Satire: U.K. Unable to Find Replacement Ambassador Who Does Not Think Trump Is an Idiot
From New Yorker Magazine’s satirist Andy Borowitz:
LONDON (The Borowitz Report)—Following the resignation of its Ambassador to the United States, Kim Darroch, the government of the United Kingdom has disclosed that it has been unable to find a replacement for Darroch who does not also think that Donald J. Trump is a blithering idiot.
At a press conference at 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, revealed that the search for a new ambassador who does not believe that Trump is an imbecile has thus far come up empty. “We did not want a repeat of the unfortunate Kim Darroch incident, so we made the first question on the job application, ‘Do you think Donald Trump is a moron?’ ” May said. “So far, none of the applicants has checked the ‘no’ box.”
From 2GreenEnergy frequent commenter Glenn Doty: This may be satire… but that doesn’t mean it is untrue.
My perspective: Great point, and it recalls the criticism that I sometimes receive based on the articles I cite, i.e., that some of the sources are known to have a liberal slant, e.g., Common Dreams, ThinkProgress, Mother Jones, etc. The fact that a concept appears there doesn’t make it false; that is the ad hominem fallacy.
Of course, not everyone gets that, which is why, if I’m trying to substantiate a point that carries a leftist political perspective, I often do so by linking to the most conservative source I can find. If the Wall Street Journal or Fox News says it, I like to go with that.
I agree with using the Wall Street Journal or Forbes.. But I would never agree with linking to something like Fox News.
They are a propaganda network, nothing more. When more than 60% of what they air is false, there is no justification to linking to some of the more rare true items that they offer. It just gives them entirely undeserved validation.
I don’t mind if a network slants right or left. I mind if they falsify the story or refuse to offer the other side of an issue altogether. Forbes, for instance, may clearly support the asinine idiocy of “trickle-down economics”… but they correctly reported that the deficit climbed quickly after passage of the republican tax cut, and they correctly reported that 81% of that tax cut went to the top 1%… and they even correctly and honestly cited several critics of the tax cut before and after its passage.
Yes, every story regarding the tax cut in Forbes is net positive, but they didn’t lie or misrepresent the news or the position of those who opposed the tax cut.
NONE of that could be said about the ultra-large majority of Fox News coverage. They exaggerate whatever happens to be true for their side of the issue, and either omit entirely or flat-out lie about any data that is oppositional to their side, and then they flat-out lie about the viewpoints of any critic of their side of an issue.
Managing to find a single article in which they chose NOT to lie does not and cannot validate them as a source of information. They are not news. Not ever.
I figure: if they get something right, which they do occasionally, why not? It keeps readers guessing, which is something I like to do. 🙂
I normally say something like, “As even Fox News reports,….”
Having said all this, good point. Thanks.
Craig,
Theresa May would find it very difficult choosing a new ambassador to the US, as she will no longer be PM nor will Jeremy Hunt be the UK Foreign Secretary after Sunday 21 July.
The position is not an easy vacancy to fulfill. Obviously the Us is the most important posting for an Ambassador and the post is not always filled by a professional diplomat like Sir Kim Darroch.
It’s most likely to be filled by a close colleague and trusted supporter of the new PM. As the Ambassador’s job is foster relations with the White House, not offend. (Diplomacy is not usually conducted by insult).
Kim Darroch has been the unfortunate victim of his own recklessly candid opinions, which even in an email, (especially in an email) were hardly couched to the sort of language usually associated with diplomats.
The appointment of Kim Darroch and continued support of his posting by Teresa May is typical of her ineptitude as PM.