"Every Andorran Will Remember your Generosity, and Stupidity..."

Well, I suppose I'm mostly happy that our president is in Africa. Talking about malaria eradication in Tanzania is a good thing, as is discussing poverty reduction and the engagement of the private sector in Ghana. Commemorating the 1994 Rwandan genocide in Kigali is basically just the same old refrain that the "West" likes to repeat while it idles in the face of preventable human catastrophe ( "never again"), but nevertheless, not a bad place for the U.S. President to visit.

What is NOT cool is avoiding Kenya (~1,000 dead in the standoff following the Dec. 27th election debacle) and Chad (coup attempt that sparked waves of refugees). Not going to Kenya is a particularly poor decision, in my opinion. Sending Condi there is just not a good enough substitute for having the so-called leader of the free world throw his weight behind the peaceful end to Kenya's post-election violence, which really can (must?) be brokered by heads of state. If the United States is really committed to democratic values - as we damn well ought to be - then our president putting pressure on Kibaki and Odinga to broker a power-sharing agreement is imperative.

The President really ought to consider where his public diplomacy could have the best effect. Instead of trying to find a place to house our new military installation by visiting American protégé Liberia (the only place that has expressed interest in Africom), I'd suggest that the U.S. focus on some good ole' democracy promotion in a non-OPEC country, for a change.


Nation Of Andorra Not In Africa, Shocked U.S. State Dept. Reports

Oh, and that video is just hilarious.