The Meal from Hell

Paul Taylor writes for Reuters about a World Economic Forum dinner that was held in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday night. The "headlined" guest was Senator Joe Biden. The attendees included representatives from the U.S. and Iran, and the diplomacy was presumably to have smoothed over some rough edges of the dialogue regarding Iran's nuclear program.

As diplomatic dinners go, this one apparently didn't go well at all:

• Someone invited a cartoonist to be on the panel of speakers and then disinvited him, thinking that maybe the issues were too serious for a cartoonist on the panel. Of course, the announcement had to be made at the dinner rather than being handled discreetly beforehand.
• Then, Senator Biden appeared to be a no show. There was some tapping of heels while everyone waited for him to arrive, which he did--an hour and a half late. He had gone to the wrong hotel.
• The menu included wine, which is pretty much a no go for Muslim diners. The wine glasses had to be removed.
• The menu included non-hallal meat (meat improperly slaughtered, pretty much like non-kosher meat), so the menu was removed. There was no indication from the report whether the meat that was served actually turned out to be hallal.
• The wait staff cooled things off by opening the windows--to an outside temperature somewhat below freezing. Think Switzerland in January.
• And to cap it off, Senator Biden's wife arrived at a diplomatic meal in pants. Not just any pants, but "figure-hugging leather pants" and a sleeveless top. This was maybe a statement about women's rights?

Taylor's report seems to rehash the same arguments we have heard before: Iran wants nuclear energy and scientific self-sufficiency; the U.S. thinks Iran wants nuclear weapons and really wants all nuclear development to stop. Roosters then strut.

What I want to know iswhat the hell these people were thinking when they set up the meal? Who planned it? What idiot put alcohol on the menu? Who advised Senator Biden's wife about diplomacy and courtesy?

It's one thing for Senator Biden to make the more or less honest (but really dumb) mistake of going to the wrong hotel. It's another to walk in the door with an apparent bimbo.

Now, I really like Joe Biden. He may someday run for president. If he's the Democratic nominee, I will vote for him and not feel bad about it. And I'm sure his wife is a nice person. I'm sure those leather pants would be really fine at some other gathering. So I really hope that someone has a little talk with her about the role she plays in all of this, so she can decide to play the role or stay the hell home next time.

Why am I so disturbed about this?

We are already prosecuting a war in which we have shown incredible ignorance about the culture and values of those we were supposed to be "saving." Even before the invasion began, the troops on the ground we displaying erotic pin-ups on the outside of their vehicles. I have no doubt that there were alcohol stashes secreted away. We know that after the war began, there were innumerable totally unnecessary breaches of cultural tabus.

Now we want to avoid war with another country with similar values--and we just barge in like idiots, yet again. What is it with Americans that they have no clue, zero idea, absolutely nada for understanding that there is a whole big world out there--and many of those people don't salute the American flag, don't weep to hear "The Star Spangled Banner," and do not, not, not appreciate our trying to act like their cultures are worthless?

Yeah, so what? It was only dinner. In the international eye.