Friday, March 06, 2009

Diplomatic Blunder #2

The other day I posted about how the Brits felt slighted regarding Obama's treatment of their PM. Now it appears I could start an entire series on the new administration's diplomatic idiocies.

As he headed back home from Washington, Gordon Brown must have rummaged through his party bag with disappointment.

Because all he got was a set of DVDs. Barack Obama, the leader of the world's richest country, gave the Prime Minister a box set of 25 classic American films - a gift about as exciting as a pair of socks.

Mr Brown is not thought to be a film buff, and his reaction to the box set is unknown. But it didn't really compare to the thoughtful presents he had brought along with him. The Prime Minister gave Mr Obama an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet.



What, was there a sale at Best Buy?

4 comments:

wendyworn said...

Not to mention the fact that most American DVD's cannot be played on British machines, it is a thing they did for control, I dont know why. But if the PM actually did want to watch said DVD's he probably couldn't.

Wicketywack said...

Slightly embarrassing, but mostly blow out of proportion by the British press to pick on Brown.

As per usual, The Economist had a good take.

"it is indicative of the eagerness of the British press to detect fissures in the "special relationship" (or "special partnership" as the Americans now describe it) and to downplay or mock Mr Brown's visit to Washington, the first by a serving European leader during Mr Obama's presidency."

James B. said...

Not to mention the fact that most American DVD's cannot be played on British machines, it is a thing they did for control, I dont know why.

Yeah, the movie industry did that when they created the format so they could control when and how movies were released in different regions. You can actually get multiregion DVD players, but it would be odd to assume that Brown, who apparently is not even a film buff, would have one.

James B. said...

Slightly embarrassing, but mostly blow out of proportion by the British press to pick on Brown.


Oh please, after 2 years of practically every media outlet in the world salivating over Obama's every move (in the case of MSNBC, quite literally) you are actually going to start whining about media bias?