२२ सप्टेंबर, २०२२

"It would be so humiliating for Biden if these idiots don’t pass it in Congress."

Said South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, into a hot mic, WaPo reports.

Yoon had just met with Biden at the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York City. There, Biden had pledged $6 billion from the United States to the public health campaign, which fights AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria worldwide....

Park Hong-keun, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party in South Korea, criticized Yoon’s “foul language tarnishing the US Congress” as “a major diplomatic mishap,” Agence France-Presse reported.

I wonder how that plays in South Korea, but I don't think anyone cares in America. Don't we say "these idiots in Congress" — or worse — completely casually? Please, I expect you to say "these idiots in Congress." Anything less feels insincere.

Voting for members of Congress, don't we systematically pick the greater idiot? Really. Examine the results of the elections over the last 50 years, and I think you might find that's the key to outcomes. Nobody likes a smartypants.

३४ टिप्पण्या:

Quayle म्हणाले...

Would love to know the original Korean.
Was the word: pabo? or something more derogatory?

Mike म्हणाले...

ROK President knows a doofus when he sees one. What was his "off mic" take on Slow Joe?

n.n म्हणाले...

The allusion of representatives in shorts.

Rabel म्हणाले...

"Fuckers"

The machinations involved in the switch to "idiots," if that's what happened, would be interesting to follow.

Vance म्हणाले...

"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."

--Mark Twain, I think. This is NOT a new idea....

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

South Korea should pony up $6 billion.

Sebastian म्हणाले...

"Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York City. There, Biden had pledged $6 billion from the United States to the public health campaign"

Why? How much graft goes on at the "Global Fund"? How many lives are actually saved per dollar spent? How much more should we borrow to solve other people's problems? Why, at this late date, is the U.S. spending any money to deal with AIDS overseas, when that disease is entirely preventable with basic prudence by foreigners themselves?

"Voting for members of Congress, don't we systematically pick the greater idiot?"

Not systematically. Last time, yes.

Temujin म्हणाले...

I always preface the word 'Congress' with those idiots in....

Andrew म्हणाले...

"Biden had pledged $6 billion from the United States to the public health campaign, which fights AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria worldwide...."

Where the hell is all this money coming from?

Stephen म्हणाले...

“Nobody likes a smartypants.” Aha, I knew it! You do like Herschel I’m-not-that-smart Walker. So much for cruel neutrality.

n.n म्हणाले...

Where the hell is all this money coming from?

Redistributive change (e.g. progressive prices).

Lurker21 म्हणाले...

Voting for members of Congress, don't we systematically pick the greater idiot?

It often seems so. Challengers are at least aware that realities at home may not match what Washington DC politicians and bureaucrats say. Incumbents who keep getting reelected are out of touch with what is going on in their district and just repeat Washington's conventional wisdom. On the other hand, incumbents do have inside knowledge of how Washington works and massive war chests from wealthy donors which usually guarantee victory. Challengers can be competent, intelligent, and "decent" or they can be ignorant, incompetent, corrupt slobs, but usually they don't have much of a chance. When challengers do unseat incumbents, they usually manage to become swamp creatures by the time they run for reelection.

Krumhorn म्हणाले...

I make no defense of the idiots in Congress, but it's a bit rich for South Korean leadership to act in any way other than fawningly deferential to American leadership and grateful for the American people. The same is true of the rest of the free world.

Calling them "idiots" is our privilege alone.

- Krumhorn

Lloyd W. Robertson म्हणाले...

Churchill said more than once that the House of Commons doesn't admire brilliance in a member or speaker. He probably thought he suffered from this kind of judgment. Going back a ways, Edmund Burke is remembered for his oratory--his books are often just his parliamentary speeches. Yet it is possible he never persauded any of those ... er ... idiots of anything.

Curious George म्हणाले...

"...which fights AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria worldwide...."

Lack of monkey pox should be a deal killer.

Beasts of England म्हणाले...

We should cut out the middleman and give the $6.0B to the Human Fund.

tim maguire म्हणाले...

Sure, we think our leaders are idiots. And we say it all the time. If you are a reliable ally, then, sure, you can say it too. But only if you're a reliable ally.

Saint Croix म्हणाले...

ha ha ha

That's my life story

Nobody likes a smartypants.
Dumbshit, dumbshit is the key!
Vote for me
Vote for me
You will feel superior
I will play inferior
Nobody likes a smartypants!

n.n म्हणाले...

Systematically... hah, a progressive process, it seems. and there are 50 shades of liberal appeal to stoke the emissions, but, generally, for better and worse, a conservative process, 'til the bananas are harvested, or the republic burns as we fiddle.

n.n म्हणाले...

I make no defense of the idiots in Congress... Calling them "idiots" is our privilege alone.

Citizenship has its benefits... benefit. But be wary of wiretaps, electronic sampling, and emanations from penumbras that may resonate in a dysfunctional harmony.

Kylos म्हणाले...

Echoing Rabel, comparing against another source I read (sorry, i don’t remember where) WAPO seems to have altered the translation to strip out the vulgarity.

Josephbleau म्हणाले...

Vote for Cthulhu, why choose the lesser of two evils.

Beiden is the perfect example of a weak minded serially plageristic senator who’s only talent was selling out the government he was elected to serve.

Kylos म्हणाले...

EchoingRabel, WaPo seems to have altered the translation to strip out the vulgarity.

Here’s another account with stronger language

Another old lawyer म्हणाले...

No one votes for who they think is the smartest of the candidates for the office. In a general election, akin to Seinfeld's observation on professional sports teams, we vote for the jersey.

boatbuilder म्हणाले...

In general, people are extremely...conservative...in the literal sense of the term, when they vote. Unless the incumbent has done something outrageously wrong (and often even if) they vote for him or her. "He/she seems to be doing OK" is the apparent standard.

I heard some poll results here in CT on the radio today. The primary issues of concern to voters are inflation and energy prices, by a wide margin.

Lamont (Democrat spendthrift standard issue governor) and Blumenthal are up by 17 points over their Republican challengers.

According to the polsters, they run dead even with men; the difference is all women.

(Perhaps those who think that Lindsey Graham is making a mistake by addressing abortion, and suggesting that Republicans should say nothing, should take note).

Roadkill711 म्हणाले...

Yeah, Congress is populated primarily by idiots. And criminals. Twain certainly had that right.

Sadly, the current rigid party discipline has provided cover for the most egregious offenders.

Roadkill711 म्हणाले...

Yeah, Congress is populated primarily by idiots. And criminals. Twain certainly had that right.

Sadly, the current rigid party discipline has provided cover for the most egregious offenders.

Roadkill711 म्हणाले...

Yeah, Congress is populated primarily by idiots. And criminals. Twain certainly had that right.

Sadly, the current rigid party discipline has provided cover for the most egregious offenders.

Howard म्हणाले...

Ass kissers are the worse except for no count pukes whom commands to have his ass kissed.

Blogger Krumhorn said...
I make no defense of the idiots in Congress, but it's a bit rich for South Korean leadership to act in any way other than fawningly deferential to American leadership and grateful for the American people. The same is true of the rest of the free world.

The Godfather म्हणाले...

"Examine the results of the elections over the last 50 years, and I think you might find that's the key to outcomes. Nobody likes a smartypants." Granted Althouse was talking about Congressional elections, but isn't that an explanation for Trump's win over Hillary and Joe's victory over Trump?
I'm not sure it explains Obama over whats-his-name, you know, the smart-ass. Romney. Why do I keep forgetting that name?

Rt41Rebel म्हणाले...

Well done, Beasts of England @ 2:14 PM

I have and wear a Human Fund t-shirt, the motto in smaller font reads 'Money for People.'

Krumhorn म्हणाले...

Ass kissers are the worse except for no count pukes whom commands to have his ass kissed.

Well, Howard, there are always ass-eaters. You always seem to have a hearty appetite for yum yum portions of ass. We know that since you seldom wipe your face showing up here, as you do, freshly assed.

- Krumhorn

Christopher B म्हणाले...

To paraphrase, Congress may be idiots but they're *our* idiots.

Perspective matters. We get to call them idiots because they are the imperfect vessels selected to make the sausage that represents 330 million different views of what our government should be doing. A foreign leader is far more likely to be complaining that the US government is not going to do something for *his* benefit, especially if the exact wording didn't make any reference to intelligence, but he has no claim that anybody in the US government is supposed to be representing what he wants done.

mikee म्हणाले...

And what, exactly, is wrong about taking every opportunity to humiliate Biden?