A Conceited and Naive State Department

Submitted by sfagin (United States), Feb 3, 2013 at 23:36

When I coached kiddie soccer I used to give players names that, though inapt, described a behavior I wanted them to adopt on the field. For example, I called David, a diffident player whom I wanted to be more assertive, "The Animal". Sometimes it worked.

Perhaps a strong blend of conceit and naiveté on the part of leading State Department figures leads them to believe they can likewise induce a desirable behavior from a monster like Morsi by proclaiming him to be something he is manifestly not. An elite education can foster this delusion; that one can readily manipulate someone with an uneducated background, as though he were a child. In effect, they are emulating Chamberlains's behavior with respect to Hitler.

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