Reading The Pictures: The First Post-American President?

(click for full size)

What's your choice for the key element in this pic, taken on the eve of the Oregon and Kentucky primaries?

The cool shades?
The trooper's wheels?
The flag pin -- BHO's newest fashion accessory and inoculation against swipes at his patriotism?

Well, I would contend it's the copy of Fareed Zakaria's, The Post-American World. (Either Obama's half-way through it, or else there's a page he wants to keep his finger on.)

The book makes the point that as power, skill and capacity becomes more distributed around the globe, Washington would do better to encourage this trend and honor it as both a cooperative and motivating factor.

Now, if it was 2004 and this was a photo of Bush, I would say that Rove had an agenda in having his man carry that book around. In Obama's case, I wouldn't assume, but (photo ops being photo ops) it might be that Barack is seeding the field in drawing a contrast with Bush/McCain over what constitutes global power.

Book overview: The Rise of the Rest (Zakaria - Newsweek)
Is Our President Learning? (Steve Benen - American Prospect)

For more of the visual, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.

(image: Doug Mills/The New York Times. May 22, 2008. Bozeman, Montana. via nytimes.com)

Comments

[OrionGal]

With one photo, Obama is advocating Reading and Learning and Discussion amongst us all? !

[yappnmutt]

fareed conveniently forgets the lessons of history by claiming a "new" historical paradigm. rome achieved the same goals by globalizing the known world centered aroud rome. when the natives in began to assert themselves rome crushed them if they poked at rome's omnipotence. the post roma world didn't really have a successor and the dark ages resulted . today, asia is poised to step into the void left by a weakening USA. history says the post america world will be forged in war as the outgoing power resorts to its military to impart its waning influence. ask the brits how that strategy worked out.

[harriscrl3]

BTW it must be said again. Obama is wearing the flagpin because veterans ask him to even though they say they KNOW that he is patriotic they want him to wear it to take the issue off the table. He is honoring their request NOT pandering.

Carol

[GrainOSand]

I did not even know the official reason behind the change but I held my faith in the Senator's judgment and therefore believed he had a good reason as the reason you state harriscrl3 is revealed to be.

[MissingAmerica]

HuffPost's Pick

We need to be able to get along in this new world if we are to survive as a country. This means intelligence and wisdom. In this age where every part of the world is accessible in seconds via the internet, hours via travel, we must use diplomacy to unite. The comment was made that Muslims and African Americans will have a say and the 200 years of white oppression will be rectified, but leaving real Americans without their own president.

We have many Americans who are Muslim, and African Americans are AMERICANS. Some in this country choose a different faith, which is free choice, some have a skin color other than white, which is genetic. What we all have in common is that we are human beings, we are all Americans. It's time to stop the labeling that has divided us so badly, and start uniting "to form a more perfect union."

[roddenberry]

Post racial, post industrial, post america, post poltical. Obama is obviously a post -presidential candidatel Is the today America ready for him ? That is the question

[ResidentChimp]

It's no surprise that the far left's Manchurian Candidate is planning for a post American America. His twenty year indoctrination and the grievances he shares with Hezbollah and Hamas will change the way America looks more ways than one. Muslims and African Americans will have the major say in Obama's Administration and the 200 years of white oppression will be rectified. Except for the first Americans. They'll have to get their own President.

[GrainOSand]

Hey chimp, the part of America that needs to be post or that we need to bury for any chance at being truly great in the future, is the America reflected in your comments. You have every right to your thinking but it is post affordable and post acceptable by and to a nation in jeopardy.

The mirror can heal if one takes off the glasses that prevent them from seeing the damage they do to themselves. Hatred is like an opiate and therefore it is highly addictive. Interdictions and interventions into the distorted lives and destructive thought processes" of the divisive and hateful by once in a lifetime movements of change can rid the sick of their deadly habit. Acknowledgement of the sickness is the first step in any recovery process. Seek help chimp. You are addicted to hate and your country needs you to get better soon.

[BadCompany]

Your concern for the "first Americans" is phony.

[GrainOSand]

You are astute to pick up on the hypocrisy of illegitimate concern.

[harriscrl3]

I havent read the book yet I plan on reading it but I hope and suspect that the POST AMERICAN is people like YOU. You are becoming Obsolete people like you have no place in a modern 21st century globalized world. You half right about an Obama administration but i think he is going to have ALL Americans working in his administration thats what happens when you transcend pettiness and you staff your organization with capable people rather than people who are loyal or look like you. But hey maybe there's hope for you yet to transcend your pettiness and obvious hatred for Muslim and African Americans who for the record is also as American as YOU. People like you have no place here unfortunately you belong adn the rest of us has to put up with you. Hopefully one day we'll just consider people like you our dirty little secret.

Carol

[LeaveArtieAlone]

Yep RC he will put unqualified cronies in his administration who will plan to take this country down by starting wars on false premises so they can all get rich. His policies will be so out of touch with reality that the US economy will be almost shattered, home foreclosures will be the norm, he and his cronies will rewrite bills so that the average American could not file bankruptcy without huge penalties, taxes for the rich will be so skewed that the riches man in the world; Warren Buffet, will pay less in taxes than he secretary. OH and his VP will care so little about Americans that when he/she is told that the American people are unhappy the response will be "SO" ¦¦OH wait that is George W. Bush"s administration!

Psssssst. Oh I heard Mr. Obama may paint the Statue of Liberty brown!

[krissy575]

This is totally off the subject- but that is one good looking man. A good-looking ,INTELLIGENT man.

[Cubancoffee]

Forget the book. Is that a FLAG PIN in his lapel? I thought Obama wasn't going to dance to that tune.

[BadCompany]

He decided to take that phony "issue" off the table.
That shit kind of loses its punch when the same people criticize whether you're wearing it or not.

[munimula]

Politics aside... that is one sexy man!

[SamEllison]

It looks like a "book him Dano" moment.

[IAM4CLINTON]

The "Post American" part bothers me- as it does voters in many key states such as OH,WV,FL,PA - we do not need a Post American as our President- that implies that we are no longer the leader of the world and that being a proud American is a thing of the past.

We need a Pro-American President.

[LiberTLover]

Are you serious? Clearly you have not read the book because he discusses things like the tallest building in the world no longer being in America, but in Dubai. And how other countries are doing welI economically and not only not needing US help any longer but are investing in America. In other words, actual facts. It is not Anti-American, but narrow minded people like you sure explain why so much of the rest of the world is!

[jesselee26]

your comment bothers me. is post-modern art old-fashioned?

[drjasonmd]

Why do you have to be the world leader in order to be a proud American? Was George Washington ashamed? Was Abraham Lincoln? America wasn't a world leader during their lives. The era of American hegemony has ended, whether you want to accept it or not.

You don't see the Swedes bowing their heads in shame, do you?

[midtown]

We are no longer the leader of the world.

Bill Clinton saw to that when he passed NAFTA (1994) which moved manufacturing from the USA to Mexico, gave China Most Favored Trading Nation status (1999) which moved manufacturing from Mexico to China, and repealed Glass-Steagall (1999) which has led directly to the sub-mortgage mess.

Bush finished off what Clinton started by adding all the tax breaks for the outsourcing.

We haven't had a Pro-American President for nearly 20 years.

[vietveter]

AMEN

[Usedtobequiet]

When they announced the new host of Foreign Exchange, my 14 year old son said "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO FAREED ZAKARIA?!" The new host is good, but I miss seeing him every Friday.

PS: I have the coolest kid, don't I?

[OrionGal]

OK - I admit it

- as a female - (a nerdly female) - this picture is just HOT!

Michelle - you are one lucky lady

[LiberTLover]

Perhaps you could post a list of books that Americans are allowed to read. You could start with the President's favorite "My Pet Goat".

[Jules1]

http://www.fareedzakaria.com/articles/articles.html

[midtown]

I second reading this article Jules linked to. Excellent.