— Evidently, that’s a message for local consumption only — y’know, a rote pander meant to appeal to the jingoists and the xenophobes and the bitter clinging middle-American hayseeds Obama is going to need to con yet again if he’s to have any hope of being re-elected.
Whereas in the real world — the world of smart diplomacy and smart elites who Know How Things Get Done — ObamaCo leaves that kind of quaint pro-America bullshit at the door. CNS, “New U.S. Ambassador to Russia: We Support ‘Universal Values’ Not ‘American Values’”:
he new U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, said that in dealing with the former Soviet Union, he and the Obama administration would be advocating “universal values” and “not American values.”
McFaul was sworn in as ambassador to Russia by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Jan. 10. He made his remarks on Tuesday’s Morning Edition on NPR. The show’s host, David Greene, had asked McFaul about Russia’s “evolution towards demoracy,” and McFaul said “there is no single path to democracy” and that his job was to support universal values.
“And we — as President Obama has said many, many times — we’re not going to get into the business of dictating that path,” McFaul said. “We’re just going to support what we like to call ‘universal values’ – not American values, not Western values, universal values.”
Secretary Clinton said she was “thrilled” to make McFaul’s ambassadorship “official” at the swearing-in ceremony, where she touted his expertise as a Russian scholar and as senior director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs in the Obama administration’s National Security Council. Clinton also spoke of values at the ceremony.
So much for that shining city on a hill bullshit, right?
After all, the Russians likely believe in Russian exceptionalism, just as the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism, and so forth. Therefore, it would be downright rude and presumptuous to think that our country has struck upon the right ideas for how best to define the compact between individuals and their government.
I mean, who are we to judge, right?
That is, unless we’re talking about lightbulbs or salt or transfats or painting supplies or toilets or shower heads or backyard puddles, etc. In which case, passing judgment seems to be the very object of our government.
But then, that redounds to our plebes. Not those the smart set has been taught to fetishize for their Otherness. So, you know, apples and oranges.
Or, if you prefer, nuance.
Based on world history, “universal values” means lots of genocide, rape, and slavery.
More of that value relativism bullshit huh? Oh well, what can you expect of cynics, cosmopolitans and transnationalists, really?
A veritable mob of choices, Ernst?
I wonder what Thucydides would say? Or no, no, that’s not it: more like, how long would he be laughing himself into side-stitches at us and drying the tears away from his eyes, before he grew quiet and gave in to the depression?
Thucydides is just a l’il chucklebunny
Or just the mob, JHo.
That’s either the wittiest thing you’ve ever written ‘feets, or the most banal. It’s impossible to know which though.
I rather suspect the Russian Ambassador isn’t looking to push universal values…
McFail?
Are they speaking of the universal values of the one world government the transnationalist long for so, or more ominously, the final victory of the workers in the people’s revolution?
Either way it’s a pick your poison situation for those who still believe in American exceptionalism. It’s a shame the RNC isn’t smart enough to juxtapose McFaul’s quote regarding universal and definitely not American values against Obama’s empty words from last night…
Here are some universal truths:
Set up a tent on my property, you get the RPG. (no rhyme intended)
Threaten my family, you will be hunted down.
We’re wandering the streets after Obama completely destroys our economy, it comes down to an ass-kicking contest.
So universal values would almost certainly include, learning how to defend yourself, learning how to shoot, looking out for yourself.
Given their frequent and characteristic Gaia fetishizing, you’d think they’d notice the fact the place is small, globular, and mostly water.
And we can’t get off the sucker.
Choice!
The only universal value I know is E=mc squared. And certain Bosuns belonging to a guy named Higgs have been challenging that.
Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness work for me. And it would put a smile on my face to watch an RPG hit a tent in alp’s yard.
Set up a tent on my property, you get the RPG.
So wait — you want to play D&D with the Owwies? That’s just weird.
[…] CNS News, Penny Starr reporting, we learn [tip of the fedora to Jeff Goldstein]: The new U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, said that in dealing with the former Soviet […]
That whole pursuit of happiness thing is the core of the problem. You’re not qualified to decide what is good. You will be told what is good and how you may acceptably go about obtaining it, with the proper permissions and licenses, of course.
Energy rations have been increased to 20 joules per week!
Of course they support universal values, wouldn’t want to be judgmental after all. Unless it’s the values of those bitter people out in flyover country clinging to their religion and their guns.
How about this LARP I found? It’s called The Most Dangerous Game.
The most Dangerous Game? To make it fair you’d have to give the Owies gunz. Of course they’d promptly shoot themselves in the other foot and we could laugh and laugh..
And you’ll be happy or face penalties up to and including one year in jail and a fine of up to $50,000.
Well, f*** me. Car just broke. Guess the pursuit of happiness now involves staying at work and waiting for AAA to show up. Think I’ll play on the inter-tubes some more.
Miracle of the free market at work. Going on the flat-bed now. Can you imagine if we had to go through the Department of Motor Vehicles?
Whenever I read about one of the clowns in these payback appointments Obama has made, I am instantly reminded of the Olde Utah Gangbangers’ Rite of Passage Serial. It plays out here every third of fourth summer, and has since the early nineties, when we moved up here from San Diego.
Anyway, what happens is that two to four bored young hooligans get tired of boosting beer or vandalizing cars and decide that they are wasting their talents in Utah. So they steal their aunt’s Kia from Rose Park or West Valley City or Ogden and head for the Gangbangers’ Promised Land – Southhhhhh Central.
A fair number get crossed up in Vegas and never even make it to the Golden State. Of those that have, the lucky ones we hear about are caught by the cops first, for stealing aunt’s car, and get extradited. The ones that make that nervous, respectful reach out for the True Homies NEVER make the cut.
Back in the mid nineties, two teens with blood running out of their boxers were dumped at the curb in front of the Lakewood Sheriff’s station. They got jumped in, jumped out, AND were hokey pokeyed all about, as well.
The moral of the story is that if you think you are a player, but deep down you know you just know what you learned in African or Feminist Studies, and that the rest of your diplomatic training could be accurately described as a circle jerk interspersed with petty scams, you are going to come off a far, far second when you do run into a player.
Barry ain’t the Hindmost. He’s the Leastmost.