Can President Bush make the slightest effort to internationalize his language in diplomacy? Can he try to display some sort of local awareness? Does he know that the simple turn of a phrase can turn people of another land towards you rather than away from you?True, Kennedy ended up declaring himself a doughnut (Ich bin Berliner being the correct translation for which he was grasping), but it really was the thought that counted.
John F. Kennedy: Ich bin ein Berliner.
George W. Bush: I'm looking for a good cowboy. (Yesterday, in Belgium)
There's an easy difference to notice: Kennedy tried to lead by defining himself. Bush tries to lead by defining others. That pretty much explains our diplomatic messes at this point.
Bush Channels Paula Cole
PsoTD on the (lost) art of diplomacy:
Shakesville is run as a safe space. First-time commenters: Please read Shakesville's Commenting Policy and Feminism 101 Section before commenting. We also do lots of in-thread moderation, so we ask that everyone read the entirety of any thread before commenting, to ensure compliance with any in-thread moderation. Thank you.
blog comments powered by Disqus