Subversive Talk

Who dares suggest that Amur'ka is "in decline?"

Well, not Australian foreign minister Bob Carr, that's for certain.  Nor, to be sure, Mr. Willard "Call Me Mitt" Romney.  Nor any healthy, well-adjusted, right-thinking person anywhere, it would seem:

Australia’s foreign minister says he wasn’t criticizing America when he spoke of a nation “in decline” during a private conversation with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr and other Australian officials said Monday that Carr was praising American economic strengths during Sunday’s meeting. The meeting was kept secret until Romney shared Carr’s comments with donors later in the day.

“He said America is just one budget deal away from ending all talk of America being in decline,” Romney said, while addressing roughly 250 donors at San Francisco’s Fairmont hotel. “I said, ‘Can I quote you on that?’ and he said, ‘Yes.’”

[ ... ]

Australian officials released a statement Monday clarifying Carr’s comments, which were made during the first meeting between a senior Australian official and Romney since he became the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee.

“The foreign minister’s remarks represent a considered assessment of the U.S. economy and an antidote to talk of U.S. declinism,” said Kim Beazley, Australia’s ambassador to the United States.

Yes, but someone must be talking about American decline.  Some traitorous swine must be spreading defeatism.  Not Mr. Carr, and not Ambassador Beazley ... but they report that there is such talk.  So, who's the bad-mouther?  Where did they hear such talk?

Ummmmm, yes, OK.  You're right -- I'm guessing they (Mssrs. Beazley and Carr) are readers of this blog.  The very Chestnut Tree Cafe itself.  Never knew I had so influential, so connected, so highly-placed a readership.

Far out.