Why Europe Feels Rejected By Obama

New York Times :

Why would an American president not come to a celebration marking the fall of the Berlin Wall, and with it, the triumphant end of the Cold War -- one of the high points of the United States' and Europe's common 20th-century history?

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[TimDanMick]

This is a non story. Obama is popular in Europe and it is the one place which does not need his personal attention to maintain a positive relationship.

[Oleg1]

It was an issue important to European allies. Maybe when Obama wants European allies to stand with him on some issue they remember his lack of care. hmmmmm.....
Especially considering he had time to take a trip with wifely to p i m p Chicago Olympics.

[ChrisVan8]

Without ready the story and just looking at the photo I would guess it's because he didn't bring his big grey umbrella to the meeting, despite repeated reminders.

[KDog76A]

uh, he didn't go at all

[ChrisVan8]

It's a joke man. I thought that was implied in the part about just going by the photo.

[Oleg1]

Due to his background, Obama is the first President ever to be more interested in Asia than Europe.

[chewie2008]

This article is b.ull.No one cared about Obama.

[Greg2000]

So why are you here whining and B#$tching?

[chewie2008]

What,did I hurt your feelings?Here`s a tissue.Extra soft,little boy.

[winningticket]

Paying too much attention to Europe hasn't benefitted the US, it's resulted in two world wars and a cold war. Get over yourself Europe!

[Oleg1]

Without European immigration in the 20th Century U.S. would be like Haiti.

[Realitylost]

If Europe is so much better, why did they immigrate?

[phute]

Europe isn't that fussed about Obama - he's seen for the lightweight that he is.
You see Europeans are politically sophisticated in the main when compared to to Americans.

[Greg2000]

You mean trailer park politics a la Fauxnews

[Realitylost]

lmao, right . . . isn't the voting body of the Nobel Committee mostly Europeans?

[KDog76A]

actually we didn't pay enough attention to Europe, which resulted in WWI and WWII. We had almost zero foreign policy in the periods that led up to both of those wars.

Isolationism prior to WWI
Failure to join the "League of Nations" (replaced by UN) prior to WWII. Let the rest of Europe run wild on restitution, giving Hitler plenty of scapegoats and helping his rise to power. You don't keep a nation bankrupt because they lost a war...

study up on your history

[AdHock]

This is a complete non-story. I'm British and living in Paris and from my experience of the general public, in both the UK and France, Obama is overwhelmingly popular. The article basically just quotes a few newspapers and assumes that they represent a continent of nearly 500 million people. I really expect better of the NY Times.

Obviously it would have been nice if he could have attended the Berlin Wall celebrations but people here do realise that he actually has a country to run, and has an even bigger job than usual clearing up all the mess left by his (dismal) predecessor.

[KDog76A]

apparently you don't know whats a mess and what isn't over here.

I think you should hang out in the Paris suburbs, let us know what its like there.

[AdHock]

When did I ever say there weren't problems? Of course I'm aware of the situation in the Paris suburbs. But what has that got to do with Mr Obama?

[GetACluepeople]

Europeans, especially the Germans and French are notorious whiners. So, the President of the United States can't make their party so that signals reason to put one self in a tizzy?

Europe is important, but in this case, the trip to the summit made more sense.

Seems someone in the EU feels slighted and it's stature not taken seriously (Germany possibly)!

[JohnTy]

Surely Americans aren't so gullible as to take this article seriously. Europe and the world has rather more urgent problems than whether Obama visits.

[KDog76A]

Why not look at Kennedy's contributions to protecting West Germany during the Cold War?

The Berlin Air Drop, maybe?

The US did happen to play a role in the reunification of Germany, whether you like to believe it or not. We earned a seat at the table to honor the fall of the Berlin Wall and we skipped out on dinner... its not about urgent problems. Its about accepting the gratitude for our positive contributions... a rarity in world opinion, yet we seem to welcome scorn for our actions the last 8 years. Its about getting on the right path and showing our intentions in the future are the honorable type.

[SKonnery]

He knows which side his bread is buttered on being that we owe the Chinese $800 billion. If we owed the Europeans that kind of money he would be spending a lot of time in Europe. There is a price to be paid for being a debtor nation. Wars cost money. Thanks "W".

[Greg2000]

Amen

[KDog76A]

Hey thank Obama for dropping the whole China civil rights abuses issue so we could keep borrowing their money.

[SKonnery]

Without two wars to fight and his bank bailout we wouldn't have had to borrow it. I don't see us in a position to lecture anybody on civil rights. Thanks to the war president we don't have as many as we should.

[SKonnery]

What part of the price of being a debtor nation didn't you understand. You can't p*ss off the banker if your making a loan.

[malvones]

Let's get real... Europe is hugely important, but we have been ignoring Asia for a good eight years, giving ground and gaining little in return. Obama is compensating for our absence in any real way for the duration of the Bush admin.

At the same time, the EU as a unified entity is essentially a mirage. They have no unified voice, it is still the same complexities of dealing with each European country individually, with the added complications of their EU economic and legal framework.

I'm sorry that Europeans feel "neglected," perhaps this would be a good lesson for them the next time they are bickering endlessly about even minor attempts to integrate their countries into one singular force to be reckoned with.

[mcantwell]

Unbelievable! Europe is pissed that the President Obama was absent from the celebrations in Berlin on Monday Nov. 9th? Did anyone even consider that a major tragedy in the U.S. just might supercede any celebrations in Europe? Our Nation grieved at a Memorial Service for the soldiers at Ft. Hood on Tuesday Nov. 10th.

[Gripen]

Ok lets see a memorial of the end of the cold war that has cost millions of ppls life or a memorial for 13 dead was random kileld by a army doctor that went postal.

And that is after zero functioning diplomacy after 8 years of arrogance.

Good to see that americans have there priorities right

[Greg2000]

Right on!

[Bilgot]

No. We're not. Stop believing everything you read

[mcantwell]

I do not believe everything I read. My dismay is with the person who wrote the article.

[calluna]

Your argument would make perfect sense if Obama had planned to go to Germany and then canceled in the wake of the Fort Hood tragedy.

[mcantwell]

What exactly is your objection?

[Philclock]

Rejected? Obama wants to be just like them, stagnant welfare state economies with perpetually high unemployment run by professional politicians.

Don't worry, Obama will be hopping a plane soon, so he can skip another press conference.

[sixletters]

What are you babbling about? You people don't even make a little bit of sense anymore.

[Greg2000]

Seriously!

[KDog76A]

if you don't get it, it really explains why you support these policies

[dct1999]

LMAO, what a flaminglystupid, UScentric piece of mindless drivel.

[phute]

Europe really brings out such crackpot sentiments - I love 'em - not an ounce of sense amongst them.

[Greg2000]

Indeed

[KDog76A]

you apparently don't read European news

Germany: Obama Has Failed on Climate Change
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,661678,00.html

Germany: Obama's "Soft Approach on China Won't Succeed"
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,661787,00.html

BBC:
Obama Yet to Deliver on Middle East
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8335114.stm

drivel indeed...

try thinking Gestalt... the "Big Picture" then it will start to make sense (unless you went to public school)

[S1m0n]

They'll get over it.

[dct1999]

So you actually think Europeans are feeling rejected? Seriously?

[KDog76A]

Yes....

"Not Enough About Him? Obama skips Berlin Wall Ceremonies" -der Spiegel

[Badbowler]

HEY!!! HES WORKEN HERE!!! What should he do? Go cut brush in Texas?

[hidenout]

Play golf...

[KDog76A]

doin what? burning money?