Obama's Foreign Policy Mojo

Remember when President Obama's opponents tried to paint him as wet behind the ears when it came to foreign policy? By any measure, Obama's first presidential trip abroad has dispelled that charge. Again and again, Obama has demonstrated both visionary qualities and practical skills.
It took Obama to settle the issue of who would become the next NATO General Secretary. It was Obama who held out the prospect of a nuclear-free world. But perhaps Obama's most audacious moment came before the Turkish parliament.

Speaking before it, he announced, ""The United States has been enriched by Muslim-Americans. Many other Americans have Muslims in their family, or have lived in a Muslim-majority country. I know, because I am one of them." As the New York Times reports today, Obama is sure to be vilified by right-wing commentators as a double-agent, a Muslim masquerading as an American.

But as Europe grapples with the issue of making Turkey a full-fledged member of the European Union and with Turkish immigrants living in its midst, Obama's speech was courageous and far-sighted. Europe remains mired in lethargy, unable to address the pressing issues, ranging from terrorism to Turkey to unemployment, that assail it. Obama, by contrast, is tackling them head-on. He's essentially saying to Europeans: "Get up to speed," partly because America can't carry you along by itself any more.

Obama, then, isn't just acting like an American president, but a world leader.

Comments

[ReaganTMan]

If Sarah Palin is the second coming of Ronald Reagan, so Obama is the second coming of Jimmy Carter. At this point in his presidency, Jimmy Carter had a 75% approval rating. The Soviet Union was on the march and Europe thought the appeasement approach Carter was taking was right.

Governor Sarah Palin wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates:

"Your announcement of a proposed $1.4 billion reduction of the Missile Defense Agency's budget is not the best decision for today's threat environment. Alaska is committed to supporting continued missile defense implementation at Fort Greely and the development of future technology through our Kodiak Launch Complex, which has access to the Gulf of Alaska Maritime Exercise Area. This unique training space offers a safe and secure location to further develop and test future missile intercept technologies in conjunction with the latest sea-based and land-based radar.

I am deeply concerned with North Korea's development and testing program. It has the clear potential of impacting Alaska, Hawaii, and possibly the West Coast, with a nuclear-armed warhead. I can't emphasize enough how important it is that we continue to develop and perfect our global missile defense shield."

Is Barack Obama being schooled on foreign policy by the political rival his campaign mocked for being able to see Russia from her house? Say it ain't so, Barack.

[ReaganTMan]

President Obama has called the United States arrogant while on French soil. He has bowed down to the King of Saudi Arabia, and then lied about doing it. He has told Turkey that we are not a Christian nation. Oh Europe, what a wonderful place to be in the spring!

This is what our country puts forth as its face to the world: a president that shows weakness and undermines his own national defense out of a nievete that being nice will automatically make you friends. International politics is power politics. It's not about how nice you are. It's about how strong you are and how much you have to offer another country's interest.

Talk all you want, but the realities are still the realities. Terrorists and enemy nations want to destroy us. There is no discussion. You can't talk to Iran and North Korea about nuclear weapons. You can't talk talk to the Taliban about moderation. Worst of all, you can't unilaterally disarm and expect everyone else to follow suit.

They're laughing at us. Ha ha ha ha, we got them now. They are looking at the United States like we are ripe for the picking. The Chinese will eventually own us, al Qaeda will eventually win the hearts and minds of the Muslim people in Europe and Asia and Russia will eventually seek territorial acquisitions again. And what does Obama do? He cuts our military, including missile defense and the F-22.

It's 1977 all over again.

[Brillig]

NIce defence of Europe, seen from a Eurocentrist viewpoint. But you Europeans raped Africa and the Far East, robbed the wealth and are now posturing about free Health Care. Is there Free Health Care in the countries you left behind?

Sure your subways and Health are better than the US, but frankly, when it became clear to me that you were busily blaming America for the Global Crisis, then it is quite reasonable for Americans to think you are not all that savvy. If you are so advanced, why is the US crisis YOUR crisis?

Simply because, while you all love to cry FOUL on the US, you also expect THEM To do everything else.

I dislike American Arrogance as much as anyone else but if you think that the EU is Europe's business alone, then, stop looking to America for the cause of your financial fall out. You will have to accept full blame for complicity in this one.

Finally, when one considers the hundreds of years head start that Europe has had on America in robbing other countries of their wealth, surely you don't need to boast about anything you have that is better? You had more time.

This is why the best countries in the world are the small Caribbean islands, most of them independent of European robbery for only 40-60 years, yet living as good as, if not better than the big guys are in 2009

[MacQ]

I see that some Europeans have contributed here. What's interesting is the responses to them.
When a european opines that she found Obama arrogant, his followers and defenders go into insult mode.

Progressives (inlcuding Obama) are all about what OTHER people should do. it doesn't occur to them to step up themselves. it is a defining characteristic of progressiveism.
Example: They're busy waxing on about how great it is that their leader has made gracious overtones, but they certainly don't follow his lead.

It's very amusing.

[Truthahn]

Why is a US president telling Europeans who should be allowed to join the EU? It's none of our business, and it looks arrogant to be lecturing Europeans on their own affairs. If they decide to admit Turkey to the EU we can applaud the decision afterwards, but we should not try to force anybody to do it.

[CologneCitizen]

No worries. We will not let Turkey in the EU. Obama has a lot of goodwill from us. We don't feel he is lecturing us. He can of course propose what he likes, however we will not follow his advice. As your write correctly this is our business, period.

[TRYKER]

And this is only the beginning! Imagine after 4 years of diplomacy and reaching out to include all peoples, how the world picture will change.
When thinking about how republican Palin would perform on these same stages with the other countries and the speeches she would give you really get the message...there is NO way she can compete. After seeing Russia from her window, her only solutions in international matters would be to bomb them, that's what republicans do.
Community organizing absolutely translates into international "organizing".
Obama making friends the world over vs Bush creating enemies draws a dramatic distinction between a man and a naughty boy. The world knows this man is a left wing Democrat who calls for cooperation in place of contention, who brings hope in place of threats. This will do much to promote the progressive leftist movement in other countries.

[praha]

We saw Obama in Prague, we followed his work in London, Strasbourg and now Ankara. The man has won everyone over, thanks to his preparation, ideas, consistency, clarity, positive message, respect for others, intelligence and lack of the very arrogance another contributor here alluded to. This is a man who knows how to handle other leaders, even other populations. He is modest and yet wins over millions with his words, his content and his style. We are lucky to have him, given the damage caused by our ignorant, militant, narrow minded, moralistic, and yes, stupid former president who ran our country into the ground and ravaged so many relationships with friends and aggravated so many other with new enemies. Mr. Obama is not only refreshing; he is a supremely lucky break for all of us. May he continue as he has begun.

[gvc]

Lucky he came along, yes. But there was far more than luck in getting him elected. Millions worked hard to that end. Or, should I say, to that beginning. People will have to continue to be engaged to ensure the promise is realized.

[MacQ]

I'm excitedly waiting to see the legions of his followers step up in their communities and do all that stuff they pledged to do.
(or was that stuff they thought OTHER people should do? it would be very liberal to pledge for other people to do things.)

All I've see so far is talk--no walk.

Is he a great leader if nobody follows him?
Nope, he'd just be a guy who ran up the hill shouting.

[MacQ]

He "won" them over, but they still said no to his requests.
Hmmm.

[LiberTLover]

Well who could ever have imagined that Bush would have botched things up so thoroughly and make America so reviled around the world? One trip cannot fix that right away, after it has festered for 8 years, but it was a wonderful start.

[Brillig]

Because they are not Morons who only watch soap operas. Winning does not always mean getting your own way. IT means participating and having everyone cooperating so that EACH country has its interests represented, not just Americas'.

[ev19]

yeah, he just has to learn Austrian and he'll be set:

"It was also interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There’s a lot of — I don’t know what the term is in Austrian — wheeling and dealing — and, you know, people are pursuing their interests, and everybody has their own particular issues and their own particular politics."

maybe Rosetta stone as Christmas gift?

[mcantwell]

We already know that the President has Muslim family members, and that he lived in Indonesia as a young child. The neo-cons vilifying him is nothing new either because they've never stopped.

[madatnewsmedia]

If our elected officials woul act like adults and stop villifying the President, maybe some of our fellow americans would stop with the name calling.. I knew he would not win over everyone, but I never thought it would be this bad. The rest of the world loves him, but not so much in the states. Sad!!!

[MacQ]

Yes, terrible. No American president has ever been called names or villified before.

[MacQ]

Actually, nobody is stepping up to villify him for muslim ties. As you point out, it's old news.

The author here, and the NYTimes apparently, believe that if the pre-accuse someone of something, it becomes a fact that they have done it.

it's right out of the lib playbook.
"They're going to tell you to be afraid of me..."
(Nobody ever did, but they might as well have for all the libs adopted it as truth.

Hey, YOU bought it.

[helgathewitch]

I think the obamas have been a breath of fresh air to everyone at this conference. They are just what this country has needed. They are intelligent, innovative and modern and yet they do not offend. No wonder the Queen put her arm around our first lady.

[Gma11]

I've never been more proud of and impressed by my president. I remember Jack and Jackie well. But I prefer Barack and Michelle. Obama is truly a visionary leader.

[Catriona]

More American arrogance.

Look, you deal with your country. We'll deal with ours.

[madatnewsmedia]

If you would deal with issues in your country, we wouldn't have to be involved at all! We don't want to meddle in your affairs, but you allow these extremist regimes take over, then you cry for the americans to help!!

[Catriona]

LOL

Remember that it was your Obama who just asked Europe for money and combat troops to fight this unwinnable war in Afghanistan. We already have our own armies to defend us, the same armies you want us to send into that black hole.

We have health care, affordable (or free) education, provide a far more secure life for our citizens, and haven't asked for US aid in more than a generation. Our problems are nothing compared to the 33 dead, shot IN THE LAST WEEK by some of your own crazy armed citizens. People dying for lack of access to healthcare. Other being made bankrupt by a health crisis. You take care of your failing society before you tell us how to live.

>> We don't want to meddle in your affairs,

When HASN'T the US meddled in everyone else's affairs? I was hoping for better from Obama, but I was wrong.

>> but you allow these extremist regimes
>> take over, then you cry for the americans to help!!

What on earth are you going on about? What 'extremist regimes'? France? Belgium? The UK? Spain? Holland? Where? Is Angela Merkel an extremist? Sarkozy? Brown?

Get a grip.

[CologneCitizen]

extremist regimes ? WTF`??

[dragonlady620]

Did you really see Obama's speech as arrogant? Obama is NOT BUSH.
Like it or not, we all live in the entire world.

[Catriona]

The EU can't accept another huge, poor country at this time.

In addition, Turkey's human rights record is abysmal, they lack the committment to free speech that we have, and are slowly disolving the separation between religion and the state.

Obama comes across as arrogant to many Europeans, especially those over 30.

Read some of the comments in the British newspapers; you will see what I mean.

[MacQ]

You think she said it was arrogant without REALLY thinking so?
Or without relizing he's not Mr. Bush?

Not everyone is glazed over and swooning. people do think for themselves.
(I know, you hate that)

[MacQ]

Catriona:
Looks like you unleashed alot of American arrogance in these replies to you!