Oh, I understand. So no “foreigner” is allowed to criticize the doings in any other country but his own. As in, we should never criticize Iran for any policy there, nor Russia, nor China, etc. Got it.
Chait and Yglesias each suggest that a person from France (in this case, Veronique) has no business criticizing a policy proposed by an American (in this case, Barney Frank). And surely these bloggers are each standing on some principle — rather than on pure expediency or ad hominem-ism — to justify their position.
So what might that principle be? One possibility is this: mind your own business (“MYOB”). The very same principle that sparks Chait and Yglesias to object to someone from France butting her nose into the business of someone from America might — if Chait and Yglesias were to reflect seriously on their reactions to Vero — also prompt Chait and Yglesias to object to someone from Massachusetts butting his nose into the business of someone from Virginia.
The healthy implication here, of course, is that Barney Frank should mind the business of his own state and not that of other states.
What their point is of course, is that Chait and Yglesias mean no one who disagrees with them should be allowed to have an opinion. When Europeans were
roundly attacking Bush they were quite happy with criticisms of US policy. And what about the Nobel “Peace” committees constant “kicks” at conservative American politicians. I don’t remember them complaining about that.