# Great diplomat Obama strikes again. "Ignorance and incompetence" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 30, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541 "2012-05-30T13:43:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/41 "2012-05-30T15:33:27Z")
The phrase was accurate but imprecise. There were huge numbers of Polish Holocaust victims, and it’s also true that Poland is complaining bitterly about this because they don’t want people to talk about Polish complicity in the mass murder of Jews, and one way to forestall that kind of discussion is to take umbrage when anyone even suggests the possibility or implies it accidentally. However this isn’t really the time or place to deal with all that, so the administration was right to apologize. And with that, the OP can drop the burden of pretending to care about diplomacy and tact and can resume comparing everything to Communist oppression. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/42 "2012-05-30T15:34:55Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Of course it is; it was written by a woman whose career is built on bashing Obama and obsessing over the evils of the left wing. I don’t suppose you’d care to address the instances she cites, though? Now that I’ve provided the requested links? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/43 "2012-05-30T15:50:24Z")
No because they’re largely irrelevant, and my hands are tied on discussing how his “incompetency” on matters of protocal even compares with the previous president. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/44 "2012-05-30T15:52:44Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I don’t suppose you’d care to address the instances she cites, though? Now that I’ve provided the requested links? Sure. A lot of them are exaggerated or just plain bullshit strung together to make it look like Obama is like… well, GWB. Oh noes!! Obama ditched the Press Corps so that he could attend his daughter’s soccer game without a bunch of reporters tagging along! The horror! ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/45 "2012-05-30T15:54:26Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > No because they’re largely irrelevant, and my hands are tied on discussing how his “incompetency” on matters of protocal even compares with the previous president. Of course not. If you believe that this president can do absolutely no wrong, then you wouldn’t be able to relate the the actual physical feeling of embarrassment that I felt at hearing the second story, would you? I guess it would be the same feeling you got about Bush…but of course, Obama couldn’t possibly do anything that, well, gaffe-y. > [@voltaire](#): > > Sure. A lot of them are exaggerated or just plain bullshit strung together to make it look like Obama is like… well, GWB. > > Oh noes!! Obama ditched the Press Corps so that he could attend his daughter’s soccer game without a bunch of reporters tagging along! The horror! And if you DO bother actually addressing the issue, then by all means pick the most insignificant one. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/46 "2012-05-30T15:57:36Z")
Oh I admit he’s had gaffes. Some worse than others. I still say they’re irrelevant. Bush’s gaffes were overall irrelevant too. The difference is: On this side of the aisle, we don’t need to bring up petty bullshit protocol gaffes to slam the Bush presidency. He did plenty of other heinous stuff to actually talk about. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/47 "2012-05-30T16:02:48Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > And yet the aggrieved party does not accept that “we regret this misstatement” was an apology. Then in my view the aggrieved party is acting unreasonably. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/48 "2012-05-30T16:03:43Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > And if you DO bother actually addressing the issue, then by all means pick the most insignificant one. In that case, it would be: OMG! He shook a Marine’s hand after they saluted each other when boarding Marine One! How dare he?! It’s like he hand-raped that fine soldier that was just minding his own business! I bet he’s still in shock over having to shake hands with the President! ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/49 "2012-05-30T16:06:38Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Oh there are quite a few Poles living (and voting) in the US. I am sure this will peel off a quite a few of their votes. The more the merrier. I love that you think that. Keep being outraged at inconsequential shit, it shows the independent voters exactly how little you \*really \*have to be upset about. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/50 "2012-05-30T16:12:25Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Those words were entirely accurate. My family was killed and everything of theirs stolen by Polish people. They probably never even saw a German. > > Germany has atoned many times over for their sins. Poland still won’t admit their guilt. That shithole is still the most anti-Semitic place in all of Europe. Fuck them and their outrage. I agree. My grandmother and her family were kicked out of Bialystock via pograms and Cossacks a few decades before the Germans showed up. The Pols didn’t exactly need much egging on by the Germans to murder Jewish civilians. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/51 "2012-05-30T16:17:11Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > And yet the aggrieved party does not accept that “we regret this misstatement” was an apology. > Poland’s prime minister said Wednesday that a statement from the White House expressing “regret” over the president’s reference to Nazi death camps in the country as “Polish” was insufficient, and the faux pas threatened to further strain relations with Warsaw. Oh No. Strained relations with Warsaw would mean… well, not much actually. Fuck em if they can’t understand what Obama meant or accept his apology for slightly misspeaking. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/52 "2012-05-30T16:24:06Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > “The White House will apologize for this outrageous mistake,” Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski wrote on his Twitter Inc. account. “It’s a shame that such a momentous ceremony has been overshadowed by ignorance and incompetence.” By all means keep whining about inconsequential shit like this. All it does when you wingnuts go after Obama over trivia like this is demonstrate how weak the case against him really is. We lefties would think of paying you and those like you, but since you all seem willing enough to work for free, we’re good with that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/53 "2012-05-30T16:25:15Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Oh there are quite a few Poles living (and voting) in the US. I am sure this will peel off a quite a few of their votes. The more the merrier. Happily there are also more Poles with brains than without, which includes my wife and her entire extended family and my ex-wife and her entire extended family. Not everyone is a douchebag like you, more than willing to take issue with non-issues. How much time per week to you [del]spend[/del] waste dreaming up things to be outraged by? ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/54 "2012-05-30T16:26:07Z")
“We weren’t complicit in the Holocaust! We organized our own pogroms, thank you very much!” Ah well. Minor political issue. Fuck it. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/55 "2012-05-30T16:28:31Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Happily there are also more Poles with brains than without, which includes my wife and her entire extended family and my ex-wife and her entire extended family. Not everyone is a douchebag like you, more than willing to take issue with non-issues. How much time per week to you [del]spend[/del] waste dreaming up things to be outraged by? I am not outraged. I am not Polish so I don’t really care. But I love seeing the self-inflicted (and quite unnecessary) damage that Obama causes the Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/56 "2012-05-30T16:36:03Z")
Yes. Obama said the wrong thing about death camps in Poland, Romney was against the auto bailot. Obama is truly screwed. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/57 "2012-05-30T16:43:29Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > I am not outraged. I am not Polish so I don’t really care. But I love seeing the self-inflicted (and quite unnecessary) damage that Obama causes the Democrats. About as damaging as clipping your fingernails are to your body. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/58 "2012-05-30T16:44:24Z")
Jesus H Christ, Almighty and tits, the tu quoque’s in this thread are like roaches in an Olive Garden kitchen. President Obama fucked up. He apologized. The Poles (or someone speaking for the Poles) didn’t accept the apology. BFD, they’ll get over it… or they won’t. End of story. Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and any other conservative/right winger/religous zealot/Tea Partier have absolutely nothing to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/59 "2012-05-30T16:56:31Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > “The White House will apologize for this outrageous mistake,” Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski wrote on his Twitter Inc. account. “It’s a shame that such a momentous ceremony has been overshadowed by ignorance and incompetence.” The Foreign Minister from another country called our president ignorant and incompetent, and you think we owe them an apology? And it wasn’t that long ago that I remember people criticizing Obama for apologizing too much already. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541/60 "2012-05-30T17:14:38Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > And yet the aggrieved party does not accept that “we regret this misstatement” was an apology. The aggrieved party - and I mean the Foreign Minister, not the Polish people - has a substantial record of being employed by right-wing organs such as the American Enterprise Institute, the National Review, and the Daily Telegraph. You’ve got to be as stupid as **Terr** to think that there isn’t more to the story than what he has presented. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-diplomat-obama-strikes-again-ignorance-and-incompetence/623541.md?page=4)