What Hillary Learned in the Congo -- a "Red Line" Moment

The opening of this article on Hillary Clinton's angry outburst in the Congo indicates some context for the remark. It played on the nightly news a few days ago, and my immediate thought was that Hillary was expressing a little insecurity on the Bill front. After some thought, though, I think Hillary was probably experiencing something anyone who has spent time immersed in a foreign culture would recognize -- a "red line" moment, at which the frustrations of being confronted with difficult realities result in an outburst. Diplomats aren't supposed to feel these kinds of things, but I know that Mrs. Clinton, with her politician's instincts, had to have experienced more of the real Africa on her trip than most diplomats do. This summary article in the New York Times is a little unfair -- Mrs. Clinton didn't break the bubble of diplomatic security, but she did encounter more ordinary people than most diplomats do.