Honor and Error
May 30, 2012 10:18 AM Subscribe
In a high profile gaffe President Barack Obama has recently caused anger in Poland by referring to a Nazi death camp as a "Polish death camp" during a ceremony honoring World War II hero Jan Karski with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“The White House will apologize for this outrageous error,” Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski tweeted. Sikorski said that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk “will make a statement in the morning. It’s a pity that this important ceremony was upstaged by ignorance and incompetence.”
The White House quickly expressed regret for the incident but Tusk does not feel the anger over the mistake is entirely out of line. “We always react in the same way when ignorance, lack of knowledge, bad intentions lead to such a distortion of history.” Sikorski was quick to place the blame on White House staffers who prepared the speech rather than the President himself.
Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post suggests that recent gaffes and errors out of the White House and Obama campaign are a sign of a bubble of misinformation.
This propensity for error and the persistent tone deafness of the Obama campaign are a reflection of the intellectual conformity of the White House (it spans the political spectrum from far left to left) and of the cult of personality. The thin-skinned, self-enamored president is perched on a pedestal, beyond the criticism of mere mortal advisers.
It is therefore not surprising that we’ve seen a plethora of missteps, gaffes and serious errors from the once hyper-effective Obama campaign team. It is the result of an enforced intellectual and strategic uniformity, and from the lack of an early-warning system.There’s no canary in the political mine shaft to signal that the team is in trouble.
Whatever the origin of Obama’s flying-blind syndrome, the Romney forces surely hope it is an incurable and fatal ailment. As for Romney, he has the benefit of having been grilled in the primary, a healthy appreciation for the media’s delight in tripping him up and the absence of a reverential cocoon. That may explain why his campaign is suffering far fewer self-inflicted wounds these days.
The White House quickly expressed regret for the incident but Tusk does not feel the anger over the mistake is entirely out of line. “We always react in the same way when ignorance, lack of knowledge, bad intentions lead to such a distortion of history.” Sikorski was quick to place the blame on White House staffers who prepared the speech rather than the President himself.
Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post suggests that recent gaffes and errors out of the White House and Obama campaign are a sign of a bubble of misinformation.
This propensity for error and the persistent tone deafness of the Obama campaign are a reflection of the intellectual conformity of the White House (it spans the political spectrum from far left to left) and of the cult of personality. The thin-skinned, self-enamored president is perched on a pedestal, beyond the criticism of mere mortal advisers.
It is therefore not surprising that we’ve seen a plethora of missteps, gaffes and serious errors from the once hyper-effective Obama campaign team. It is the result of an enforced intellectual and strategic uniformity, and from the lack of an early-warning system.There’s no canary in the political mine shaft to signal that the team is in trouble.
Whatever the origin of Obama’s flying-blind syndrome, the Romney forces surely hope it is an incurable and fatal ailment. As for Romney, he has the benefit of having been grilled in the primary, a healthy appreciation for the media’s delight in tripping him up and the absence of a reverential cocoon. That may explain why his campaign is suffering far fewer self-inflicted wounds these days.
This post was deleted for the following reason: This is sort of an interesting little diplomatic clusterfuck but weighing it down with the op-ed angle and several paragraphs of pullquote therefrom feels like a good way to turn this into a discussion not so much about the diplomatic stuff as about the content of that op-ed. Maybe a do-over with less baggage. -- cortex
I'm not familiar with her, but I'm guessing Jennifer Rubin is a Republican shill, then right?
posted by entropicamericana at 10:22 AM on May 30, 2012 [12 favorites]
posted by entropicamericana at 10:22 AM on May 30, 2012 [12 favorites]
> This is the favorite parlor game of conservatives: Is Obama ideologically blinded to the point of obtuseness or deeply cynical — or both?
This sentence works for any candidate!
"This is the favorite parlor game of liberals: Is Romney ideologically blinded to the point of obtuseness or deeply cynical — or both?"
When I grow up I want to be a lazy op-ed writer. It's the easiest fucking job in the world.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:24 AM on May 30, 2012 [5 favorites]
This sentence works for any candidate!
"This is the favorite parlor game of liberals: Is Romney ideologically blinded to the point of obtuseness or deeply cynical — or both?"
When I grow up I want to be a lazy op-ed writer. It's the easiest fucking job in the world.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:24 AM on May 30, 2012 [5 favorites]
"...intellectual conformity of the White House (it spans the political spectrum from far left to left)"
What?
How does this tripe get published?
posted by Stagger Lee at 10:26 AM on May 30, 2012 [4 favorites]
What?
How does this tripe get published?
posted by Stagger Lee at 10:26 AM on May 30, 2012 [4 favorites]
I'm pretty sure Republicans are acting more offended than they actually are. I don't think they made so much of a fuss over all of Bush's verbal mistakes.
posted by Malice at 10:26 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Malice at 10:26 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
What a bunch of bullshit. Like anyone who heard thought he meant anything other than a Nazi death camp. I'm sick of all this fake outrage over anything Obama does.
posted by zzazazz at 10:26 AM on May 30, 2012 [11 favorites]
posted by zzazazz at 10:26 AM on May 30, 2012 [11 favorites]
The thin-skinned, self-enamored president is perched on a pedestal, beyond the criticism of mere mortal advisers.
This has always been the Republicans' favorite line on Obama. Speaking of a bubble ...
posted by lunasol at 10:27 AM on May 30, 2012
This has always been the Republicans' favorite line on Obama. Speaking of a bubble ...
posted by lunasol at 10:27 AM on May 30, 2012
This propensity for error and the persistent tone deafness of the Obama campaign are a reflection of the intellectual conformity of the White House (it spans the political spectrum from far left to left) and of the cult of personality. The thin-skinned, self-enamored president is perched on a pedestal, beyond the criticism of mere mortal advisers. - Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post
Fucking liberal media.
posted by Fritz Langwedge at 10:27 AM on May 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
Fucking liberal media.
posted by Fritz Langwedge at 10:27 AM on May 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
Seriously? The guy stumbled over a few words. That's not ignorance and incompetence. People need to chill the fuck out.
Does anyone seriously believe (and have evidence to support) that the President of the United States doesn't take the Holocaust seriously, or can't differentiate between the state of Poland with Nazi-Occupied Poland?
If people are going to be this sensitive and uptight, the endgame will be that we'll be afraid to talk about anything for fear of stirring up a PR shitstorm. You're not going to promote tolerance or compassion by starting a pedantic mudslinging campaign.
When there are multiple heads of state who openly deny the very existence of the Holocaust, this seems like a ridiculously stupid thing to get upset about.
posted by schmod at 10:28 AM on May 30, 2012 [3 favorites]
Does anyone seriously believe (and have evidence to support) that the President of the United States doesn't take the Holocaust seriously, or can't differentiate between the state of Poland with Nazi-Occupied Poland?
If people are going to be this sensitive and uptight, the endgame will be that we'll be afraid to talk about anything for fear of stirring up a PR shitstorm. You're not going to promote tolerance or compassion by starting a pedantic mudslinging campaign.
When there are multiple heads of state who openly deny the very existence of the Holocaust, this seems like a ridiculously stupid thing to get upset about.
posted by schmod at 10:28 AM on May 30, 2012 [3 favorites]
Only in Amercia.
Is this a high-profile gaffe or is this an opportunity for the simple to ignore context and say the president is not sure who is responsible for the holocaust?
posted by munchingzombie at 10:28 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Is this a high-profile gaffe or is this an opportunity for the simple to ignore context and say the president is not sure who is responsible for the holocaust?
posted by munchingzombie at 10:28 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Is it in Poland?
The death camp in question was indeed in Poland, which the Whitehouse spokesperson tactfully pointed out in issuing the apology.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 10:31 AM on May 30, 2012 [5 favorites]
The death camp in question was indeed in Poland, which the Whitehouse spokesperson tactfully pointed out in issuing the apology.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 10:31 AM on May 30, 2012 [5 favorites]
If there is anything that I have learned from the modern political process, it is that obvious minor unintentional errors in speech are deeply meaningful and should in all cases be treated as if the speaker believes them to be the literal truth no matter what.
DEEPLY MEANINGFUL!
posted by kyrademon at 10:31 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
DEEPLY MEANINGFUL!
posted by kyrademon at 10:31 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
The death camp in question was indeed in Poland
Was it staffed by Poles?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 10:32 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Was it staffed by Poles?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 10:32 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Honestly, I don't see why this is such a big deal. It's in Poland. Polish people died there. It was a Polish death camp; a camp of Polish death. He didn't say that it was a Poland-run death camp or anything. Where's the mistake?
posted by windykites at 10:32 AM on May 30, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by windykites at 10:32 AM on May 30, 2012 [3 favorites]
How does this tripe get published?
Rubin is WaPo's resident right-wing flunkie, helping the paper project the ever-important illusion of false objectivity through "balance". She writes her brand of garbage on a fairly regular basis. Nothing to see here.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:32 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Rubin is WaPo's resident right-wing flunkie, helping the paper project the ever-important illusion of false objectivity through "balance". She writes her brand of garbage on a fairly regular basis. Nothing to see here.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:32 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
I like to imagine people who are outraged at things like this as stereotype southern ladies going "oh MY I do believe I have the vapors!" with lots of hand fanning.
posted by pyrex at 10:33 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by pyrex at 10:33 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski tweeted. Sikorski said that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk “will make a statement in the morning. It’s a pity that this important ceremony was upstaged by ignorance and incompetence.”
Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski? Oh, the guy who used to be the chief foreign correspondent for the US hard right magazine National Review?
No idea why this guy would be saying this. I mean, he couldn't be helping his long-time friend Rupert Murdoch, either, could he?
Well, the Romney lovers will be so happy for this.
posted by Ironmouth at 10:36 AM on May 30, 2012 [45 favorites]
Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski? Oh, the guy who used to be the chief foreign correspondent for the US hard right magazine National Review?
No idea why this guy would be saying this. I mean, he couldn't be helping his long-time friend Rupert Murdoch, either, could he?
Well, the Romney lovers will be so happy for this.
posted by Ironmouth at 10:36 AM on May 30, 2012 [45 favorites]
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