[umanwizard]

> Etiquette, norms, and formal communications are fundamentally about precision.

Not at all, in fact often exactly the opposite is true. The French president could have posted “fuck you for writing that letter, our recognition of Palestine has nothing to do with antisemitism” on his Twitter account. That would be a lot more precise than this diplomatic act.

[jltsiren]

That would have sent a bunch of unintended messages. By not using formal diplomatic channels, he would have made the statement look less serious. People might have asked if it represents the opinion of the president as an individual rather as a representative of the state. And the unexpected vulgar tone might have changed people's opinions on him, perhaps making them less interested in dealing with him in the future.