Secretary Clinton-Ugly American

I have put up a few sarcastic comments about Hillary Clinton's angry outburst in Kinshasa last week, but now I would like to make a couple of serious observations. I think I speak with some degree of authority. While I have never been an employee of the State Department, I did work for three years in the American Embassy in Bangkok, as well as the American Consulate for five years in Milan, Italy as a DEA agent. I was in a certain sense, a diplomat working with Thai and Italian police on behalf of the US Government.

Tonight, on Hardball, Chris Matthews, not surprisingly, defended Mrs Clinton's words as "so American". Other apologists have said she was tired, probably upset at being upstaged by her husband and that the question was not interpreted correctly.

None of which is an excuse.

Mrs Clinton is the number one diplomat in our country. I can understand if she goes to the Congo and reads the riot act to its leaders over their corruption or about the rapes that are rampant in that country. But to read the riot act to a university student because she thought he wasn't showing her the proper respect is inexcusable, Chris Matthews might think that her reaction was "so American", but the problem was she was not in America. She was in the Congo, and she spoke in an arrogant and disrespectful manner to a university student who was asking her an honest question. Had she reacted in this manner in America, it would be one thing. That she did so in another country to a citizen of that country was a painful reminder of the old refrain about "the Ugly American".

We have known for years that Hillary Clinton is a vainglorious, arrogant person, whom no one dares to cross swords with. Now the people of the Congo have seen it for themselves. Her words, her facial expressions, and her body language were all disrespectful.

For a secretary of state to go to another country and talk to its citizens, especially a college student, in this manner is inexcusable.

Hillary Clinton has no business being Secretary of State. She has embarrassed her country with a unique display of how not to be a diplomat. She should make a public apology for her actions. In addition, she should resign or be fired.