26 September, 2008

Sarah Palin: Foreign Policy (Avoidance) Expert

So. We all know Sarah Palin can practically see Russia from her window, and that makes her the World's Leading Expert on all things foreign policy. She sez so:

COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land -- boundary that we have with -- Canada. [...]

COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.

PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our -- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia --

COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We -- we do -- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where -- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is -- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to -- to our state.

And so, it's probably fair to ask: what has Sarah Palin done to further US/Russian relations? Bugger all:

Opportunities abound for Alaska governors to engage in Russian diplomacy, with the state host to several organizations focusing on Arctic issues. Anchorage is the seat of the Northern Forum, an 18-year-old organization that represents the leaders of regional governments in Russia, as well as Finland, Iceland and Canada, Japan, China and South Korea.

Yet under Palin, the state government — without consultation — reduced its annual financial support to the Northern Forum to $15,000 from $75,000, according to Priscilla Wohl, the group's executive director. That forced the forum's Anchorage office to go without pay for two months.

Palin — unlike the previous administrations of Gov. Frank Murkowski and Gov. Tony Knowles — also stopped sending representatives to Northern Forum's annual meetings, including one last year for regional governors held in the heart of Russia's oil territory.

"It was an opportunity for the Alaska governor to take a delegation of business leaders to the largest oil-producing region in Russia, and she would have been shaking hands with major leaders in Russia," Wohl said.

Take a moment to digest this. Sarah Palin could have met with world leaders, could have supported US foreign policy, and could have furthered neighborly relations with a variety of countries, and pissed it all away.

And now she wants us to believe she has foreign policy experience.

Bull. Fucking. Shit.

3 comments:

Grung_e_Gene said...

Former Army General Janis L. Karpinski wrote a piece which sums up Sarah Palin:

There is something almost sinister in Palin's attempts to seduce the voting public. She has a "come hither" look all of the time...

She encourages men and women to be drawn first to the sexuality and beauty of a woman before making a decision about her credibility, intelligence and leadership.

ptet said...

The Evangelicals like Palin because she understands Jesus. Seriously. She is genuinely scary. I made a wee spoof of that interview. Obvious gag, but it works so well...

Unknown said...

This twit is just another figurehead for all the fuckwits to carry around and praise. Kinda like a Madonna with brain damage! Only a senile addle brained dumbass with no real friends in Washington would pick her as a running mate. Well start running! I'll even give you a head start!

Seriously, does anyone know who McLame asked before Plain? Probably alot of politicians that didn't want to purchase a ticket on the Titanic! When the ship does go down, they can both use the air in their brains to stay afloat!!