In-the-box Washington pundits view the hemispheric outburst in the UN as a PR problem. But the Obama administration doesn’t need to work on its niceties or polish its Spanish. What it needs to do is ditch the offensive policies and practices that stirred up regional ire. The voices of outrage from the South brought an important lesson to the UN floor: Deception and strong-arm tactics eventually backfire.

Was anyone in Washington listening?