High hubris

Testifying before the Helsinki Commission in Washington DC on Thursday Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said the following:

"It would be an insult to hold that great country to low standards...We want [insert country name here] to be a partner in the world, and we want [insert country name here] to be strong, but strong in 21st-century terms" America would like to see [insert country name here] "with strong, democratic and independent institutions in and out of government; with a strong civil society, free press and active opposition; with strong and independent middle and entrepreneurial classes...We do not exempt [insert country name here] from our belief in the universal potential of freedom."

The country that Fried was speaking of was:

A) Iraq
B) Israel
C) The United States of America
D) Pakistan
E) The Russian Federation

(The answer is C) The United States of America. No wait - I got carried away - the answer is E) The Russian Federation.)