Hillary-“U.S. democracy was older than Europe's”, “I have never understood multiparty democracy” etc

[4th Regiment]

This is second man..I mean a woman in charge and potential next president of strongest and leading :hmmm: country on Planet !!!

"By David Brunnstrom

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton raised eyebrows on her first visit to Europe as secretary of state when she mispronounced her EU counterparts' names and claimed U.S. democracy was older than Europe's.

Clinton has set herself a grueling pace on visits to Egypt, Israel and Brussels soon after touring the Far East, attending dozens of meetings and giving speech after speech, with little time worked into her schedule for sleep.

Tiredness appeared to show Friday when she answered questions in front of 500 young Europeans at the European Parliament, where she was the highest-ranking U.S. visitor since the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1985.

A veteran politician, Clinton compared the complex European political environment to that of the two-party U.S. system, before adding:

"I have never understood multiparty democracy.

"It is hard enough with two parties to come to any resolution, and I say this very respectfully, because I feel the same way about our own democracy, which has been around a lot longer than European democracy."

The remark provoked much headshaking in the parliament of a bloc that likes to trace back its democratic tradition thousands of years to the days of classical Greece.

One working lunch later with EU leaders, Clinton raised more eyebrows when she referred to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who stood beside her, as "High Representative Solano."

She also dubbed European Commission External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner as "Benito."

Still, Clinton has been well received in Brussels, where the Obama administration has been viewed as a breath of fresh air after the unpopular leadership of George W. Bush. His secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, often drew protests on her travels.

Fellow foreign ministers stood and applauded Clinton's presentation at a meeting with NATO counterparts Thursday and extra space had to be set aside for a spillover audience of 800 at the European Parliament.

Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering was effusive in his praise, saying that with the new administration, the United States and Europe once again "share the same values."

"What you said mostly could have been said by a European," he told Clinton after she fielded questions ranging from climate change to energy security and aid to Africa and one on gay rights from a participant wearing an "I love Hillary" t-shirt."

[Thanatos]

You have Bush-isms, and you have Clinton-isms.

Relax.

[Erik]

She was probably thinking about the EU's "democracy", not democracy in Europe.

And miss-pronouncing the names of Eurocrats can certainly be forgiven.
I doubt many Europeans have ever heard of Javier Solana or Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

But it is a shame she doesn't understand multiparty democracy.
Maybe Obama should have picked someone based on education and intelligence, instead of on who she has sex with.

[Kamos]

Dear god I despise that women.

[Barry Goldwater]

And to think that she is in line for the White House...

[sephodwyrm]

She could be talking about modern democracy instead of classical democracy. In that case, then she may actually be right.

Maybe Obama should have picked someone based on education and intelligence

She's got education and some intelligence. Not too sure if she's exhibiting it the right away all the time, though.

[Panzerbear]

hahaha priceless. Is that a sign that she is a moron though?

[IrishHitman]

I'd view it as a sign that America actually takes Europe for granted.....

[Hotspur]

Firstly, she is not second in the line of succession. She is fourth, after the Vice-President, the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate. Secondly, it was an attempt at a compliment - "I have never understood multiparty democracy. It is hard enough with two parties to come to any resolution, and I say this very respectfully..." - the implication being that a multi-party system is hard and yet Europeans make it work.

[Nikos]

So much for the world viewing Americans any different.

[Каие]

So... on top of being a filthy liar.... she is playing the American stereotype of Europe, to the Europeans? Or alternatively she could just be plain dumb?

[Nikos]

Or alternatively she could just be plain dumb.

Well she is pretty dumb. I didn't say she acted the way she did on purpose.

[Scar Face]

So... on top of being a filthy liar.... she is playing the American stereotype of Europe, to the Europeans? Or alternatively she could just be plain dumb?

Hit the nail on the head.

[Bovril]

I'm no fan of Clinton, but really, is this the best anyone can do to smear her? American democracy to all intents and purposes is older than European democracy since there is pretty much no continuity between the democracies of ancient Greece and modern European democracies. Perhaps there's an argument that certain Italian cties were sort of democratic in the late middle ages and early modern period, but that's splitting hairs. As for the comment that she doesn't understand multi-party democracy; who does? No one knows how to get parties working together smoothly (which is what she seems to have been refering to). My criticism would be that she thinks parties working together and agreeing is necessarily a good thing, but that error is pervasive in American politics. What is it with Americans and the idea of getting the democrats and republicans to work together. Surely a good row serves to cover up the fact the US has the narrowest political spectrum of any western democracy.

[Erik]

American democracy to all intents and purposes is older than European democracy since there is pretty much no continuity between the democracies of ancient Greece and modern European democracies. Perhaps there's an argument that certain Italian cties were sort of democratic in the late middle ages and early modern period, but that's splitting hairs.

What about the English democracy?

There surely is a continuation from "Magna Carta" to the modern English democracy?

Also, my country was democratic LONG before America. (though, true, no continuation due to occupation by France).
hint: it's where the American founding fathers got their idea from.

Between ancient Athens and the 20th century, there were lots of democracies in Europe on all kinds of levels.

Clinton shows the general ignore about history that we have come to expect from Americans.
She probably thinks it's all Romans, then centuries of nothing, until the great American explorers re-discovered the European sub-continent.

As for the comment that she doesn't understand multi-party democracy; who does? No one knows how to get parties working together smoothly (which is what she seems to have been refering to).

The thing is: in a multi-party system parties work together ALL THE TIME. - they have to because nobody has a majority.
It's only in a two party system where the biggest (ie: majority) party can just ignore the smaller one.

[Bovril]

What about the English democracy?

There surely is a continuation from "Magna Carta" to the modern English democracy?

Also, my country was democratic LONG before America. (though, true, no continuation due to occupation by France).
hint: it's where the American founding fathers got their idea from.

Elections do not a democracy make. Especially if (as in the UK at the time of the founding of the US) the 2nd largest city in the country has precisely no representatives, where as one estate with one voter has two. Dutch 'democracy' was similarly ill formed. There were elements of democracy in most countries in Europe, especially at local level in towns, since the middle ages, but nothing you'd call a proper democracy if it existed today.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Elections do not a democracy make. Especially if (as in the UK at the time of the founding of the US) the 2nd largest city in the country has precisely no representatives, where as one estate with one voter has two. Dutch 'democracy' was similarly ill formed. There were elements of democracy in most countries in Europe, especially at local level in towns, since the middle ages, but nothing you'd call a proper democracy if it existed today.

Yeah, but really, there's a lot to be argued about here. I mean, was America a democracy at the turn of the 20th century when more than half the population (women) could not vote and the Senate was completely unelected?

[MaximiIian]

What about the English democracy?

There surely is a continuation from "Magna Carta" to the modern English democracy?

The Magna Carta wasn't really democratic; it was more aristocratic, and placed power in the hands of the Barons.

No, English democracy goes back even further, to Anglo-Saxon and Viking times. Both invading tribes were Germanic societies that had a strong tradition of the monarch deriving power from the acclamation of the landholding freemen and nobles, and decision-making based on consensus in tribal assemblies. This was maintained in England with the Witenagemot institution. That body was supplanted by the Norman-French royal court system, which over time developed back into a recognisable parliament with members elected by landholding freemen.

[Last Roman]

It's only in a two party system where the biggest (ie: majority) party can just ignore the smaller one.

very wrong.

[Erik]

very wrong.

If you're not going to add anything intelligent, then please don't reply to my posts.

The average American truly does not care about the rest of the world. It doesn't make them a bad person, it's just that the USA is larger than all of Europe and has more economic and military power than the entire EU put together, so why should the average American care more about Europe than American Idol (the TV show)?
Did the average citizen of the old Roman Empire care any about the insignificant political history of the parthians?

If only American politicians felt the same and stayed the hell out of our continent, then I would be very happy.