Bob Maistros “We have some work to do in Egypt in terms of our relationships with the Hebrews.”  Pharoah Ramsses, speech at the dedication of the Pyramids, ca. 1600 BC. “Here in the Hunnic Empire, we still need to tweak our associations with the Romans.”  Attila, State of the Empire Address, 450. “Human rights? Hu, me?” “We have a ways to go in Mongolia in terms of our treatment of conquered peoples.”  Genghis Khan, proclamation, 1200. “We might have to make some adjustments in Spain in terms of our dealings with heretics.”  Torquemada, ecclesiastical conference, 1492. “We in England may have to take a second look at our policies in terms of taxation of the colonists.”  King George III, address to Parliament , 1775. “It may be that we in France need to widen our confectionary choices for the peasantry.”  Marie Antoinette, royal audience, 1791. “Role and dignity of slaves?  Yeah, we’re reviewing that.”  Jefferson Davis, media briefing, 1862. “We in the Soviet Union have some thinking to do in our approach to forced collectivization.”  Joseph Stalin, Politburo meeting, 1930. “We may be falling short here in Third Reich in terms of the condition of the Jewish people.”  Adolf Hitler, Nuremberg Rally, 1939. “I don’t think we’re there yet in Cambodia in terms of our operations of the killing fields.”  Pol Pot, outreach event, 1976 “We have some evolving to do in Yugoslavia in terms of our relationships with the Bosnians, ethnic Albanians and Croats.”  Slobodan Milosevic, town hall, 1993. “ A lot still needs to be done in China in terms of human rights.”  Hu Jintao, White House press conference, January, 2011.

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Great moments in diplomatic understatement