Happy Holidays From the Video Asshats at Your State Department

So what better use of taxpayer money and time than for your State Department to make idiotic holiday videos?

Acting like an asshat is something of a State tradition year-round, but these annual videos seek to memorialize it. The very broad theory is that these things “humanize” American foreign policy in a way drones do not, and because they get lots of “clicks,” prove those foreigners really do love us after all. Of course, lots of people slow down for gory car wrecks, too.

A theme this year is American Embassy staff acting wacky and speaking their host country’s languages poorly, and thinking that is hilarious. Why, those goofy foreign words! Good thing everybody overseas speak English, amiright? Can anyone imagine a foreign ambassador in the United States going on YouTube and speaking sad, broken English like he’s Sasha Baron Cohen? Hah, the comedy Christmas Americanski joking time!

Anyway, it’s social media and that’s a good thing, right?

Those who are worried about the loss of respect for America under the coming administration should console themselves knowing there is little left to lose.

The loquacious American ambassador in Seoul:

Tokyo, featuring the ambassador dressed as Santa:

And here’s the U.S. Embassy crowd in Manila (skip ahead to about 1:00 for wacky funs):

Maybe Norway:

Peter Van Buren blew the whistle on State Department waste and mismanagement during Iraqi reconstruction in his first book, We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People. His latest book is Ghosts of Tom Joad: A Story of the #99 Percent. Reprinted from the his blog with permission.