Expelled US diplomat criticised for comments

[Recursion]

Source: Al Jazeera

The Indian media is abuzz with allegations that a US diplomat expelled by New Delhi in retaliation to Indian envoy Devyani Khobragade's expulsion from the US, made offensive remarks about India on social media.

Indian newspapers have reproduced "disparaging" remarks that Wayne May and his wife Alicia Muller May reportedly posted on their Facebook pages.

Comments by May and wife include familiar grouses against “Third World countries” including health hazards, traffic problems, foul air, not having clean water, poor roads, lack of foot paths and Hindu gods.

...

On Monday, at the daily news conference in Washington, Marie Harf, the US State Department Deputy Spokesperson said, "Those comments absolutely do not reflect US government policy, nor were they made on any official US government social media account."

Read more: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/southasia/2014/01/expelled-us-diplomat-criticised-comments-201411552816225387.html

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Ah, crap.

[rpannier]

1. So much for putting this behind us and moving forward

The guy and his wife should be sacked from the diplomatic corp forever

On another note: Why am I not surprised that this came up in a social media site

[Recursion]

2. Especially troubling given their jobs

Both those positions involve extensive dealing with locals (his position was the interface of the embassy to Indian law enforcement; hers was as what in less enlightened times we would call a "social secretary", getting the staff involved in the social life of the community). Sigh. Neither are technically "diplomats" in the usual sense, but those jobs require more diplomatic skill than a lot of embassy jobs do.

[davidpdx]

6. I agree

The whole thing has been such an abysmal mess from the beginning. India is getting a lot of propaganda miles off it. The comments just continue allow them to continue to do so.

[Theodis]

3. NY City is the most expensive city in the USA to live in

Minimum wage is not a "livable" wage in NYC and Khobragade won't even pay her help that?
Tell me that isn't a crime against humanity!
Let me know if you disagree, I'm itching to rake someone over the coals!!!
Khobragade got far less than she deserves.

[Recursion]

4. I think people are missing the con here

The con is that she was "officially" paying Richards $4500 / month, actually paying her $300, invoicing the Indian government for the full amount, and pocketing the difference.

None of that, however, excuses these two people being that stupid publicly.

[cosmicone]

7. The $4500 was Dr. Khobragade's salary

and the Indian government has backed it up. Putting that as a maid's salary was an oversight. Why would she pay $4500 for an Indian maid, pay her transportation, give her room and board, a cell phone and health insurance when she could hire one in NY for $1700 and not have to give any of those benefits?

Sangeeta Richards used her US embassy connections and got her family a quick immigration visa for which they did not qualify unless they stood in line for 7 years or won a "green card lottery."

[JI7]

5. they look like country club republicans

for some reason i was imagining a younger couple

[cosmicone]

8. Yeah - racist fuckers

who think they could violate Indian law and an Indian judge's order because they are "umrikkkan"

[JI7]

10. yeah, because it's only ok for indians to violate laws and rape people

[cosmicone]

12. Pakistani talking points

some people are just way too obvious

[JI7]

13. rape in india is not a pakistani conspiracy

[cosmicone]

16. It could be

look at the names of the rapists and decide....

[JI7]

17. that's some fucked up shit, i have been to india and know people there

what is happening is real.

[cosmicone]

18. You went to India once and got to know ALL the rapists?

Impressive. I bow down to your superpowers.

I go to India every 6-8 weeks and have been for the past 9 years. I have yet to meet a single rapist!

[JI7]

19. people often ignore things/people they don't care for as if they don't exist

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014699137

[LeftinOH]

9. Isn't being "diplomatic" (e.g. choosing your words carefully) a key skill

required to be a Diplomat?

Actually, probably not.. since Diplomatic posts are often rewards given to top political supporters. How did these two bozos get the position?

[JI7]

11. probably the same way that indian human trafficker got the job

through connections over qualifications.

[Recursion]

15. Only a tiny number of ambassadorships are political appointments (one sixth or so)

The rest are from career foreign service officers.

The security officer post is a professional posting for a career FSO, usually one with military or police experience, but they often aren't trained in "soft" diplomacy as well as they should be (you could probably say that about military and police personnel in general). The community liaison position isn't a diplomatic posting at all, and generally the spouse of an FSO is hired for that (it's 99% organizing events for the community).

But, I just wanted to throw in there that almost no diplomatic positions are given away as political rewards.

[Ash_F]

14. Those silly Hindus and their gods!

Grade A diplomacy right there.

State Department best department!