Wish There Was Video
By John Cole September 10th, 2010
Most excellent:
China’s top-ranking UN diplomat embarked on a drunken rant against the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, telling his boss he’d “never liked” him, and adding for good measure that he didn’t like Americans either.The outburst by Sha Zukang at a retreat for top UN officials in the Austrian ski resort of Alpbach left senior UN officials cringing in embarrassment as others tried to convince him to put down the microphone, according to Washington-based Foreign Policy magazine.
“I know you never liked me Mr. Secretary-General – well, I never liked you, either,” said Mr Sha as Mr Ban looked on, smiling and nodding awkwardly during the 15-minute toast attended by the UN’s top brass.
I’d pay to watch the crowd reaction.
Posted in Foreign Affairs
That sounds awesome! Surely somebody there must have gotten a few minutes of video on their cell phone. Might take a while for it to get passed from person to person to get “sanitized” so nobody loses their job, but we can still hope, yes?
September 10th, 2010 at 10:03 am
At least he kept his shoes on.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:09 am
Wonder if this helps/hurts his political career in China; I could see it going both ways.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Nearly all the Chinese I know cant drink al-kee-haul, as they lack the enzymes to break down the ethanol (alcohol dehydrogenase? Acetaaldehyase?) and turn bright red after one drink. Perhaps this guy was an outlier, or a virgin drinker.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:13 am
@Redshirt:
Oh, he’ll be recalled to China and sternly lectured. Then in a couple of years he’ll be named ambassador to the US.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:15 am
I’m holding a Chinese calendar burning in protest.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Sounds like he and Bolton would get along famously.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:24 am
@Hugin & Munin:
“Mr Sha, who was appointed the UN undersecretary general for Economic and Social Affairs in 2007…”
I’m thinking that’s how he developed his dislike of Americans.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:28 am
I’ll never forget the epic Hugo Chavez rant at the UN about Bush, wherein Chavez called Bush the devil and claimed he could still smell the brimstone from Bush’s earlier appearance. The funniest thing about it was watching the woman behind him try to suppress her giggles.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Where Mr. Zukang and I differ is I only like Americans when I’m drinking. Then I can tolerate anyone.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:39 am
@Hugin & Munin:
September 10th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Wish there was video?
It’s the UN, you’ll get some mouths over hands in surprise, a couple of suppressed gasps, maybe… just maybe, if we’re lucky, some eyebrows will seriously arch. Beyond that, I don’t see much being revealed in a video.
Sounds like a joke gone wrong. As someone who speaks fur’n languages and has traveled extensively, I can tell you that humor in the personal attack vein can be exceedingly difficult when not in one’s own tongue. Intonation is the most important piece of this type of joke and one needs to be able to marry it to facial expressions that indicate the good-humored nature of the speaker. Without a nativist’s knowledge of the appropriate intonation, these jokes can go very wrong.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Hey John, clean up any tinsel droppings yet?
September 10th, 2010 at 10:51 am
@LGRooney: I don’t think it was a joke…as the article states, this isn’t the first angry rant he’s delivered.
I’m guessing most of the crowd was basically looking at each other like, “Um, what the fuck is he doing? Is he serious?” They were probably embarrassed for him, like when you hear someone singing badly in public and are mortified on their behalf.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:57 am
He should get together on a campaign with staple-thrower John Bolton and that screaming Florida guy who wants to be the Treasurer and help advance the UN’s diplomatic abilities.
September 10th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Sounds like Mr. Sha should fill out one of these.
September 10th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Sounds like Mr. Sha should fill out one of these.
September 10th, 2010 at 11:22 am
It’s a funny story, but I doubt the Chinese government thinks so. Hate to think what might happen to this guy when he goes back to China.
September 10th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Ban Ki-moon is a jerk. He borrowed my hedge clippers and never returned them.
September 10th, 2010 at 11:38 am
I think think this is the link you’re looking for.
September 10th, 2010 at 11:45 am
@Sad_Dem: You think that’s something? Let me tell you a story about Kofi Annan and his paper clips...
September 10th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Oddly enough, that’s the kind of diplomat I can respect! Personally speaking, there are an awful lot of Americans I can’t stand, along with most other nationalities. People are, for the most part, jerks (although I’m willing to give most women a pass because they’re so darned cute). I think Sha and I might get along, as long as we had enough beer.
September 10th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
see! PNAC was right about China being the big threat before they were wrong about Osambama bin Husseinaden being the big enemy. The Chinese Ambassador saying nasty things about Americans is much worse than Chavez or Lulu or whoever. China is much more dangerous. They almost kicked VietNam’s ass back in the ‘80’s.
September 10th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Drunks and microphones—was there ever a more entertaining pairing?
September 10th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Did he then use the safety chute to exit the retreat?
September 10th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
It could have been worse…...much worse.
http://failblog.org/2010/09/10.....idea-fail/
September 10th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
I’m thinking you would also be a dedicated watcher of “Ow, My Balls!” Do you have the app?
September 10th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
I am sure somewhere John Bolton is stroking his moustache,
secure in the knowledge that if they had just let him lop of those floors in that building in Manhattan, none of this would ahve ever happened.
September 10th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
What a fucking bigot. There are only two things I really really hate: Bigots, and the goddam Chinese.
September 10th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
I believe it went down something like this…
September 10th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
@Betty Cracker:
That shit was hilarious. LOL
September 10th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
@Persia:
LOL, I see what you did.
September 10th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Pass the sweet and sour shrimp.
September 10th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
In the absence of video, here’s a decent substitute: Nigel Farage harangues EU President Herman van Rompuy
September 11th, 2010 at 12:37 am