Dipnote: Is it a joke?

This is just too perfect. Al Kamen passed the word along in the WaPo today that the Department of State has set up its own blog to, as they put it, "provide you with a window into the work of the people responsible for our foreign policy, and will give you a chance to be active participants in a community focused on some of the great issues of our world today."

So far, it doesn't seem to be going too terribly well. In the first place, you can't read the white text on the black background, and even worse, the name of the blog itself -- Dipnote -- is in desperate need of some reworking.

As "Alan" in New York posted today, "Dipnote is a fine term within the context of diplomatic jargon - as a blog title, it sounds way too close to 'dipshit.' Brainstorm for a new title."

My God, what were they thinking, that they would actually get positive feedback from the blogsphere, which is pretty much dominated by people who hate them? The liberal bloggers despise Condi Rice and all her evil works and the right wing bloggers hate the State Department because they don't blow enough things up.

Here are a few examples of the rave reviews Dipnote has gotten so far today:

Jason writes:

"This blog is great. It will allow the world to keep track of your pretending to engage in diplomacy with Iran while your 'administration' plans to bomb them without Congressional authorization, practical justification, the support of the American people, international legal support, or even the most basic sense of right and wrong.Thanks for keeping us safe by radicalizing half-a-million Muslim citizens. Great work."

Jennifer writes:

"You have GOT to be kidding!! I'd tell you what I really think of your circa '99 great blog experiment, but I'm afraid of being wiretapped and put under surveillance. Or worse. I'm sure this will be a smashing success, just like every other single thing this administration has gotten its hands on."

James writes:

"Is it not suspicious to have you speak about problems with countries throughout the world, yet I see no topics on Iraq, Pakistan, Darfur, Israel, Syria, Russia, and your next target Iran? This site is a farce until you start supplying Americans with INFORMATION. You should be ashamed."

And so it goes.

And here's a little tip, Dip, defending Blackwater's activities in Iraq is not going to help matters much. You might want to reconsider the entire idea of having a blog at all.

Jeez, no wonder we're in such a mess around the world. With public servants like these, who needs al-Qaeda?