What the Heck?! Thread (Closed)

[Blitzo]

Re: 2014 Ukrainian Maidan Revolt: News, Views, Photos & Videos

It's just embarrassing to a very low level now for me to watch Obama on TV acting like he's serious on global affairs. Critics have recently pointed out the slew of newly appointed US ambassadors that know nothing about the countries they're being shipped off to. That alone tells you Obama doesn't take world affairs seriously.

I think the new ambassador to china even outright said he wasn't an expert on china or something.

I just sat there wondering if it was a bad joke.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

Re: 2014 Ukrainian Maidan Revolt: News, Views, Photos & Videos

In a way it is a sad Joke, and yet all to real.
its part of the language of resetting relations.

 

[chuck731]

Re: 2014 Ukrainian Maidan Revolt: News, Views, Photos & Videos

It's just embarrassing to a very low level now for me to watch Obama on TV acting like he's serious on global affairs. Critics have recently pointed out the slew of newly appointed US ambassadors that know nothing about the countries they're being shipped off to. That alone tells you Obama doesn't take world affairs seriously.

Hardly is this new.


If you rank all the countries in the world with whom the US has diplomatic relationships in descending order of quality of life index in the capital city over the last 20 years, you would find the ambassadorship in the top 30% are invariably filled by political appointees, ie donars to the president's party or career politicians from the president's party. The bottom 50% on the other hand are invariably filled by career diplomats - ie those who know about their host countries as a result of professional training. Only the 20% in the middle is there a mix.

The quality of life index in Beijing is just below 30% but well above 50%. So the chances that china would be graced with an ambassador who happen to be a professional diplomat is slim. Vast majority of time ambassadorship to china will be filled by those the president had domestic political reasons for rewarding.

The net result is the US Only send ambassador who are professionals and who know about their host countries to unimportant shit holes in the world. If yours is an important or wealthy country, the US will send you a baffoon to represent the interests of the US in your capital.

To sooth your prickly sensitivity, consider the fact that American ambassador to china is an china ignoramus to be evidence that china is now rich enough so being sent to live in the Chinese capital is considered a political reward, not a professional punishment.

 

[AssassinsMace]

Re: 2014 Ukrainian Maidan Revolt: News, Views, Photos & Videos

I think the new ambassador to china even outright said he wasn't an expert on china or something.

I just sat there wondering if it was a bad joke.

Yes but at least he's not a soap opera producer. At first picking Baucus who knew nothing about China I thought was Obama giving the finger because it's been known the Chinese like to deal with ambassadors that at least know something about China. I've read during Obama's first year in office where he went to China for a state dinner... not bringing Michelle on the trip was an intended slight to China that Obama didn't view the country as important. But since a lot of these appointees seem to be ignorant of the countries they're being stationed, then this is just Obama not caring at all.

 

[Blitzo]

Re: 2014 Ukrainian Maidan Revolt: News, Views, Photos & Videos

Hardly is this new.


If you rank all the countries in the world with whom the US has diplomatic relationships in descending order of quality of life index in the capital city over the last 20 years, you would find the ambassadorship in the top 30% are invariably filled by political appointees, ie donars to the president's party or career politicians from the president's party. The bottom 50% on the other hand are invariably filled by career diplomats - ie those who know about their host countries as a result of professional training. Only the 20% in the middle is there a mix.

The quality of life index in Beijing is just below 30% but well above 50%. So the chances that china would be graced with an ambassador who happen to be a professional diplomat is slim. Vast majority of time ambassadorship to china will be filled by those the president had domestic political reasons for rewarding.

The net result is the US Only send ambassador who are professionals and who know about their host countries to unimportant shit holes in the world. If yours is an important or wealthy country, the US will send you a baffoon to represent the interests of the US in your capital.

To sooth your prickly sensitivity, consider the fact that American ambassador to china is an china ignoramus to be evidence that china is now rich enough so being sent to live in the Chinese capital is considered a political reward, not a professional punishment.

Political reward or not, I believe it is ignorant at best, and stupid at worst, to have an ambassador in arguably the most important relationship the US currently has, who is "not an expert" about the country he is meant to liase with.

I don't know where you derive "prickly sensitivity" from either, I interpreted his post more as a face palm in regards to the USs current handling of its relationships, and not least with china. If we are going to simply accept that all US Ambassadors to China will inevitably be impotent, then damn.


Anyway this is OT.

 

[kwaigonegin]

Re: 2014 Ukrainian Maidan Revolt: News, Views, Photos & Videos

Personally I think it's assinine to send any ambassador to the host country who doesn't even have a basic comprehension of the primary language nevermind one with the 2nd largest economy, the world's most populous nation and largest trading partner. I can understand if the ambassadorship is to some country with limited speakers like some African nations but Mandarin Chinese is not exactly some extinct unheard of language with few speakers in the US.

Heck you can go to most rural towns in the US with few residents and there's probably one mom and pop chinese restaurant.

 

[Equation]

Re: 2014 Ukrainian Maidan Revolt: News, Views, Photos & Videos

Hardly is this new.


If you rank all the countries in the world with whom the US has diplomatic relationships in descending order of quality of life index in the capital city over the last 20 years, you would find the ambassadorship in the top 30% are invariably filled by political appointees, ie donars to the president's party or career politicians from the president's party. The bottom 50% on the other hand are invariably filled by career diplomats - ie those who know about their host countries as a result of professional training. Only the 20% in the middle is there a mix.

The quality of life index in Beijing is just below 30% but well above 50%. So the chances that china would be graced with an ambassador who happen to be a professional diplomat is slim. Vast majority of time ambassadorship to china will be filled by those the president had domestic political reasons for rewarding.

The net result is the US Only send ambassador who are professionals and who know about their host countries to unimportant shit holes in the world. If yours is an important or wealthy country, the US will send you a baffoon to represent the interests of the US in your capital.

To sooth your prickly sensitivity, consider the fact that American ambassador to china is an china ignoramus to be evidence that china is now rich enough so being sent to live in the Chinese capital is considered a political reward, not a professional punishment.

Yep, just like Caroline Kennedy who is the new US ambassador to Japan, who probably doesn't speak a lick of Japanese other than a few words for greetings and "more sake please".

 

[SteelBird]

I came across such an article: "Have you ever thought why babies in the arms of beggars always asleep?"

អត្ថបទមួយនេះ គឺមានការទាក់ទងជាមួយនឹង ក្រុមអ្នកសុំទាន ដែលករណីប្រហាក់ប្រហែលគ្នា នៅក្នុងប្រទេសថៃ និងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា ដែលមាននៅក្នុងសង្គមជាក់ស្ដែង។

ក្រោយពីអានអត្ថបទនេះរួច អ្នកនឹងបានយល់ថា ហេតុអ្វីបានជាទារកនៅក្នុងដៃរបស់ ស្ដ្រីសុំទាន តែងតែគេងលក់ មួយវិញទៀត អ្នកនឹងបានដឹងថា អ្នកណាដែលអ្នកត្រូវជួយ ហើយអ្នកណាដែលមិនគួរជួយ។

នៅតាមស្ថានីយរថភ្លើងមួយកន្លែង គេតែងតែបានប្រទះឃើញ ស្ដ្រីវ័យកណ្ដាលម្នាក់ មានសក់ និងសំលៀកបំពាក់កខ្វក់ អង្គុយនៅលើដី ដាក់កំប៉ុងមួយសំរាប់ ឲ្យអ្នកដំណើរដាក់ទានប្រាក់ ហើយក្នុងដៃរបស់គាត់ មានទារកម្នាក់ដែលមានអាយុ ២ ទៅ ៣ឆ្នាំ ស្លៀកពាក់ខោអាវ កខ្វក់ដូចគ្នា។ នៅពេលដែល អ្នកដំណើរទាំងឡាយ បានប្រទះឃើញម៉ែកូន ពួកគេទាំងពីរ គឺតែងតែដាក់ទានប្រាក់ខ្លះ ដល់ទៅពួកគេ ហើយមានសេចក្ដីអាណិត ចំពោះពួកគេជាខ្លាំង។

I think this is a common problem in developing countries where social welfare is low and law enforcement is not strict. In Cambodia, especially Phnom Penh, we always see women carrying babies begging for money. However, most people know that the babies are not those women's children.

The article further clarify one thing "Have you ever thought why babies in the arms of beggars always asleep?". This is true but not always true. The article says that there is a mafia like organisation, those beggars are "employees" while the babies are the "tool" for them to work. If the babies stay awake all days, they will cry and beggars will get frustrated. So they feed the babies with wine (vodka) or drug. This sometime kills the babies but the beggars will continue to carry the bodies of the babies until they "log off" because a mother carrying body of a baby will gain more sympathy from people.

 

[solarz]

The article further clarify one thing "Have you ever thought why babies in the arms of beggars always asleep?". This is true but not always true. The article says that there is a mafia like organisation, those beggars are "employees" while the babies are the "tool" for them to work. If the babies stay awake all days, they will cry and beggars will get frustrated. So they feed the babies with wine (vodka) or drug. This sometime kills the babies but the beggars will continue to carry the bodies of the babies until they "log off" because a mother carrying body of a baby will gain more sympathy from people.

That is just despicable. Unfortunately, this happens only too often in China. There is also a huge problem with baby trafficking. Many toddlers are snatched in broad daylight, often on the front steps of their home, to be sold to wealthy families who can't conceive.

 

[SteelBird]

Thai crazy drivers!

[video=youtube;J_SQFSC3Bqk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=J_SQFSC3Bqk[/video]