The Emerging Obama Doctrine

Watching Obama's press conference at the Summit of the Americas discussing economics, narco-terrorism, and guns, the President showcased a new direction in American regional partnerships. The line that captured the essence of Obama's new approach: "other countries see that we are not dug in to policies created before I was born."

Though the president declined to define the Obama Doctrine, 4 themes emerged:

1. We the USA are a super power but not a singular power. There are not junior partners and senior partners on the world stage - other countries have good ideas too. We should listen to them.

2. The USA leads best by example. We have our democracy, freedom of religion and the press, a civil society where we pursue our dreams without interference from government. We show strength when we practice what we preach, confessing that sometimes we stray from our values.

3. We must put aside old debates. As Obama said, it is easier for our friends like Mexico and Columbia to work with us because their neighbors see us as a force for good... when "other countries see that we are not dug in to policies created before I was born." For example, the Cuban policy we had in place has not worked. The Cuban government could release political prisoners and reduce charges on remittances to family members as signals that they are pursuing change.

4. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. And a handshake is just a handshake. And a gift book is just a gift book. Let's look at progress on economics, narcoterrorism, and guns to determine whether we are moving in the right direction.

This emerging Obama Doctrine is the change we voted for and the change he is beginning to deliver.

Comments

[artgenta]

obama is on the right-track on latin america, and he's undoing the damage bush has done. latin leaders and their people know he's a new thinker and a capable and balanced stateman, they're happy for the change and it shows...i'd venture to say he really enjoyed his latin counter-parts, we're very blessed to have a man of his caliber in office after some of the dim-witted talent we've displayed to the world (and ourselves ) as of late! he represents the best of america, and people throughout the world know it! i thank god 4 being here under such leadership!

[JXJASON]

I am a US citizen and during the last 10 years, the US has not lead by example in a number of areas.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that George Bush Jr. started were a failure in leadership. The Congress that supported these wars was a failure in leadership.

We have spent so much money on programs that have no benefit to the US that we are drowning in debt and have an economy in shambles.

There is another article on Huffpost today about what Jamie Dimon ( CEO of JP Morgan ) thinks about the failed leadership in our country.

We all need to speak out more to Congress to get our troops home from all the countries they are in and put them to work making our country a better place for us.

[Clavis]

Let's be very clear about this: Republicans DO NOT PLAY FAIR.

They take every opportunity to manufacture controversy and outrage when it suits them, yet they stifle discussion of real issues that might embarrass them with ridicule and rhetorical trickery.

They exploit our social rules that say "If someone is acting outraged, give them the benefit of the doubt and play along" -- and they've been doing it for TOO LONG.

Fox News slams Democrats with smears every day, but puts a "?" at the end of the caption ("OBAMA HELPING TERRORISTS?"), and they consider that fair game. MoveOn.org does it once ("...BETRAY-US?" and the Democratic­ally-contr­olled legislative branch of the Federal Government dumps on them for it.

That's all you need to know about the double-standard that Republicans have been getting away with for far too long.

[mmz]

Amen!

Keep shaking hands Mr. President Obama.

Magnificent.

[vippy]

After what the USA had done to the South Americans Obama needed to be humble. I am proud of him.
And people, don't forget the horror our CIA inflicted on those people, take Chile and Pinochet, or
how we killed Allende and all those millions of people over what exactly. The USA is truly evil and
Obama seems to be able to change that direction.

[Kache]

" reduce charges on remittances to family members"

I am embarrassed for Obama, his staff set him up on this one, and everyone in Latin America knows it.

Here's what really happens. US dollars are worthless pieces of paper to the family members, until Cuba converts them to Cuban pesos. But Cuba can not then convert them into any other currency. The US embargo does not just forbid US companies from conducting business with Cuba, it forbids all companies on this fair planet from conducting that business. Any business that does, gets fined by the US Treasury if it also does business in the US. Cuba can not therefore just go to the Swiss bank and exchange the dollars for euros or whatever. Instead it has to convert the dollars on the international black market (think Stanford International Bank). That's where the 20% gets charged, by the shady bank in Antigua or the Caymans.

If Cuba did not take the 20% off the top of the remittance, then every remittance sent would be a tax of 20% against the Cuban government, which in turn would be a tax against all the Cubans who do not get a remittance.

[wonketteRAWKS]

#2. What good is the press without a backbone to ask tough questions and inform the public?

#4. If a handshake is just a handshake, why wasn't a photograph with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome just a photograph with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome?

[eciaccio]

If the Obama Doctrine means continuing the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, drone killings of Pakistanis in Pakistan, a "defense" budget increase of 4% (for a total of $534 billion, or a larger military budget than those of the rest of the world's nations combined, and $21 billion more than George W. Bush's last Pentagon budget), continuation of "The Long War" (the war formerly known as GWOT), and continuation of the U.S. empire of 800 military bases (costing $100 billion) in foreign countries and aircraft carrier fleets patroling the globe's oceans, this is certainly NOT the change we voted for.

[Hrothgar121]

and yet he never promised to stop any of those things, so if thats what you thought you would get by voting for Obama, you were only deluding yourself.

changing this country is going to be an incremental process, whether you like it or not, and while i think criticism of the president has its place, and that there are certainly legitimate criticisms of Obama, all of you who hoped that Obama would swoop in on a white chariot of justice and instantly fix all that ails our country and world by decree overnight, are being overly simplistic, to say the least

[eciaccio]

Incremental process is one thing. Keeping 50,000 troops and permanent bases in Iraq, escalating an unwinnable war in "the graveyard of empires", Afghanistan (as LBJ did in Vietnam), and increasing the war budget, which is already larger than all other nations' war budgets combined, while we need those funds for more constructive uses here, is NOT incremental progress. It is regression as well as a repetition of historical failure.

And asking for a new direction in our nation's destructive 63-year old foreign policy of intervention and empire is not deluding oneself that Obama is the savior. It is stating the need for a constructive, alternative path long overdue.

[jhamm1]

"The USA leads best by example. We have our democracy, freedom of religion and the press, a civil society where we pursue our dreams without interference from government. We show strength when we practice what we preach, confessing that sometimes we stray from our values."

...and more importantly, learns to fess up, and atone for such untimely strays, which the United States has yet to undertake.

We may be improving under the current administration, but we are still anything but an example for the rest of the world to follow.

[Hazelnut]

Definitely a breath of fresh air.

[MPeter]

Thanks Christine. Short, sweet and tyo the point. In less than 100 days, this guy has performed nothing short of miracles. Obama is an excellent Prez.

[thoughtful3]

I agree 100%