They’ve edited the headline. When I saw it 30 minutes ago it said “joke country” in the headline. It was quite offensive, and all on the editor, so good choice to remove it. He didn’t actually call it that.
Anyway, his explanation is still that it’s just a joke.
Though Long said he could understand why the comments would have set off a reaction, he was adamant they were a joke and should not be taken seriously.
Maybe I’m polishing my own halo, but I think it’s very telling of how old fashioned these people are. Everyone in that kind of position ought to know better than to make jokes by now.
Where have these people been for past twenty years? It’s just not acceptable. I don’t mind a good offensive joke, but there’s a time and place for that, and that place is far far away from any media and never to be done in a position of power.
Yeah, it’s all amateur hour in Washington now. Perhaps it’s not a terrible thing that the ambassador for what we now have to consider a hostile country is too dumb to keep his mouth shut.
Please be ready to have your phone scanned on the way back in. It might not happen, but I would make a backup anyways and then if they ask, just factory reset it.
It probably won’t happen to you, but this has been happening to whitest cishet people for a while now, randomly chosen too. They don’t care about just POC, they like inconveniencing people and the power trip is the point.
Mr too. I’ve criss crossed Canada and US in car trips. So much more flexible. I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch of sites and interesting places but no regrets
Don’t forget Greenland. And Venezuela. And Mexico.
Now Iceland too
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/15/anger-iceland-incoming-us-ambassador-52nd-state-joke
He’s since apologised which is sadly more than you’d expect from a Trump Stooge. https://www.arctictoday.com/trumps-iceland-ambassador-pick-apologizes-for-52nd-state-comment/
Calling it a joke country isn’t much better.
Classic bully behavior. “It’s just a joke bro”… then punch you in the face anyway.
I don’t see a “joke country” comment. Is that an edit fail?
Obviously this isn’t great, but it’s not on the scale of mendacious idiocy we’ve come to expects from the Americans.
They’ve edited the headline. When I saw it 30 minutes ago it said “joke country” in the headline. It was quite offensive, and all on the editor, so good choice to remove it. He didn’t actually call it that.
Anyway, his explanation is still that it’s just a joke.
Maybe I’m polishing my own halo, but I think it’s very telling of how old fashioned these people are. Everyone in that kind of position ought to know better than to make jokes by now. Where have these people been for past twenty years? It’s just not acceptable. I don’t mind a good offensive joke, but there’s a time and place for that, and that place is far far away from any media and never to be done in a position of power.
Yeah, it’s all amateur hour in Washington now. Perhaps it’s not a terrible thing that the ambassador for what we now have to consider a hostile country is too dumb to keep his mouth shut.
I’m more disappointed in The Guardian TBH.
Motherfucker better stay away from Iceland. I planning a trip there this year.
Please be ready to have your phone scanned on the way back in. It might not happen, but I would make a backup anyways and then if they ask, just factory reset it.
It probably won’t happen to you, but this has been happening to whitest cishet people for a while now, randomly chosen too. They don’t care about just POC, they like inconveniencing people and the power trip is the point.
Plan having a whole different phone for that trip just for that reason.
I am too, in May
Thinking the fall for me. Less tourists. Going vanlife it for month there in a camper van.
We’re on a tour. Van was my choice but when it came to a vote I lost
Sorry tours are cool, but I prefer the freedom with the van.
Mr too. I’ve criss crossed Canada and US in car trips. So much more flexible. I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch of sites and interesting places but no regrets
and Canada.
The difference is that he’s vowing to protect the Iranian protesters, while also vowing to kill American protesters.
Killing, they’re past talk