Donald Trump’s shtick is: “America needs to be respected again because the rest of the world has lost respect for America.”
I don’t care much for The Donald.
But his shtick gnaws away at my mind as I think over the disgraceful “red carpet” treatment President Barack Obama received last month when he visited Ethiopia, the first ever for a sitting American President.
I know the whole red carpet drama is frivolity and vanity and not a big deal in the grand scheme of things; but to the extent that it represents a symbolic gesture of respect for a head of state and his/her nation, it is a big deal.
As I have said before, I am not much for pomp and circumstances and elaborate formal ceremonies. But I have been known to show up at my university’s commencement exercises clad in resplendent professorial regalia and occasionally carrying the university mace as faculty marshal. Graduation ceremonies mean a lot to my students and their families.
I appreciate the symbolic significance of formal ceremonies; but they must be done with class and pizzazz.
I believe the “red carpet” treatment given to President Barack Obama in late July by Thugtatorship of the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (T-TPLF) in Ethiopia was a low down dirty shame and an insult to the office of the U.S. President and the people of the United States.
To the world, Barack Obama is the public face of the United States of America and the single most important representative of the people of the United States. As such, he deserves the highest respect during state visits.
The T-TPLF gave President Obama a red carpet treatment that was not even fit for Bozo the Clown!
It is totally mind-boggling why the T-TPLF dissed Obama.
Obama has been the T-TPLF’s principal bankroller.
Obama doled out billions of dollars to the T-TPLF every year financing their corrupt and criminal enterprises.
Obama continues to turn a blind eye, deaf ears and muted lips the T-TPLF’s crimes against humanity.
Obama lied through his teeth to give credibility and legitimacy to the T-TPLF. Obama had the gall to say the 100 percent “election victory” claimed by the T-TPLF this past May is “democratic”. His National Security Adviser Susan Rice emphatically declared to the press that the “President believes it is absolutely 100 democratic.” Then Rice busted out laughing uncontrollably!
What did Obama get in return for all the favors he has done to T-TPLF? DISRESPECT!
What did America get in return? DISRESPECT!
High rollers in Las Vegas have received better red carpet treatment than President Obama in Addis Ababa.
The “red carpet treatment” means “something” as a symbolic gesture of respect. That is why important state visits and other official affairs are often opened in red carpet receptions and honor guard inspections. Glamorous celebrities the world over present themselves to their adoring public by sauntering on the red carpet.
The red carpet tradition goes back a long way, though much of its meaning is shrouded in the in the fog of history.
In Aeschylus’ play Agamemnon (458 BC), Agamemnon is greeted by his spiteful and unfaithful wife Clytemnestra upon his homecoming from the Trojan War.
Clytemnestra, after delivering the guileful monologue of the forlorn wife before the elders of Argolis, directs her handmaidens to spread a red carpet between the chariot and the door for her husband as a gesture of her utmost respect.
But Agamemnon hesitates to walk on the crimson carpet knowing that such treatment was reserved only for the gods.
Our modern gods — presidents, prime ministers, heads of state, celebrities of all types — have long made it a habit of walking on the red carpet just to remind us that they are gods and we are mere mortals; and that it is our duty to pay them homage, if not worship them outright.
I don’t’ know if the most powerful man on earth could be classified as a god, at least on the level of the mythological Greek gods, but I believe he is entitled to a real red carpet treatment.
I was so appalled by the T-TPLF red carpet spectacle that I thought for a moment the T-TPLF was having Obama do “Ring Around the Rosie”.
They made Obama walk the four squares of tacked-on “runner rugs”, with an imitation Persian rug as the centerpiece, to inspect the honor guards.
Obama walked 8 steps to the left from where he was standing, then made a hard right and took another 12 steps, another hard right and 15 steps, another hard right 11 steps and another hard right 7 steps to his original standing position.
The whole red carpet honor guarad ceremony took 59 seconds! Watch video HERE.
The only thing missing was for the statuesque crowd to sing out loud: “Ring-a-ring-a-roses,/ A pocket full of posies;/Ashes! Ashes!/ We all fall down/.
(How true, they all fall down!)
I believe the T-TPLF showed utter disrespect to President Obama and the tax payers of the United States of America by giving him a Mickey Mouse red carpet treatment on his state visit. He deserved better.
I don’t know why the T-TPLF gave President Obama a crappy 59-second red carpet reception on his state visit.
Could it be that there is no honor and respect among thugs, thieves and thankless beggars?
Could it be that Hailemariam and his T-TPLF bosses are so clueless that they really believed their Mickey Mouse red carpet and honor guard ceremony is what the President of the United States deserved?
There is no doubt Hailemariam and his puppet masters have been given enough red carpet ceremonies over the years to know what a real red carpet treatment is like.
Is it possible that Hailemariam and his paymasters are such clod-hopping country bumpkins and yokels that they do not even learn from others by watching?
I don’t mean fancy learning. I mean simple learning as in “monkey see, monkey do”.
Isn’t there someone around to teach them:
Listen up! This is what a red carpet looks like. Notice! it is red. It is not variegated. That means multicolored. Pay attention! A red carpet is not an imitation Made in China olefin Persian carpet. Check this out! This is how you roll out a fifty-yard red carpet. Look here! The lesson is almost over. You do not patch or tack together 8-feet “runner rugs” [long strips of cheap Chinese olefin rugs] to receive the President of the United States. Pay attention!! You ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, do not buy a 99-cent welcome rug from the Dollar Store to receive the President of the United States!!!!!
For crying out loud, if these guys are so clueless rolling out a red carpet, how can they be expected to roll out an economic plan for 100 million people!?
Even worse, the way they overlapped the imitation Persian rug over the runner rugs was so dangerous that Obama could have tripped and fallen flat on his face. (Aren’t the Secret Service folks supposed to watch out for the President’s safety from falling on slipping and snagging carpets? Many lay people saw the danger.)
The only rational explanation is that the T-TPLF bosses wanted to dis Barack Obama. Straight up! I am convinced that they wanted to tell Barack Obama he aint _ _ _ _ !
That really pisses me off, even though I am no longer a cheerleader for Barack Obama and have lost respect for him for lying to protect the T-TPLF.
Despite my personal feelings, I still believe Obama deserved the highest respect as the President of the United States of America on his state visit to Ethiopia.
All I can say is that you can take the thug out of the bush but you can’t take the bush out of the thug!
It is true, “Money can’t buy you class!”
Shame on the Thugtatorship of the Tigrean’s People’s Liberation Front for giving President Obama a Mickey Mouse reception on his state visit!
Roll out the red carpet for Hailemariam Deslaegn (Rwanda visit, August 21, 2015)
Roll out the “runner rugs”, cheap imitation Chinese Persian rugs and welcome mat from Huangpu, China for Obama!
This can’t be true!?
A polypropylene welcome door mat for the President of the United States?!?
(Thank goodness the President did not fall on his face tripped by the welcome mat overlaid on the rug. Of course, the rear tire of “The Beast” (presidential limo) pressed firmly on the edge of the “welcome mat” holding it in place so it does not slip when the President stepped on it. Did the Secret Service arrange that?!)
But it is TRUE!
The exact “charming welcome mat” is available for direct bulk order from Huangpu, China at this link:
http://www.customized-door-mats.com/sale-329177-red-blue-outside-entrance-polypropylene-door-mats-with-charming-welcome-printing.html
Donald Trump said, “America needs to be respected again because the rest of the world has lost respect for America.”
What would a “President” Donald Trump have done if he had visited Ethiopia and been given the Mickey Mouse red carpet treatment?
I doubt Trump would have taken such in-your-face disrespect without giving his hosts a piece of his mind.
I think he would have told the T-TPLF, with a slight variation, what he told China : “Listen you m—–f——, we’re going to tax you 25 percent!”.
“Listen you T-TPLF! We are going to cut your welfare aid check by 25 percent.”
Now, get a load of that to get R-E-S-P-E-C-T!