Note to our leaders regarding China

When inviting someone to your house or the capital of your country for a big fancy party, such as an Official State Dinner, one should refrain from insulting them or calling them names. The Senate Majority Leader and House Minority Leader just could not help themselves. The Majority Leader calls President Hu of China a dictator, but then wants a picture of them together smiling in his office. So self important is the Minority Leader that the Tibetan Freedom movement and the last winner of the Nobel Peace Prize simply must be brought up right now in front of the reporters when it will cause maximum embarrassment and attention to the most important person in the room - herself.

If real progress is to made on diplomatic issues, it seems that the best way to raise them with the guest of the big party you threw would be when reporters are not present. When sensitive issues are raised in private real progress may at least be possible. This is called being diplomatic. When you insult or embarrass someone in the public eye it tends to make them think, "I'm not doing anything for this jerk". Par for the course I guess that our leaders make the United States look foolish and China appear confident and in control. If you can't help but insult and embarrass your guest of honor, then perhaps you never should have thrown a party to begin with. When you behave as our leaders have during the expensive party, then it was just a big waste of tax dollars.