[editor's note: this post was "pasted" in -- it appeared originally at the old Dawson's Danube site, which is archived here.]

The great political minds of contemporary Europe are always quick to label the United States as diplomatically inept. But I ask you seriously: throughout all of the international diplomatic mayhem of the last four years, do you ever recall the U.S. president acting undiplomatically or making blatantly undiplomatic comments? I don’t recall any. There must have been some, but they don’t spring to mind.

Meanwhile, the country that we tend to consider the “most European”, France, has a president who is constantly making offensive remarks. If any single leader of a “big” (say, G country can be considered diplomatically inept, it is the leader of that most european of nations. This week, while so much has been coming out about Jacques Chirac’s anti-Britain campaign, I remembered that one of my first “blog” entries (before I dared use the term “blog”) was concerning Chirac’s ridiculous attack on some of the newer EU member states for supporting American efforts in Iraq.

I guess nobody can hope to topple President Bush’s position as the most hated man in the world, but surely Chirac should be given a shot at the title.