This week, Senator Obama began the European leg of his much anticipated overseas trip. I spoke to Washington Post columnist Jim Hoagland, New York Times Jerusalem bureau chief Ethan Bronner and author Robin Wright about their observations after the Senator's first stop in Berlin, where he drew a crowd of more than 200,000 according to German estimates.
To be honest, I found the Berlin speech more than mildly disappointing, and chocked full of empty rhetoric. The European socialists may embrace Obama’s American brand of socialism because it weakens America’s competitive position in the world economy and levels the economic playing field. But if he expects them to fight with us side by side in the war on terrorism he hasn’t learned the lessons of history and is too naïve to be president. The only countries who have steadfastly stood by the US are Canada, the UK, and Australia (and the Poles to a lesser degree). Our other allies get wobbly spines when the going gets tough.
When he looks in the mirror, Obama may think he sees JFK. But it’s really slick Willie reading from the economic malaise plan of Jimmy Carter with the clear and confident voice of a man who has no experience.
This ideal, which like in Pinochet's Chile, states that it's OK to spy on, torture and even kill, yes, even your own citizens if needed, to SHOCK people and make them fall in line with fear.
Reagan imposed scant traces of these ideals with deregulation; since that time, it's become fully loosed by Bush's administration in their grandiose War on Terror, where Doug Feith stated that the Geneva Convention laws should not apply to the prisoners in this war, -Where insistence on wiretapping is so surreal.
Very much of the educated world thinks otherwise. They know torture. They know what this corrupt administration is up to, and are rightly disgusted with it. They know that when all the veil's removed, the prime motivator behind all this is GREED. Greed from a facsist styled government with ideals this administration arrogantly links itself, & in the end, wants to control people.
Small wonder it 's so refreshing for them to see a candidate like Obama, who they can see does not espouse these ideals, and welcome him.
Get a clue, people. It's not necessarily Obama these people look up to and love so much, it's America.
Cities that are getting this right are Curitiba in Brazil and Bogata in Columbia.
They are relieved with the thought that soon Bush will be gone. No doubt, the world will sleep better at night. Obama is the anti-Bush. That is all that folks need to know.
Obama does it and he's "arrogant" which is Repug code for "uppity" and we all know what that means....
I really wish the fake patriotism attacks on Sen. Obama's character would stop. The attacks lack any substance. PLEASE FOCUS ON THE REAL ISSUES!!!
In addition, real, actual people are concerned about his "patriotism." Although that might be a meaningless generality to you, it is very real in the minds of many. Rather than griping about it, Obama - with all his alleged people skills - should gracefully acknowledge the concern and figure out a way to respond to it. He hasn't done this so far, and I'm afraid it does not speak for his interest in all types of people. I think he does this when he feels he has no need of them. People sense this, believe me, and you would be surprised, I think, at the disdain and bitterness that many feel toward him for that reason alone.
It's also crystal clear that when people question his integrity or patriotism, it's generally because they want to find a way to attack him. It's a low, below the belt shot that I find to be absolutely chicken sh*t and doesn't even deserve a response.
If you don't like the guy, don't be a coward, just say it. Talking about his patriotism is completely ireelevant, and changes nothing.
Stop micro-analyzing. Maybe the guy is really that good.
Since when do they have a say on elections in the USmuch less even worthy of noting?? Move there if it fascinates you so much...
We proclaim that who leads in Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, Russia, Chile, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala (to name a few) affects us; should we be surprised when the rest of the world "presumes" to proclaim its interests in the same way?
Also, I would rather a president that understands our place in the world. We are part of this globe, not owner of it. We cannot get everything we want with bombs and no-bid contracts.
You sound as if you live behind a wall of hatred for blacks. This black man representing your country is drawing crowds of people waving American flags and all you can do is criticize and find fault. How do you reconcile pride in your country with your criticism of an event that should have made you proud.
His comments on what Obama left out of his Berlin speech are foolish - it appeared that he only wanted to impress the TV audience with some obscure German technicality about fighting in Afghanistan.
But Obama wasn't there to lay out policy, he was introducing himself on the world stage and making the point to voters back home that he's comfortable doing so.
Mission Accomplished!
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Cut it out! You're scarin' me.