Brinker: Ben Carson’s Cringe-Inducing Foreign Policy Ignorance
[su_right_ad]You can be amazingly proficient in one area, as Ben Carson was as a surgeon, but be amazingly ignorant in another, as Ben Carson is. This should disqualify someone from being President of the United States. Luke Brinker in Salon pulls a portion of Carson’s GQ interview that is alarming.
For starters, he has a tendency to say deeply insane things: That America in the Obama era is increasingly like Nazi Germany; that prisons prove homosexuality is a choice; and that gay people are akin to murderers, for instance. Over the last few weeks, the neurosurgeon-turned-2016 hopeful has also demonstrated an understanding of foreign policy that makes one pine for the sage cosmopolitanism of Sarah Palin. Carson appeared ignorant of the fact that the three Baltic states belong to NATO and argued, in an interview meant to combat the perception that he’s unschooled on international affairs, that we should figure out a way to“just sort of slip” the Palestinian population down into Egypt. Can’t you just see this guy strolling out to “Hail to the Chief”?
The April issue of GQ contains yet another Carson foreign policy blunder. While Carsontouts himself as a stalwart defender of Israel, Jason Zengerle reveals in his profile of the Republican that Carson lacked even a rudimentary understanding of the country’s basic political dynamics. As he waited to catch a flight to Tel Aviv in December, Carson struck up a conversation with his Israeli guide, asking her, ”In the United States, we have Republicans, Democrats, and independents — what do you have?” Zengerle relates that the guide explained the Likud, Labor, and other smaller parties that animate Israel’s political scene and jockey for power in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.
“And what is the role of the Knesset?” Carson begged.
After his guide launched into a disquisition on the legislative body, Carson replied, “It sounds complex. Why don’t they just adopt the system we have?”[su_center_ad]
anothertoothpick March 25th, 2015 at 10:13 am
It is unbelievable that we have to waste time on these clown car fillers.
jybarz March 25th, 2015 at 10:56 am
I am ignorant too with other countries’ politics, but I’m not running for US President position, he wannabe, I wonnabe.
Suzanne McFly March 25th, 2015 at 11:35 am
So is he proving himself as utterly unqualified to lead in order to sell some terribly written books? I am looking for what he has to gain by showing how horrible he is as a candidate.
fahvel March 25th, 2015 at 11:39 am
prior to his being thrown out of the neuroscience cutters club might he not have already performed the same surgery on all the other repugs before attempting the same on himself?
jasperjava March 25th, 2015 at 12:31 pm
You know, “brain surgeon” used to be up there with “rocket scientist” as a popular synonym for “really smart person”.
Thanks to Ben Carson, that’s not so true anymore.
tiredoftea March 25th, 2015 at 1:46 pm
Dr.Ben Carson, because the fringe right doesn’t really have comedians.
tracey marie March 25th, 2015 at 2:36 pm
this is preachy black guy to counter pervy black from 2012.
bpollen March 25th, 2015 at 10:28 pm
So… does this mean the black Republicans are improving in caliber? Or just show how out of touch & weird ya gotta be to be considered to be considered as a viable black republican…
tracey marie March 25th, 2015 at 10:42 pm
the latter
bpollen March 26th, 2015 at 5:13 am
Sigh… I was hoping that you and me and all the kids could put on a show and raise enough money to buy the Republican party and save the nation. Mickey and Judy said they were dying to come! Now, pardon me while I watch youtube laughing-baby videos and try and cheer myself up.
fredoandme March 26th, 2015 at 10:01 am
intentional comedians.
Mike March 26th, 2015 at 1:39 pm
I don’t know…they all seem to make me laugh an awful lot.
Bunya March 25th, 2015 at 2:32 pm
Thank God this guy has a snowball’s chance in hell of getting elected. If he were president, I honestly believe he’d invade Minnesota.
Mike March 26th, 2015 at 1:38 pm
They deserve to be invaded…I hate cold weather and they are the cause of all the chilly air that makes its’ way down to Florida, spoiling my early morning golf and forcing me to wear a sweater….I say Nuke em.
Bunya March 26th, 2015 at 3:09 pm
LOL! How can you live down there with all the giant bugs, slimy lizards and disgusting republicans? Even your Zimmermans are repulsive.
Mike March 26th, 2015 at 3:30 pm
The bugs are overstated and the lizards don’t bother anyone…the republicans on the other hand…let’s just say the weather helps even things out a little (I moved here from Alaska 15 years ago)
Bunya March 26th, 2015 at 3:38 pm
You can’t fool me! I’ve been down there (I’m from Chicago) and I’ve seen those Volkswagon-sized spiders. I can handle the lizards, but the giant spiders really creep me out.
E.A. Blair April 14th, 2015 at 2:34 am
There are lizards that eat kittens in Florida. They may be invasive species, but anything that kills kittens is bad – except, maybe, masturbation.
MR. RIGHT March 25th, 2015 at 11:44 pm
I don’t get it.Every election cycle there’s a Republican who is black who says the stupidest things, Herman Cain, Alan Keyes, and now Carson.
This is becoming a pattern.
Roctuna March 26th, 2015 at 7:59 am
Shallow, self-serving men willing to be manipulated by the gop for money and their 15 minutes. You forgot Allen West.
Budda March 26th, 2015 at 9:02 am
These guys are so caught up in their ideology that they don’t do their homework. Google is your friend Doc.