Comments on: The U.S. State Department of North Korea http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/the_us_state_department_of_nor/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:34 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Bob Levin http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/the_us_state_department_of_nor/comment-page-1/#comment-1043 Bob Levin Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:39:19 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/2008/02/08/the-us-state-department-of-north-korea/#comment-1043 Seems like the State Department is confusing diplomatic negotiation with group therapy. Because, as we all know, group therapy is universal and applies to all people all over the world regardless of their culture. Why, it's a panacea! Seems like the State Department is confusing diplomatic negotiation with group therapy.

Because, as we all know, group therapy is universal and applies to all people all over the world regardless of their culture.

Why, it’s a panacea!

]]> By: Alex Reed http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/the_us_state_department_of_nor/comment-page-1/#comment-1042 Alex Reed Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:39:03 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/2008/02/08/the-us-state-department-of-north-korea/#comment-1042 Just what was in the tea Kim served our Chris Hill during his visits to the Hermit Kingdom? While Ambassador Hill's presentation seemed intelligent and skillful, just below the smooth surface one finds the confused thinking of which the "we"isms are a notable feature. Ambassador Hill's whole meander, if you consider its odd internal logic and assumptions, would fit right into a Jefferson Airplane song from the bad old days. I expected, at any moment, to hear him, "Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar had given him the call." It was peculiar. How long will it take the State Department to yank this gem off their website? It would be a pity to see it go. We should be able to view our tax dollars at work. But, in a way, doesn't Hill's cozy "we" fit into the diplomacy as therapy construct that seems prevalent at the moment? (Listen to Condi gas on about "doing diplomacy", or Mohamed ElBaredi, the shrink-in-charge at IAEA, muse about soothing the bruised sensibilities in Tehran.) Confidence building, relationship building, creating the correct atmospherics for progress, et gruesome cetera. The diplomacy of feelings is in full bloom. Ye Gods, we're doomed! In the "helping professions", can there not occur a tendency for the practitioner to slide into the team spirit with the patient who is to be convinced that, just chums together, they share a common attainable goal of cure? Thus, the therapeutic "we". Worse still, might Hill's "we"ness bespeak some strange diplomatic perversion of a latter-day gestalt dialogical relationship therapy of inclusion where Hill and Kim end up as "we"? Who knows! In the end, they seem, to me, like the words of an exhausted, desperate, and confused man who has been repeatedly mugged by reality while going through the Kim treatment for (how many?) years. He's at the point where all he sees is "the process", and no longer its strategic ramifications. Today there is reason to fear that this contagion of "we" has escaped the confines of our diplomatic enclaves and is now infecting one of the other yammering classes: genus politico. Howard Wolfson, communications director for the Clinton (who knows which one?) campaign, is quoted in <a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/71044?page_no=2" rel="nofollow">The New York Sun</a> as saying that Mrs. Clinton would emerge victorious. "<b>We</b> will be the nominee." One is left to wonder whether this is the royal, papal, or Borg "we", though there remains a sense in the atmospherics that more unpleasant surprises may lurk for She Who Must Be Obeyed. Just what was in the tea Kim served our Chris Hill during his visits to the Hermit Kingdom? While Ambassador Hill’s presentation seemed intelligent and skillful, just below the smooth surface one finds the confused thinking of which the “we”isms are a notable feature. Ambassador Hill’s whole meander, if you consider its odd internal logic and assumptions, would fit right into a Jefferson Airplane song from the bad old days. I expected, at any moment, to hear him, “Tell ‘em a hookah-smoking caterpillar had given him the call.” It was peculiar. How long will it take the State Department to yank this gem off their website? It would be a pity to see it go. We should be able to view our tax dollars at work.

But, in a way, doesn’t Hill’s cozy “we” fit into the diplomacy as therapy construct that seems prevalent at the moment? (Listen to Condi gas on about “doing diplomacy”, or Mohamed ElBaredi, the shrink-in-charge at IAEA, muse about soothing the bruised sensibilities in Tehran.) Confidence building, relationship building, creating the correct atmospherics for progress, et gruesome cetera. The diplomacy of feelings is in full bloom. Ye Gods, we’re doomed! In the “helping professions”, can there not occur a tendency for the practitioner to slide into the team spirit with the patient who is to be convinced that, just chums together, they share a common attainable goal of cure? Thus, the therapeutic “we”. Worse still, might Hill’s “we”ness bespeak some strange diplomatic perversion of a latter-day gestalt dialogical relationship therapy of inclusion where Hill and Kim end up as “we”? Who knows! In the end, they seem, to me, like the words of an exhausted, desperate, and confused man who has been repeatedly mugged by reality while going through the Kim treatment for (how many?) years. He’s at the point where all he sees is “the process”, and no longer its strategic ramifications.

Today there is reason to fear that this contagion of “we” has escaped the confines of our diplomatic enclaves and is now infecting one of the other yammering classes: genus politico. Howard Wolfson, communications director for the Clinton (who knows which one?) campaign, is quoted in The New York Sun as saying that Mrs. Clinton would emerge victorious. “We will be the nominee.” One is left to wonder whether this is the royal, papal, or Borg “we”, though there remains a sense in the atmospherics that more unpleasant surprises may lurk for She Who Must Be Obeyed.

]]> By: progressoverpeace http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/the_us_state_department_of_nor/comment-page-1/#comment-1041 progressoverpeace Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:21:52 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/2008/02/08/the-us-state-department-of-north-korea/#comment-1041 Ms. Rosett, This is all very disheartening, especially given Bush's intial (and correct, in my view) approach to North Korea, but I thank you for identifying the seemingly innocuous, though critical, lines that serve to illustrate what is going on in the minds down at Foggy Bottom. It paints a very scary picture. Bush is going to leave office with 2/3rds of the Axis of Evil stronger and growing ... Silver Lining: The article was a really fun read. Quick. Appropriately sarcastic. To the point. (There's no silver lining for State, or this fiasco of a foreign policy.) Ms. Rosett,

This is all very disheartening, especially given Bush’s intial (and correct, in my view) approach to North Korea, but I thank you for identifying the seemingly innocuous, though critical, lines that serve to illustrate what is going on in the minds down at Foggy Bottom. It paints a very scary picture.

Bush is going to leave office with 2/3rds of the Axis of Evil stronger and growing …

Silver Lining: The article was a really fun read. Quick. Appropriately sarcastic. To the point. (There’s no silver lining for State, or this fiasco of a foreign policy.)

]]> By: Chip Seiple http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/the_us_state_department_of_nor/comment-page-1/#comment-1040 Chip Seiple Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:44:28 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/2008/02/08/the-us-state-department-of-north-korea/#comment-1040 Claudia, I agree w/ Mr Hahn. Condi would make a great best friend, wonderful personality, a good jogger, an excellent pianist, but a terrible negotiator. She should go out w/ whatever grace she has left. "Negotiating w/ a terrorist is like arguing w/ a fool." "When will we ever learn?" Claudia,

I agree w/ Mr Hahn. Condi would make a great best friend, wonderful personality, a good jogger, an excellent pianist, but a terrible negotiator. She should go out w/ whatever grace she has left.

“Negotiating w/ a terrorist is like arguing w/ a fool.”

“When will we ever learn?”

]]> By: Chip Seiple http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/the_us_state_department_of_nor/comment-page-1/#comment-1039 Chip Seiple Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:09:20 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/2008/02/08/the-us-state-department-of-north-korea/#comment-1039 OK, Claudia, Where did we get this guy? This is down right embarrassing. Six party talks? DPRK is the only one partying. When will our country stand up and not put up with this BS? We no longer are a super power, but a Paper Tiger. Help us Claudia, help us. Where is John Bolton when you need him. We could have put Mr. Hill on Sat Night Live. cs OK, Claudia,

Where did we get this guy? This is down right embarrassing. Six party talks? DPRK is the only one partying.

When will our country stand up and not put up with this BS? We no longer are a super power, but a Paper Tiger.

Help us Claudia, help us. Where is John Bolton when you need him. We could have put Mr. Hill on Sat Night Live.

cs

]]> By: chuck hahn http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/the_us_state_department_of_nor/comment-page-1/#comment-1038 chuck hahn Sat, 09 Feb 2008 15:10:28 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/claudiarosett/2008/02/08/the-us-state-department-of-north-korea/#comment-1038 Dear Ms. Rosett, Your report on "The US State Department of North Korea" is an excellent and enlightening piece on the Bush administration's current policy toward North Korea. If Bush is a wise president, he should have fired Condi Rice along with Chris Hill for their complete failures on North korea. Rice and Hill are so naive on North Korea and Kim Jong-Il, and we Americans are unfortunate to have them conducting Amercian foreign policy. We should have many John Boltons in the State Department. Chuck Hahn New Jersey Dear Ms. Rosett,

Your report on “The US State Department of North Korea” is an excellent and enlightening piece on the Bush administration’s current policy toward North Korea. If Bush is a wise president, he should have fired Condi Rice along with Chris Hill for their complete failures on North korea. Rice and Hill are so naive on North Korea and Kim Jong-Il, and we Americans are unfortunate to have them conducting
Amercian foreign policy. We should have many John Boltons in the State Department.

Chuck Hahn
New Jersey

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