the stuff out of the planet, providing we haven’t blown it up before that. Remember: No friends, no enemies, just interests. And oil is very interesting.
Dennis
Dennis, with the Congo it’s far, far more than simply oil.
It’s Coltran, it’s other mineral wealth such as diamonds, it is incredible biodiversity (important for the pharmacutical industry), it is rubber and coffee, it is Coltran (especially Coltran), it is wood, and it is wildlife that can not be found anywhere else, even in Africa.
And it is some of the poorest people in the world sitting in a nation that, in terms of natural resources, may be the richest in the world. And there are people, including too many people in what can hardly be called a functioning government, local warlords, and other countries, especially the Chinese, who are all too willing to literally exploit the country.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo will be one of the most important nations of the 21st Century, one way or the other.
Michelle should have been there to demostrate the art of booty shaking.
Again, Regular, with the nasty talk. Do you kiss your mommy with that mouth?
“totoinks” observes –
“Again, Regular, with the nasty talk. Do you kiss your mommy with that mouth?”
I suspect “Regular’s” mommy is dead. (Although it could have been an open casket.)
Better to ask if he kisses his sister with that mouth.
Or their kid.
Give ‘em hell Hil!
Agnatha, you’re absolutely right. Natural resources of that scale are a mixed blessing/curse. It makes you a great, big target. Congo may eventually be one of the richest countries in the world, but its struggle has just begun, and there is no guarantee it will come out unscathed.
Dennis
Signs of things to come:
“In a television interview Monday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested that it would be a good thing for the government to take an ownership interest in industry..”
We must defeat the democrats in 2010. I’m not sure they are hanging themselves well enough yet.
funny…here I thought Secretary of State was supposed to be diplomatic, able to perform under pressure, and an asset when representing the United States.
guess that doesn’t matter anymore…hillary flies off the handle and loses her cool. some diplomat…
Hillery Clinton .. it’s a good thing she had nothing to throw .. like a lamp ??
I love this video ..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQVgHx_cdEA
enjoy =:0]
#
totoinks
Posted August 12, 2009 at 2:01 pm | Permalink
Again, Regular, with the nasty talk. Do you kiss your mommy with that mouth?
==============================================
Think test tube failure.
Hillary snaps under pressure. And a female response at that.
Gone are the days of a true leader and thinker. John Kennedy was the man who accompanied Jackie to Germany and Europe. And he laughed…
Hillary? Nope she goes ballistic!
As daffy duck would say: “Touchy, touchy, touchy”
The answer was a good one. It is not the Secretary of States fault that the question was translated poorly.
As Monkeyhawk pointed out, this is an area of the world that can do well to see an assertive woman.
For some reason, Hillary felt</I) the need to assert herself and remind everyone of her title.
I guess nobody remembered what her title was.
Afterall, Obama sent Bill to North Korea to do the job she couldn’t do.
Blame the translator.
Good, very good.
A really smart Secretary of State might have first clarified the question, before flying off the handle and going ballistic.
I wonder how Hillary would react under a truly high-pressure situation, like a heated negotiation over an Arms treaty with Russia, or a nuclear disarmament treaty with Iran or North Korea?
Now we know why Obama didn’t let her go to Moscow.
Maybe Hillary will just cry her way out of any truly difficult situation.
Maybe she’s mad that Bill won’t give her any.
Or maybe Bill slipped-up and shouted out “MONICA!” at a very inappropriate moment.
The Video should be seen:
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/hillary_clintons_congo_blow-up/
Hillary: “I am not going to be chaneling my husband.”
channeling
Channeling is a process whereby an individual (the “channeler”) claims to have been invaded by a spirit entity which speaks through the channeler. The channeling craze began in earnest in 1972 with the publication of Seth Speaks by Jane Roberts and Robert Butts, her husband. They claim that “Seth,” a very wise “unseen entity,” communicated his wisdom to Jane, who dictated to Butts while she was in a trance. Though Roberts, a somewhat accomplished poet, was obviously very literate and widely read in many religious and occult traditions (including Jung), her advocates portray her as communicating ideas beyond her ability. They take this as proof she was inspired.
http://www.skepdic.com/channeling.html
Very strange choice of words by Hillary – Chaneling.
Hillary is boss!
Seriously? She can’t control herself? Several of you observe that her real message is about the Congo. Who can keep track of her real message with stupid behavior like this getting in the way. If she can’t control herself when questioned by a STUDENT, how can we trust her to control herself with heads of state???
Sure gives a whole new meaning to the “ugly American”.