Mr. Vice President, I have a tremendous amount of respect for your foreign affairs expertise, for your distinguished career in public service, and for your support of the President. Overall, I believe that you perform your duties well, and the Republic is lucky to have you.
But good grief, sir - I’m amazed and appalled that you had this to say regarding the protests in Egypt:
Denying that Mubarak is a dictator is simply absurd. The man’s held power for nearly three decades, rules by emergency decree, and jails and tortures the opposition - if Biden doesn’t think that’s a dictator, then I’m not sure he’d recognize one if a dictator marched into the White House wearing an “Ask Me About Oppressing the Masses!” t-shirt and singing “Dictatorial Times Are Here Again!” Utter rubbish.
Of course, it could be that Biden was attempting an Urqhart denial - that “I wouldn’t call him a dictator” was his version of “You might say that, but I couldn’t possibly comment.” But, honesly, Biden’s not that subtle, and nor is our political discourse. In context, this really does look like a straightforward denial that Mubarak is a tyrant.
Further, the suggestion that the protestors might not have legitimate demands is nuts. These people live under a thug. They don’t wish to be governed by a thug any more. What could be more in keeping with American values, or more legitimate?
Yeah, I can’t see the point of bringing up the “dictator” issue at all: if you’ve got to steer a delicate course about criticizing a foreign ally who’s receiving from well-earned opprobrium from his own people, why gratuitously offer your take on a nomenclature issue that isn’t going to make anybody happy? Typical Biden foot-in-mouthitude.
And I think that Biden recognized that in the part of his remarks quoted earlier in the article:
That’s acknowledging the (pretty obvious) fact that the protesters have some legitimate demands, ISTM.
Eh - I read it more as Biden saying that the government should more more responsive in general, while qualifying that by adding that he’s uncertain whether the protestors in particular have legitimate concerns. Your mileage, of course, may vary.
And there’s a point at which Biden’s foot-in-mouth disease becomes less an amusing quirk and more genuinely harmful. Say that, against the odds, the Egyptians manage to toss Mubarak. It will not be helpful for the new government to remember that one of the most powerful men in the Union seemed to deny that they had just overthrown a tyrant.
Biden’s a very sharp guy, and we need him in government - but not everyone is suited to speak on sensitive issues in front of cameras.
I wouldn’t go quite that far - I mean, the man’s Vice President. He can’t just be kept in a tower somewhere. But on serious, sensitive and timely issues of foreign affairs, I agree with you. Biden is best employed counseling the President, not speaking to the press.
From necessity. There’s a difference between recognizing that a government is headed by a tyrant, but you still share a world and need to work with them, and pretending that the so-and-so isn’t a tyrant at all. This is new.
Regardless of what comments Biden, or Obama, might or might not make at this point, I’m pretty sure the Egyptians would recall that the United States has been supporting Mubarak for years.
True. There’s nothing to be done for that now, though. What we need to focus upon presently is preparing for the possible emergence of a democratic government in Egypt, and establishing good relations with the government. There are things we can do towards that end. The list of things we could do does not include denying basic facts of Egyptian political life.
They know he’s a bastard, but he’s the bastard they’ve poured a lot into, and he’s kinda on their side.
It seems that American foreign policy never learns this life lesson. Just keep supporting any pro American bastard, no matter how tyrannical, like the Shah. As long as he’s on their side, they look the other way to the excesses. It only ever causes severe Anti American backlash, which seems totally contrary to their interests. They’ve done the same, again and again, sheesh.
From a practical standpoint, though, what happens if we do start calling him a dictator and sucking up to the anti-Mubarak people, and then he survives this? Our relationship with him then gets flushed down the toilet. And there’s probably not much we can do to make a democratic government in Egypt like us… . .we’ve supported Mubarak for 30 years now, and the Egyptian people know it. We’ve already backed a horse, and it’s too late to change it now.
He didn’t say Mubarak isn’t a dictator – he says he wouldn’t refer to him as a dictator. In diplomatic speak those are two entirely different things. If a reporter had asked him, “Is Mubarak a dictator”, he probably would have responded similarly – “At this juncture, name calling isn’t productive”.
Meh. He still needs the money and it’s not like he can go to the Soviets. Assuming he stays in power, whatever jollies he needs, he can get from us recognizing whatever bogus “election” he ultimately holds.
Umm…because he was asked point blank if “he would characterize Mubarak as a dictator”. Short of throwing down a smokebomb and vanishing in the ensuing confusion, there wasn’t really anyway for him to avoid the issue.
And then in response, he says no he wouldn’t call him that, because he’s an ally. Which is pretty much the truth, the US gov’t won’t call him a dictator, not because he isn’t one, but because he’s an ally.
So I don’t think this really counts as a Biden gaff, he gave an awkward explanation because US policy v. Mubark is awkward.
Nah, skilled political speakers are perfectly capable of responding to a question without actually answering it in so many words. Biden, much as I respect his other abilities, doesn’t have much of that particular skill.
Mubarak might wind up winning. You don’t toss him over at the first whiff of an overthrow. The administration can not jump away from him that quickly. They have some degree of control over him since Egypt gets a lot of financial support from us.
If his government was thrown over for a Muslim dominated one, we would not be pleased.
:dubious: