The Educated Idiots Award (Vol. 1, No. 2): 'Hurt so Good'

The people have written!

After sorting through scores of nominations from readers, I am dyspeptic to present another recipient of the “Educated Idiots Award” (EIA), which is given to the arrogant intellectuals unacquainted with real life who foist their insane ideas upon the “unenlightened” rest of us.

Nominated by former State Department Official, John Tkacik, this week’s EIA goes to the Obama Administration’s “smart power” savants. (Okay, that’s not quite what John called them, but the sentiment is simpatico.)

To witless:

Per a March 5th Washington Post article, the Obama Administration’s “smart power” savants want the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to get a sweetheart sanctions deal: If the Beijing regime relents and supports tightened UN sanctions against Iran, the PRC will be exempted from tightened US sanctions against Iran.

This dysfunctional case of “the enemy of my enemy is my enemy” bemuses our allies who have steadfastly supported sanctioning Iran due to its nuclear program; and have already been divesting from the mullah’s murderous regime.

For example, while supporting sanctions Japan has reduced its investment in Iran’s Azadegan oil fields from 70% to 10%. While opposing sanctions the PRC has invested over $80 Billion in Iran’s energy sector, including

$3 Billion in the very same Azadegan oil field.

So let’s recap: The PRC can simultaneously vote for and escape from Iranian sanctions; our allies can vote for and follow sanctions; and the Obama Administration can claim a talking point victory for “smart power.” (For those unfamiliar with the term, in educated idiots’ parlance “smart power” means “peace through speech.”)

In an analysis by the Monty Hall Institute for Deal Making, the PRC gets door number one and our allies get the shaft.

Still, nothing in life is entirely without merit. This sordid episode in smarty pants diplomacy does provide an answer to those confounded Leftists wondering why America’s standing in the world has diminished under the Obama administration:

At least when Neville Chamberlain pursued appeasement, he was sincerely deluded.