You know what, I seriously doubt that Obama himself decided on the gift for the queen. Those things are planned out by the protocol division of the state department. And it's not like the Ipod was loaded with crappy rap songs . .it had pictures of the queen's visits to the US.
"No breach of protocol occurred, according to the Royal Press Office, because Buckingham Palace does not issue instructions about how to address the Queen."
And news flash for you: EVERY president uses telepromopters when making speeches!
You can deal with any bad dreams later, realizing that what was done was necessary. Defeating Japan and Nazi Germany required some severe nastiness. After all the horrible hostilities though...can anyone suggest other than those two previously, truly "Evil Empires" are no longer our enemies?...and are even generally friendly to the USA? Attempted appeasement of those who wish you dead, your nation and culture eradicated, and your people enslaved to some barbaric excuse for a "religion", is just flat-out insane. Nothing ever affords any permanent "fix" for this world, or human nature it's-own-self. Barring time's extreme processes, involving actual human evolution; wars and strife will be with us "always'..certainly..during the lifetimes of ourselves, our children and theirs. So...what's to do? Piney hits the nail squarely with the following observation:
