A Fucking Poor Choice of Words

I am a blogger, not a journalist.  So, if you want the story, check out the Guardian article.

The gist of it is that Victoria Nuland, who is some big muckety muck in the U.S. State Department and quite possibly a very pleasant lady if you knew her personally, I’m not saying otherwise, has stepped in a big pile of Ukrainian dogshit.  In a phone call with the American Ambassador to Ukraine, while discussing the differences between the E.U. approach and the American approach to the problems currently besetting that fine nation, she uttered the phrase “Fuck the E.U.”  Apparently, the E.U. is, in her opinion, not as supportive of the protesters as the U.S. is.

Victoria Nuland

Since neither unit is planning on sending in troops or anything like that, they are quibbling over trivial differences.  Still, Angela Merkel is not amused.

I can understand how it happened.  Certainly, she should have said something more diplomatic but, when you think you are in a private conversation, you speak in less formal terms.  I suspect very strongly that at some point Hillary Clinton has said to one of her aides “Fuck Barack Obama” and I have about the same degree of certainty that at some point Barack Obama has turned to one of his close advisers and said “Fuck Hillary Clinton.”  There is little doubt in my mind that Abraham Lincoln, great statesman that he was, probably at some point said “Fuck Thaddeus Stevens.” (The one who was played by Tommy Lee Jones).  I’m sure George Patton had occasion to say “Fuck Eisenhower” and vice versa.  They were still on the same side, working for a common goal.

But, she wasn’t in a private conversation because those don’t exist any more.  That quote – not a transcript, mind you, but a tape – was on YouTube quicker than a paparazzi’s shot of Miley Cyrus smoking a joint in her underwear.  With Russian subtitles.

So, the U.S. government suspects Russia of tapping the embassy phone, because any conflict between the U.S. and the E.U. over Ukraine strengthens their position.  Whatever.  I’m not pro Putin but the U.S. has absolutely no right to complain about anybody else tapping their phones.  None.

Apologies will be made, chances are that Nuland won’t even be fired although I think she should be.  Nothing really says “We’re sorry” better than sacking the person who screwed up.

Since we are talking about Ukraine, though, I would like to take this opportunity to offer my solution: Partition.  East Ukraine and West Ukraine.  They’ve got different languages and different economic interests and they’d probably get along much better if they were separated.  Open border, of course, people will still want to go back and forth and visit their families and friends.  East Ukraine could join that Russian trade group and West Ukraine could join the E.U.  They’ve both got plenty of resources and prospects for healthy economies, so why not?

It worked for Czechoslovakia.