NYC Letter: Diplomacy, The Congenial Art Of Shut Up

Do you remember Donald Rumsfeld's throwaway line about "Old Europe"? Some very delicate feelings were very hurt in, well, in Old Europe. Mr. Rumsfeld apologized to end the embarrassing spectacle of grown statesmen openly weeping and sniveling rivlettes of snot in front of the press. The apology was generally acknowledged, even accepted by some. Tears were sponged into bespoke sleeves, hankies were sent off for laundering.

America was reminded to mind its manners. Old Europe is always having to remind someone to mind their manners.

And manners are very important.

Unless you are criticizing America. Or Israel. In these cases, well, just let it rip.

SHUT UP, CHINESE DIPLOMAT TELLS US

NEW YORK August 18, 2006 (Telegraph) - Sha Zukang, China's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, launched his diatribe in an interview with the BBC yesterday during a progamme about China's booming economy and military strength.

"It is much better for you to shut up, keep quiet," the ambassador said, referring to America, raising his voice to a high-pitched yell. "Are you the number one? Is it true that the US has almost 50 per cent of the world's military budget? The Chinese population is five or six times bigger.

Why blame China? Forget it. It's high time to shut up. It's America's sovereign right to do whatever is good for them. But don't tell us what is good for China."

Mind you, Mr. Zukang was being interviewed by the BBC and was not enpaneled with any American interlocutors. But this sort of thing is expected when the topic of America is introduced. Yet sometimes expectations are frustrated.

Earlier this summer Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel slapped down a "dark America" baiting during a press conference with Mr. Bush.

''I think it's grotesque to say that America is a threat to the peace in the world compared with North Korea, Iran, a lot of countries.''Europe would not enjoy peace and prosperity if not for U.S. help after World War II, Schuessel said.

And earlier still, there was this back-paged story:

THE SOUND OF DISSENT

BRUSSELS January 29, 2006 (Telegraph) - Amidst two days of waffle and self-congratulation, the "Sound of Europe" Euro-summit that just ended in Salzburg threw up one moment of genuine drama.

It came as a left-wing Swiss/German newspaper editor, Roger de Weck, drawlingly invited the president of Latvia [Vaika Vike-Freiberga] to agree that new EU members from east and central Europe posed a danger, as they were too pro-American in their leanings.

[Mrs. Vike-Freiberga replied:]

"I am amazed by the speed with which Europe has forgotten that it was rescued during World War Two when the Americans entered the fight. The contribution of the trans-Atlantic link to European security is something that Europeans have long taken for granted. But since the corridor to Berlin [was secured] right after the war, right up to the great debates and conflict in Germany about having intercontinental ballistic missiles or not, Europe has felt quite comfortable under the umbrella of security that Nato offered, and that means the trans-Atlantic link.

"What is it that Old Europe is worried about, with respect to New Europe? That we are friendly with America? All that we have asked is to be part of Nato, and part of the security umbrella that Europe has enjoyed for half a century.

"Throughout the years, in parts of Europe, intellectuals and even politicians were enamoured with the idea of Marxism and even some thought the Soviet Union was an embodiment of what Socialism and the protection of the worker was all about. America was more realistic. America looked on us as captive nations. We were captive nations, and we are now free."

It was all too much for poor Mr de Weck, who cut the president off at this point, and offered the floor to the Finnish prime minister. I cannot remember a word of what he said, which was perhaps the point.

Mrs. Vike-Freiberga's riff at first stunned her audience, but by its wrap-up half were wildly applauding. One imagines the other half aghast at such bad manners. Giving America its due, pfft, where was she brought up? In a box? In Latvia?