globalpost.com:
NEW YORK With regard to Europe, at least, everything old may be new again.
Donald Rumsfeld stirred a hornet's nest ahead of the Iraq War in 2003 when he dismissed "Old Europe" as irrelevant, referring to American allies like France and Germany who warned us not to invade. The insult hit home, and Europeans never forgave him or the administration he rode in on.
BBC NEWS | Americas | Obama disappointed over Lockerbie
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i am in Switzerland and have relatives in Italy, Span and France. Yeah, i'd say Europe loves the Obamas.
What is there not to love? (Republicans exclude from the human race thus...)
Don't know if Europeans like Obama or not. Do know every time I wear my Obama t-shirt someone wants to buy it.
The initial rush of good-feeling having passed, at this point I don't think that Europeans are particularly fond of Obama or his administration (not those Europeans I've talked to anyway), though they recognize that Americans--not really Obama but some of us anyhow--have been trying to unscrew the mess we've made of things around the world. The Afghanistan war will be pivotal in European opinion, which will sink fairly quickly if American's rally behind such folly, though I don't think they will.
They're not particularly fond of Obama? Really? Do you know numbers? Did you even read the article? Try and explain to yourself what SEVENTYSEVEN % approval means.
Compared to '0' for Bush/Chene
I don't get some of the posts here. This is not about competition between Europe and America. The news are simple, Obama is liked as he is intelligent, eloquent, calm and a pretty cool president compared to the dingbat Bush. There are good things in Europe and good things in America.
I don't understand when an American has been to Europe and makes remarks about our health care or the railway system and then is told: move to Europe. Why not adapt ways which have proven to be successful even if they did NOT originate in the states. IMO one of the major reasons why you have fallen behind many countries is the fact you are constantly told you are number one. People believe it and therefore see no need for a change to the better. ( hey, we are number one, no need for action )
In Germany where I live there are many issues that can be improved. The goal is to look around, adapt new ideas or improve the existing concepts. It doesn't matter which country is the forerunner. And regarding the wars where some European countries did not want to participate I can only say: we are a sovereign nation, Bush knows what "sovereign" means. LOL
Liberals think Europe is some kind of utopian society where everything is perfect. If its so great they should just get on a plane and move over there. However don't be surprised if it is not so great after all.
You better go suck an egg.
Thank you for adding to the intellectual dynamics of this site.
Of course the Europeans approve of President Obama. Very simply the Europeans have class and they recognize class.
Now, Dubya had no class.
Indeed.
Europeans appreciate education and intelligence and culture.
Of course, for many on the Right in the US, these are the very things that make Obama suspect.
You hit the nail on the head CYE. I am an African American, who lived and studied in Germany. The Germans and Europeans in general are drawn to Americans who respect cultures outside of our own. So often Americans are arrogant and unwilling to learn about the world outside of America! Many of us travel to other countries and never attempt to learn the languages of the countries that we visit, and when Europeans read or watch America's political news they only hear republicans criticizing their culture. Obama is respectful of all cultures and people, it's just too bad Joe Wilson didn't learn to respect others and the America President from is parents, who obviously did a terrible job of raising him!
This pleases me.
This is not just about image; there is an important substantive issue here which should not be neglected: this will make collaborative work between the U.S. and our allies easier.
Europe is an old ally to the US and is more important than ever given the common problems we share. We need more than a few conservative European governments who are willing to ignore their citizens (like Aznar's Spain) to work with us if we are serious about getting things done.
This is good news for America.
Second that! Like Europe will contribute in greater magnitudes troops to Afghanistan.
Actually, no, you do NOT second mikesw's comment. Re-read it, if you know how.
Probably not troops, but if Europeans ramp up their efforts in aid and development, that would go a long way toward stabilizing Afghanistan and weakening the Taliban. This outcome is much more likely when Europeans respect American leadership, which President Obama is doing much to restore. This *is* good news for America, indeed...
Many Europeans don't just like Obama. We like America better now.
If some of you don't care about that, so be it. Thankfully, you're in the minority. Both here and there.
If you're in a country, or even a duchy or principality or city-state, could you please tell us where you are? I'm testing my internet connection and want to see if I can reach you. Also, were you one of the countries we liberated in World War II?
"want to see if I can reach you" ?
explain plox
Why are liberals so obsessed with what Europeans think about America? This groveling for European approval is strange and a little creepy.
Furthermore the Europeans are some ot the most selfish people on this planet. They don't provide enough troops to really help America and they use us to provide for their security. They like Obama because they know he is a pushover.
I'm European. I'll just leave this here as a bookmark, to check back later and see whether your compatriots are going to tolerate this level of entirely counterfactual h8 speech.
Only somebody with a pea brain would think that is hate speech!
"Furthermore the Europeans are some ot the most selfish people on this planet. They don't provide enough troops to really help America"
This is exactly why the world hated us under Bush. Americans coercing and demanding things of other countries, maligning them for not complying.
It isn't groveling to want good foreign relations with your only true allies. You can be damn sure it's not just European approval that we destroyed under Bush. It blows my mind that some people seem to think this is a bad thing.
The world hated us long before Bush was President. You are just too naive and ignorant to know that.
I believe that good foreign relations does not have to equate to the President being a "push over."
And ultimately, others' perceptions of U.S. Citizens is also derived on how we act both at home and abroad.
To answer your question: Because it pisses you off. Have you been to Europe (like I really had to ask the question)? Even though your name is Marco, eh?
Selfish for not wanting to support a false war? No, they will find other ways to get their oil without depending on the US - can you say Lockerbie? Or they go nuclear (France), or totally green (Germany). And they develop their rail system for mass and local traffic. No place is perfect. But life is pretty damned comfortable over there.
And they're not so selfish when it comes to health care for all of their citizens.
PS Where are the happiest people in the world? not here is the answer. My thoughts: because rational people really don't like to see the effects of gross discrepancies of income.
So move to Europe if you think its so great. Just buy a plane ticket and leave because its that easy to do.
Good post.
IMO corporate America is blocking everyting that could hurt their short time profits. It would maybe take a paradigm change in US politics towards more solidarity in the society.
Anyway I love your state, especially now with the fall foliage.
Greetings from Cologne, Germany.
Conservative America's "New Iron Curtain". (The one put up around the American borders.)
Because, God knows, we don't want to have anything to do with them feriners (unless it happens to make US a lot of money), and therefore we also don't care what they think of us. We'll just put up a GREAT BIG WALL so that none of them immigrants (especially the illegal ones) can come in and pollute our fine nation. To hell with them. WE are the superpower in the world! Who needs the rest of them (unless they can make US money)?!
Conservatives would rather ignore that the world is shrinking and that it requires a wider mind to absorb and process it all and live peacefully in. instead, they want the world to grow ("Git them feriners as far away from me as possible"), and their minds to shrink ("I don't want to know nothin'!"). This is their "world view". News flash fellas: that view DIED Dec. 7th, 1941! It's not coming back.
THeY TUk Are jawbs.
So, Europeans like Obama. Great. Send him there.
I guess we're always going to get that fringe of stupid people who are too stupid to have a smart president.
Exactly.
Pathetic.
I agree; our ancestors left Europe to escape the same oppressive governments Obama is trying to re-institute here.
Our ancestors came here to seek religious "freedom"!
Yeah right. They went to America to make money, that's it. And if you think the political situation in Europe is the same as 400 years ago you are completely detached from reality.
Nonsense.
Whether one likes it or not, especially those who try to suggest everything "not American" is Socialist, our international relations are extremely important.
That headline could just as easily say "Europeans' approval of cancer jumps significantly from Bush." It's not like Bush's approval ratings were tough to match.
Bush had 19% approval in the end, Obama now has 77% approval.
That is WAY more than just significant.
He could have just gone up to 30% or 40% or 50%, and still be twice better than Bush.
77% doesn't just mean he's better than Bush, it means they REALLY, REALLY like his policies, and/or him.
Obama being more popular than Bush is like saying that death by orgasm is preferable to asphyxiation.
The former is nicer, but either way, you lose in the end.
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First Posted: 09- 9-09 05:11 PM | Updated: 09- 9-09 05:16 PM