Obamateurism of the Day

posted at 8:05 am on April 8, 2009 by Ed Morrissey

It’s considered de rigueur among the cognoscenti to apologize for America by noting its youth compared to other countries, especially when the cognoscenti go on tour. Barack Obama tried this apology on his European Tour, but unfortunately, he used it in a nation that doesn’t qualify:

“Compared to Turkey and how old this civilization is, America is still very new.”

Well, compared to the civilization, perhaps — but not compared to Turkey.  The nation of Turkey was created in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, which had ruled southwest Asia and the present territory of Turkey for more than 600 years.  Turkey was founded in 1923 in the chaotic flux of the Middle Eastern settlements after the end of World War I, as the Ottoman Empire’s lands got carved into the nation-states that exist today in the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding territories.

Compared to the US, Turkey and the rest of the nations in that region are actually quite young, not the opposite.  In fact, that’s one of the reasons why Turkey rejects any responsibility for the Armenian genocide of 1915; besides denying that it took place at all, Turkey actually didn’t exist as a nation at that time.  One might think that President Obama would take a moment to understand all of these issues before getting involved in them — and might also confirm the actual dates when nations got created before making those assumptions.

Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at obamaisms@edmorrissey.com with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.

Illustrations by Chris Muir of Day by Day. Be sure to read the adventures of Sam, Zed, Damon, and Jan every day!

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Comment pages: 1 2

That’s an A+ in affirmative action college history.

jukin on April 8, 2009 at 10:56 AM

I assume you have to be socially disadvantaged to taker this class in the 1st place.

Badger40 on April 8, 2009 at 1:55 PM

Oh, so you would have preferred for him to blow off the G20. That would have been a good thing?

Better than what he got going there. He got “Versailled” at G20–the Euros, the Russians, the Chinese, and Saudis did to him what Lloyd George and Clemenceau did to Wilson during the Versailles negotiations–they flattered him, made him all sorts of sweet promises, patted him on his head, and then screwed him over.

Still, I’d rather have Bambi abroad than here–why did he have to come back? I’d have gladly taken up a collection so that he stay in the workers’ paradise of his choice–and he could take Plugs, Dingy Harry, and Crazy Nancy with him.

Matt Helm on April 8, 2009 at 2:19 PM

The Teacher’s Unions should be very proud of their prodigy…….

…………. you just gotta love it!

Seven Percent Solution on April 8, 2009 at 3:35 PM

Every time I start to think Obama is a Manchurian candidate with a brilliantly conceived and hidden agenda to destroy the USA, he goes and proves he’s just an idiot who’s going to destroy the USA by accident.

Daggett on April 8, 2009 at 7:48 PM

Comment pages: 1 2