Tuesday, April 13, 2010
One of the most attractive attributes of the 2008 Obama campaign was the idea that, if Obama was elected, the U.S. would finally be able to improve relations with other countries.
Obama rode on the swelling support of this issue by taking his campaign to Europe. There, he promised a renewal in American-European relationships.
The hope and the change were certainly present, but once again, we have learned that results paint a very different picture. Earlier this month, the liberal-leaning polling group Democracy Corps came out with a poll that showed by a 10-point margin — 51 percent to 41 percent — that Americans think the U.S.’s international standing has dropped during the first 13 months of the Obama presidency.
Two years ago, the election provided Obama with the platform to call the U.S. unpopular in order to gain popular support. And now, America’s relationships seem worse than they were before he took office — especially with our allies.
Recently, Obama humiliated Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, one of our most important allies. First, Obama refused to pose for pictures with the Prime Minister, then, after failing to get the Prime Minister to sign an agreement, Obama walked out on the meeting and left Netanyahu alone for dinner.
One Israeli newspaper called the meeting “a hazing in stages,” poisoned by a great deal of mistrust. Another said the Prime Minister had received “the treatment reserved for the President of Equatorial Guinea.”
This wasn’t the first time Obama has snubbed an allied leader. It is said that Obama slighted French President Nicolas Sarkozy by failing to accept an invitation to lunch after a D-Day ceremony last June.
Relations with our most important economic ally, China, have also taken a hit. Last month, Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, said relations between the two nations had been “seriously disrupted.” He pointed the blame for the troubled relationship directly at Washington’s policymakers.
It seems as though the only foreign leaders praising Obama are Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro. Cuba’s Castro called the passage of health care law “a miracle” and Venezuelan dictator Chavez cheered Obama’s nationalization of General Motors.
Perhaps it is no wonder that Americans believe America is losing its standing in the world under this administration. The people recognize the importance of our alliances and want our leaders to focus on keeping them strong.
Replacing a sense of entitlement and an attitude of arrogance with mutual respect and common decency in diplomatic affairs.
— Compton is a senior from Wichita in history and political science.
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Comments
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
Democracy Corps needs to change its name so that Obama can pronounce it correctly.
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
As usual, you leave out half the story (the part that contradicts your argument). Like the story about Sarkozy being mocked in the French press for trying look cool with the Obama's after Sarkozy condescended to Obama at the G20 summit. And at the same D-Day event, Sarkozy forgot to invite England's queen until just before the meeting, managing to diss England in the process. Sarkozy's the arrogant one here, not Obama.
You act like Obama just randomly decided to be a jerk to Netenyahu for no reason, when in reality Netenyahu has gone back on Israeli-US agreements and aggressively rejected US foreign policy ideas (even though the US basically funds Israel).
He hasn't been perfect on foreign policy, but to end your article by acting like somehow America has gotten arrogant under Obama makes me wonder...when were you born? Do your remember Bush? Mr. "With Us or Against Us"? Mr. "Freedom Fries"? The most arrogant president ever? The man every foreign leader hated?
And are you really implying that we should let China do whatever it wants, including undervaluing its currency, which hurts US interests?
Why can't you write an honest article pointing out some of Obama's shortcomings instead of pretending like his only friends are Chavez and Castro? That's freakin ridiculous. It's also a lie (see: all of Europe (who love Obama), Russia, India, Australia, Mexico, Japan, Egypt, etc).
So Obama didn't go to dinner with Sarkozy, France's self-deluded short man complex leader. Not exactly a big deal. When JFK is remembered, is it for that really fancy dinner he had in France? Man, that really made a big difference in the world.
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
PS Your last sentence is ungrammatical. Where's the verb homes?
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
I'm no expert on this stuff but my understanding is Chet is more right than not.
Obama seems to think that if we're just "nice" to those whose values and ambitions are antithetical to ours that everything will work out hunky-dorey, i.e., that they will be "nice" right back to us.
If this is indeed his approach, or some part of his approach than how naive can one get? And unfortunately, at least on the surface, it certainly appears this is his approach. He has spurned Israel in favor of the Islamic block, he has spurned India in favor of Pakistan (the Islamic block), he has spurned Poland and Czekoslovakia in favor of Russia.
Who knows, it's likely there is a lot going on beneath the surface that might give these outward gestures a better context, but so far what Chet sees is what is reported in the news and it does suggest Obama's approach is that if we're nice guys they will be nice back. Just ask Neville Chamberlain how well that worked out.
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
Do your homework, my friend.
Russia and China are by no means, "backing us on Iran now". Yes they occasionally say they are considering our policies vis-a-vis Iran, but they have not signed on, not even close.
As to your comment that "Israel has reneged on agreements and continues to build settlements" it is also false. Israel announced plans to build 1,600 housing units in north Jerusalem, an area that is not a "settlement" but is an exisitng part of Jerusalem that is NOT in dispute by the Palestinians. That is, of course, unless you communicate with the Palestinians who feel that ALL of Israel is rightfully theirs.
You mention in your comment that you reliably "fact check" your comments. If this is the case I suggest you try a little harder. As I mentioned in my previous comment I do not pretend to be an expert on this stuff -- and I do not claim all my facts are not subject to correction. I am open to corrections if they are backed by real facts instead of half-baked propoganda or lies.
And, finally, one most certainly can be arrogant and nice. Just ask Donald Trump's current wife.
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
Arafat--There is no such thing as the Islamic block. Do you think Malaysia, Egypt, Iran, Sri Lanka, Palestine, and Iraq all work together on foreign policy just because they have large Muslim populations? Well, they don't. Countries like Iran and Iraq have been enemies for thousands of years. And Checkoslovakia hasn't been a country in 20 years. There is the Czech Republic, and there is Slovakia. Two different nations.
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
As an American, I don't care if the Queen of England or the pervert President of France is slightly by our President. I said the same thing when Bush was being "arrogant" as I do now when Obama is being "arrogant." I don't worry about what other countries' citizens/leaders think of us as long as the relationship we have w/ them serve American interests. Even President Obama himself has said Iran getting nuclear weapons is a threat to American interests and security. But if we want to avoid a nuclear Iran and a 3rd war in the MidEast at the same time, we need crippling sanctions that would hurt Iran's economy enough to make them stop developing a bomb. To do so, we need both Russia and China (whom the Iranians trade with) on our side. As much as our economy is becoming dependant on China's so to has China's been dependant on ours. We are a heavy consumer of Chinese goods, and a trade war would be good for neither country. Our economy, however, would recover much quicker than China's would. China is also much more unstable politically. A collapsed economy could lead to problems their leaders don't want to deal with. Russia recently demanded we hang our Eastern European allies out to dry by not building a missile shield. Obama agreed. But now that we want Russia to do something (sanctions on Iran), they have laughed at us. If Obama would have bargained the missile shield dilemma with getting Russia to join in on sanctions, we would be much better off. It is not about the "arrogance" I see in Obama, but more that he doesn't know how to use America's power for its own advantages. China won't get into a trade war with us over Iran sanctions. Russia won't give up the missile shield bargain we've made with them over Iran sanctions. Its time the president quit playing soft and act like JFK (as one commentor compared him to earlier).
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
Patrick Ewing,
The OIC is made up of 57 Islamic countires and/or 57 Islamic apologist countries and they DO vote in unison despite how much they may hate one another.
All 57 OIC countries refuse to sign onto the Human Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration declares that all people are created equal and that all religions should be respected as equals. (It state many other things as well.)
Instead all 57 of the OIC countries have signed the Cario Declaration of Human Rights. The Cairo Declaration declares that Muslims are superior to non-Muslims and that the Islamic religion and Sharia law should be the religion and law of the land, all lands.
I may have hyperbolized some of the intent of these two VERY different Human Rights Policies so here is a more nuanced article on this topic.
http://www.unitedstatesaction.com/blog/imm-articles/119.html
In addition here is an article about how the 57 OIC countires have come to drive the UN's agenda. The UN's ideals of equal rights and respect for all has been completely corrupted by the OIC.
http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=11734&pageid=&pagename=
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
Does Chet know that Fidel Castro is not in charge in Cuba anymore?
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
Arafat, You're wrong in many ways. Here's why:
There is no such thing as Human Declaration of Human Rights. Did you mean the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? The Universal Declaration of Human rights is not a law, so signing it does not mean anything. It's nonbinding.
There are two human rights covenants which ARE law--one for civil and political rights, one for social, economic and cultural rights. Saudia Arabia, Oman, Myanmar, Malaysia and Vietnam are the ONLY countries not to ratify either of these two covenants.
Guess which countries haven't ratified the social, economic and cultural covenant? South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and the UNITED STATES. Omigod, does that mean we're in the Islamic block? Because the UAE is an Islamic state.
Go to the UN website (not some random blogs) if you want to verify this. If Islamic countries really ran the UN, do you think they would have forced Palestinians out of their home country to create Israel in 1948?
Here's who runs the UN: The U.S., China, France, Russia, and the UK. Those are the permanent members of the Security Council. They run the show.
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
P.E.,
Yeah. No doubt you're right. The UN is controlled by China, France, Russia the US and UK.
The 57 member Organization of Islamic Conference is just the tail on the dog just like you say.
http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=11734&pageid=&pagename=
And concerning your comments of the Cario Declaration of Human RIghts...You're right again and this must explain why Islamic countries have such an enviable record defending human rights and freedom of religion.
http://www.unitedstatesaction.com/blog/imm-articles/119.html
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
Patrick Ewing is clearly wrong. The most arrogant president was this guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_J...
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
But Arafat printed his link in really big letters...
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
And the winner is?! Reuben!
Because really, he found the only important thing in all of this.
Compton: Arrogance spills onto foreign policy
So, the best way to find out how the world views us is to ask other Americans? And the author is worried that we 'snubbed' the French? Care for some Freedom Fries?
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