But for all that, this has really been a year without a major international crisis. Russia hasn’t invaded any foreign countries. No terrorist attacks have struck the United States. The handling of the coup in Ecuador was, I think, quite deft but this was hardly a major event in the scheme of things.I'm not above mini mental meltdowns, but that's pretty bad from a guy who's written a book about foreign policy.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
No One Cares about Latin America
Matt Yglesias, recapping Obama's foreign policy:
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If it was anyone else, maybe. But there has never been an Yglesias post without a pretty egregious typo or five. As someone in his comments section once put said, it's "part of his brand." I think the casual mix-up of Ecuador and Honduras is more revealing of just how little attention even people who write books about foreign policy pay to Latin America.
Also, as an Yglesias devotee I can confidently assert that if he knew how badly Tom Shannon had dropped the ball on Honduras he would not characterize the US response as "deft." But like every other foreign policy analyst, he just doesn't really consider paying attention to regional goings on a worthy time investment.
It certainly comes with the territory with him, although I dont remember him ever him blowing a fact like that quite so poorly. Of course lots of people make stupid mistakes like that, glass house and all that...
Regardless, it definitely shows how far down into the subconsciousness Latin America is for regular writers, when a sharp non-hack confuses two completely different countries. I can't imagine him getting confused about when Russia invaded Azerbaijan last year.
Hah! Very nicely done, sir. Very nicely.
Two of my colleagues are charging ahead with a Mexico case. It won't be the one I would write. Maybe ... hmmm ... I might surreptiously ask you to take a glance at the drafts, whenever they're ready.
Yeah I'd be glad to, just let me know.
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