Sunday Roundup
In Strasbourg yesterday, the president was asked about American exceptionalism. "I believe in American exceptionalism," he began, "just as I suspect the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism." Leaving aside that we Greeks believe our exceptionalism to be exceptional and exceptionally old, the president's answer was masterful as he went on to talk about America's core set of values, quickly pivoting to the need to recognize "that we're not always going to be right" and "that other people may have good ideas." So basically, yes, we are exceptional -- when we live up to our exceptional values. It's going to take a while to repair America's reputation -- and thus its ability to lead in the world -- but in Europe this week, Obama made an exceptional start.
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What are our Values ? Are they stipulated in the constitution,the bible,international law ? I think we need to find them,stick to them and be constantly reminded of them. Though we have never truelly lived up to the ideas of the founding fathers of this country,I think we are closer to it ,socially and should never give up on it or belittle it by saying its "old fashioned,can't be applied today ",if we can do this this ,everything else would fall in line, here and with our relations in the rest of the world.
No he didn't bow, he just flew them out of the country on 911 when a bird couldn't even get permission to fly south for the winter...
Huh? 'Splain Lucy.
"Masterful" is the perfect word to use to describe our Pres*ident during this past week in Europe.
Yes, he can obfuscate with the best
Got cynicism? Well, isn't that nice? Easiest thing in the world to be.
He has to obfuscate. Consider all the political self-serving interests in his own country, especially the military-industrial complex, the Israeli Lobby, the religious conservatives, Wall Street, NRA, the farm lobby, and labor. Much of this self-serving on the part of the rich and/or noisy is what kept Bush from becoming a decent president. Obama has to walk a very, very narrow path or the big guns will begin to pick off all the support (his own party) that he has. If Obama does not kow tow to, say, the Pentagon there will be a lot of money flowing to Republicans in 2010 from the military-industrial complex. And this goes for every other big lobby presence.
doesn't matter what country.. the realtor was predatory. and is not a part of the equation.. sounds like a greek horse (trojan) ?/?? lets keep this quiet-- real estate salespeople made ALL their bucks off rippin good people,
Did I hear Susan Rice correctly before Arianna was on this morning?
Shouldn't all the headlines be screaming "Iran has illicit nuclear weapons program"?
Am I the only one that heard it? ... because we're talking NEWS... unless it's not true.
I'm not seeing any mention of it anywhere.
I feel "exceptionally" proud that this man is our president.
Being a student of history, Obama probably mentioned Britain and Greece because the United States was founded on democratic principles developed by those nations, He did forget, however, the influence of French enlightenment on Jefferson and Franklin.
We are not sui generis. The greatest generation also came to age when the US worked with other countries to defeat fascism and helped rebuilt Europe with the Marshall Plan.
Many of our best and brightest in science and the arts have been and are from immigrants, like Jews and Asians, who in spite of prejudice, found a more welcoming environment (at least in the Northeast and California) than in much of the rest of the world.
We have been and continue to be a work in progress. Our election of Obama shows the best angels in our country sometimes comes through.
Of course all this is a spin on the original Woodrow Wilson thing of saying that America had the unique right to opt out of international agreements--the original definition of "exceptionalism" has nothing to do with being good ("exceptional") but with the right to "take exception."
Seems the U.S. will continue to matter, but the idea that it will drift back into its role of sole arbitrar, as in days past, is deeply flawed. We have lost our industrial base and are now a society of unemployed and underemployed service workers whose employers are going broke. What makes anyone think we deserve to rule the world? I'd be thrilled if we could learn to govern ourselves justly, and create a diversified economy based on green principles. Then we might be chosen by other nations as a model: promoting ourselves as such is just so much pap.
Finally a President who will command cooperation from world leaders, not alienate them. We know it will take some time but it's great to be proud of the USA again.
Who are these world LEADERS and where are they leading?
Simply asking that question means you are in over your head in this discussion and are only here to tear down anything positive that your current President of the United States of America accomplishes.
Thank you Ariana for your speaking with wisdom and depth on the This Week roundtable. George Will is making more of a donkey of himself with each show, as he increasingly attacks, personally, the liberal guests on the show, while not showing the erudition he thinks he possesses.
Does anyone know why we are seeing such has-beans, such as David Frum and Newt Gingrich, now making the Sunday morning talk circuit? Is it a matter of economy in that these guys come cheap? Why would anyone consider a neocon wordsmith such as Frum important for the American dialog? His great claim to fame is putting words, such as Axis of Evil, into Bush's mouth. Shouldn't he be boycotted by serious media?
Usually love your comments, Ariana, but not this time. Obama is still very popular in around the world, but if he continues to go begging for troops to expand the war on terror (oops, I forgot that we've changed the name to "overseas contingency operation"), more purchases of our government bonds to continue propping up the Fed from abroad, waving a sanctimonious finger at Iran, etc etc, the people of the world will soon realize there is not much difference between this regime and the last. Right now, he's just using the fact he's not George Bush to try to continue Bush policies with different names.
All of a sudden, A falls from your grace? Interesting
that was about as deep as a shot glass.
President Obama has already turned the world on its ear by announcing that we (America) will "Listen, not lecture". Already a huge departure. Some things are a truism. The most important being that the world cannot accept a nuclear Iran. period. You may as well have said that Bush breathed air. And because Obama breathes air, he is continuing the Bush policy of breathing air.
As a University of Texas grad, I do not make a habit of agreeing with Aggies. However, this one has a point. Obama thinks he can bring the Afghanis into the modern world when the Brits, Russians and Bush 2 could not?
I voted for Obama and I know that he is a vast improvement upon our last president. That said, we must stand up to Obama when he makes mistakes and he is making horrible mistakes in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Our nation is dead broke. Scratch that, we are so in debt that our children will be selling themselves as slave laborers to pay off the debts we've run up. Our industrial might was shipped overseas by Bush and Clinton. The age of America as the world's superpower is over.
Folks, call and write your congresspeople. Call the president. Let them know that it is time to bring our troops home; from Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, etc., etc., etc.
See Margaret Ruth's Profile
Arianna, I really appreciate your post here - especially as you have the ability to see these points from not only the American view, but also other countries. Thank you, as usual.
While President Obama is accurate when speaking of the "exceptionalism" felt within every culture, a better term might be "uniqueness." Equally, when he refers to American leadership one might ask to what he refers: our innovations or our immense energy appetite, our concern for human rights or drug usage, our coming to the aid of the afflicted or our lack health coverage for millions.
American leadership includes many examples, both good and bad. A nation's leadership litmus test is how it protects what is good and corrects what is lacking. The best way to "lead" is by example, not rhetoric. As Lao-tzu said, "That leader is best when the goal is achieved, the people say, 'We did it ourselves.'"
So, instaed of the "DECIDER" we now hav ethe "UNDERSTANDER"???. I don't Miss Bush one little bit.
Yes, the articulate educator of the public understander of who, what, why, when and where. He's put 'em in the dusty past. They show up when we really need them.
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