Has Obama totally fucking lost the plot?

[Coito ergo sum]

The State Dept. doesn't know how to deal with the fact that some people don't understand diplomacy.

These mobs attacked US consulates because they either don't understand the difference between an amateur American filmmaker and official US policy, or else they're just venting towards the closest American presence they can find. So the State Dept. issues a statement trying to clear up the first issue on behalf of the second one. Defusing the tension is a responsibility they have - they've got embassies all over the muslim world to worry about.

These people attacked a US Embassy/Consulate because they were fomented and organized to do so. This is not happening because the average man-on-the-street in Libya happened to hear about an obscure, amateur filmmaker somewhere in the US that most of us Americans have probably not even heard of. Group leaders in Libya hold meetings and incite this stuff. This doesn't come out of nowhere and does not happen spontaneously.

[Gerald McGrew]

The State Dept. doesn't know how to deal with the fact that some people don't understand diplomacy.

These mobs attacked US consulates because they either don't understand the difference between an amateur American filmmaker and official US policy, or else they're just venting towards the closest American presence they can find. So the State Dept. issues a statement trying to clear up the first issue on behalf of the second one. Defusing the tension is a responsibility they have - they've got embassies all over the muslim world to worry about.

Exactly. Apparently according to Romney and some of his supporters, the US embassies in the middle east should have issued a collective statement saying, "Fuck all Muslims and their fraud of a prophet".

[Coito ergo sum]

LOL - talk about losing the plot ...

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/09/n ... te-091112/

Now that's a gaffe and a half.

Let's have a tribute to American veterans, using Russian Black Sea Fleet warships as props.

Dummies.

[Ian]

Ouch. That's one that would've had me squirm in my seat if I had seen it.

Why can't people who put these things together (and by that I mean writers, editors, etc. for TV shows, movies, or convention speeches for that matter) run their ideas past actual military experts more often? Whenever military or intelligence talk comes up while I'm watching something at home my wife will look over at me to see if I'm nodding in approval to its accuracy or fidgeting by how badly they've screwed it up.

The brief video I see there looks like something that pissed me off in Jerry Bruckheimer's movie Pearl Harbor. Nevermind for now the historical inaccuracies - there were a couple scenes of Japanese warships crossing the Pacific towards Hawaii. The ships were backlit so you what you were really seeing was silhouettes off a gleaming ocean, but being active duty at the time I could recognize their shapes as modern US warships. A Nimitz-class carrier, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, etc. Why couldn't the dork who slapped this montage toegther just take a few seconds' worth of Bruckheimer's stupid movie? Sheesh.

[laklak]

The State Dept. doesn't know how to deal with the fact that some people don't understand diplomacy.

These mobs attacked US consulates because they either don't understand the difference between an amateur American filmmaker and official US policy, or else they're just venting towards the closest American presence they can find. So the State Dept. issues a statement trying to clear up the first issue on behalf of the second one. Defusing the tension is a responsibility they have - they've got embassies all over the muslim world to worry about.

Exactly. Apparently according to Romney and some of his supporters, the US embassies in the middle east should have issued a collective statement saying, "Fuck all Muslims and their fraud of a prophet".

Oh really? I didn't see that. So Romney actually said "Fuck all Muslims and their fraud of a prophet"? Got a link to that, maybe some video?

[Coito ergo sum]

The State Dept. doesn't know how to deal with the fact that some people don't understand diplomacy.

These mobs attacked US consulates because they either don't understand the difference between an amateur American filmmaker and official US policy, or else they're just venting towards the closest American presence they can find. So the State Dept. issues a statement trying to clear up the first issue on behalf of the second one. Defusing the tension is a responsibility they have - they've got embassies all over the muslim world to worry about.

Exactly. Apparently according to Romney and some of his supporters, the US embassies in the middle east should have issued a collective statement saying, "Fuck all Muslims and their fraud of a prophet".

They're not rioting over the stupid film nobody ever heard of. They're rioting because a faction over there has fomented the violence for political purposes and is using the irrelevant film as a smokescreen.

Nobody here in the States heard of this film until yesterday. All we know is "some dope nobody ever heard of is putting out a movie that some people say is insulting to Mohammed."

[Gerald McGrew]

Um....is that what I said? I don't remember saying, "Romney said 'Fuck all Muslims and their fraud of a prophet'".

[Gerald McGrew]

They're not rioting over the stupid film nobody ever heard of. They're rioting because a faction over there has fomented the violence for political purposes and is using the irrelevant film as a smokescreen.

Maybe so, but that doesn't change the fact that the embassy staff have to be careful in what they say, because they live there, and as we've just seen, it's a very dangerous place.

[laklak]

Umm, how else would he communicate it? Telepathy?

[Gerald McGrew]

LOL! "You didn't actually say that...but close enough".

[Coito ergo sum]

LOL! "You didn't actually say that...but close enough".

In all fairness, you put it in quotes, which implies that Romney said, literally, that the consulate should make that quoted statement. Romney didn't say anything of the kind.

The consular quote was ridiculous. No statement about how we don't like people intentionally denigrating religion needs to be made. If it was made by the Bush State Department, you'd not defend it, I bet.

[Gerald McGrew]

In all fairness, you put it in quotes, which implies that Romney said, literally, that the consulate should make that quoted statement. Romney didn't say anything of the kind.

Anyone who read that post as me saying, "This is what Romney said" is an idiot. QED.

The consular quote was ridiculous. No statement about how we don't like people intentionally denigrating religion needs to be made. If it was made by the Bush State Department, you'd not defend it, I bet.

Again, those people have to live there, right in the midst of it all. Whatever they say could literally cost them their lives. So while I may not agree 100% with their statement, in that context I understand it.

[laklak]

Whatever.

[Coito ergo sum]

In all fairness, you put it in quotes, which implies that Romney said, literally, that the consulate should make that quoted statement. Romney didn't say anything of the kind.

Anyone who read that post as me saying, "This is what Romney said" is an idiot. QED.

Dude -- this is what you said: "Exactly. Apparently according to Romney and some of his supporters, the US embassies in the middle east should have issued a collective statement saying, "Fuck all Muslims and their fraud of a prophet"." What else does that mean other than "...according to Romney...the US embassies in the middle east should have issued a collective statement saying 'Fuck all Muslims and their fraud of a prophet?" If you're suggesting that "according to Romney" something else should be said by the embassies, then please clarify.

If, of course, you were just talking out your ass and spouting nonsense, then carry on.

[Gerald McGrew]

Hilarious.