I saw this article in the Guardian (Europe liberal beats American liberal in distance from reality), and apparently people still see Obama as a blank cipher. In it, the author argues that Obama needs to weigh in on the current conflict in Israel, somehow believing Obama is going to have a radically different policy and really work to help the po’ harmless Palestinians from those mean ole’ Jews. That’s why things are going to go downhill for Obama quickly when he takes office; his biggest appeal was that everyone who wanted to could project all their hopes and dreams on to him, but as president he’s going to have to make actual decision and do actual things and the blank cipher will be no more. Just think of all the whining by the left-wing over Rick Warren; what happens when Obama actually makes a decision on something substantial?
Oh yeah; they don’t care about substantial.
Anyway, I thought this line from the article was funny:
“Yet if Obama were to take a tougher (some would say more balanced) line with Israel, for example by demanding a permanent end to its blockade of Gaza, or by opening a path to talks with Hamas, he risks provoking a rightwing backlash in Israel, giving encouragement to Israel’s enemies, and losing support at home for little political advantage.”
Opening a path of talks with Hamas when Obama takes office? He already has a funny name; what are people going to think when they seen him using a ouija board?
To say something serious, um, am I the only person who knows that Egypt has blockaded Gaza, too?
So why are they singling out Isreal on that?
Because of the Joooooooos!
Condi Rice is going to the UN to get a cease fire going. Uh Oh! I’d get reading for some more smoting from the Big Guy! Probably a monster earth quake or storm or the stock market will go to negative 100…
American foreign policy is basically the same despite which party is in power. Defend Israel at all costs, defy international opinion when you think you’re right, look out for your own interests first. It hasn’t changed since Truman.
Perhaps the weenies in britania don’t realize that present elect hussein is silent because he can’t talk with his head in a bucket.
The guy IS a cypher. He is a completely blank slate onto which everyone is projecting their hopes.
Nicely done Frank – I loved the last line. Totally didn’t see that one coming.
Yeah, he’s not even an old-fashioned consensus politician. If he were, we could predict his policies and then all be wrong together. As it is, the ship will sink amidst a chorus of denial.
3. Sanjayrupta,
America does NOT put its own interests first.
On the positive side, we are the most charitable nation in the world. I suppose you wouldn’t understand this concept since you apparently are from a country where helping the poor is considered bad because that poor person is just working off bad karma, which neighbors nations that only support the poor who are muslims, unless they can be used as cannon fodder against Israel.
On a negative side, we run massive deficits on oil trade instead of drilling our own or switching to alcohol-based fuels made from organics or natural gas (methanol). We run massive trade deficits with China, which has 300 nuclear missiles aimed at us, opressess any Chinese who dare to think a little like us, and hijaacks our military aircraft. We offshore middle-class jobs to India instead of building our own inventive classes, and force our consumers to deal with support people who read scripts in broken English for an hour before transferring you to someone who actually understands the problem (that will be $259, thanks. – Microsoft). Europe spends a lot on infrastructure and laughs at American roads while living comfortably with minimal defense budgets under the US defense umbrella and working in factories built with US money during the Marshall Plan.
So no, America rarely acts in its own best interests. We are far too nice to people who are far too mean to us.
There are many who condemn America, rightly, for living beyond her means. The fact is, when America starts doing so, the rest of the world will rapidly have to come to grips with what THEIR means actually are, without American largess to backstop their economies.
*snap, snap, snap* You go Kent!
Gotta hand it to Kent. When the man is right, the man is right. W00T! To take a bastard child phrase of the Interweb, that comment was full of win.
Sanjayrupta, Surgeon General? Nope, missed it by THAT much.
Thanks Pammy and Desert Elephant. For once I’m at a loss for words.