American Politics during the Obama Presidency

[QUOTE=Jackson]Here's how the world really works:

- We shouldn't care (and I certainly don't care) how the rest of the world "feels" about the USA, because their "feelings" are irrelevant to us.

- The rest of the world doesn't care what we "feel" about them, because our "feelings" are irrelevant to them.

- No country ever cares how any other country "feels" about them, because to them the other country's "feelings" are irrelevant.

In summation:

- Every country in the world makes every decision about their country based on their own self-interests.

- No country ever makes any decision based on their "feelings" about any other country.

Get it?

Obama doesn't, but then he's.

[size=3][I]Obama: the [strike]dumbest[/strike] most inexperienced President ever![/i][/size]

Thanks,

Jackson[/QUOTE]It is a given that self interest is the basic fundamental ruling each country's foreign policy. But the world is a very diverse place, and different cultures demand different approaches. Acting like armed missionaries with a divine mission everywhere, we will not only get our asses spank, but it will drain our resources.

Without getting into a bunch of detailed arguments, I'll just say it makes a lot of sense for a new US president to be setting a tone of peaceful cooperation and collaboration on the world front.

Dear Sid- Will you be watching Obama's speech tomorrow?

I am looking forward to your detailed and impartial analysis.

You know, as far as Obama representing the US internationally, I think this says an awful lot:

[url]http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/11/obama-emperor-akihito-japan.html[/url]

The President of the United States, elected to serve and protect the Constitution (the only power any citizen of the United States should ultimately be under fealty to) leader of a country who threw off the shackles of King George and chose to be beholden to no monarchy, submitted to the Japanese Emperor.

Look at that bow. It's idiotic. He bows so low the elderly gentleman Japanese Emperor Akihito probably couldn't have matched it if he wanted to! Obama didn't even bow to the point where he could have still looked into the emperor's eyes, as two opponents would do in tae kwon do, for example, when sparring. I'm not suggesting they should be sparring, but in the world of martial arts, he submitted completely and left himself open to attack. As I'm sure everyone is aware, Japan has quite a martial tradition. To me this seems a disgrace.

Look down farther in the article where they show how other world leaders greet the emperor.

I don't like Bush's approach to getting us into Iraq. I think it was wrong. But at least he wasn't a pussy and I didn't feel like he was inviting dangerous elements to feel more comfortable in attacking us. Yes, definitely I believe he could have done it with a lighter footprint.

But let me just say that I think Obama is a pussy foreign policy-wise and I don't think it bodes well for the United States.

He needs to take the middle ground with foreign policy as well, not giving in, not submitting, but acknowledging firmly that we need a change and moving forward boldly in something.

I sure don't see any of that. I see a lot more bowing.

George Washington said it in his departing address to the people and it was repeated by Ronald Reagan in his departure speach, Big Government is the enemy of freedom, for the larger the governmet becomes the smaller each individuals freedom becomes.

Obama is the sultan of Big Government.

If you want to "Freeze" spending then you have to get Congress to bring down "entitlement" spending which accounts for the largest part of the budget. Also stop any additional spending of "bailout" or "stimulus" funds.

Obama's "Freeze" is smoke and mirrors, at total of $250 billion over 10 years isn't a drop in the bucket as far as what is needed!

[QUOTE=Sidney]You can be sure of 100% bullshit, health care idiocy, budget saving tokenism, minimal green jobs crap, and more maniacal spending! And his mentally deprived and blind parishioners will applaud with mucho gusto!

Objective Sid[/QUOTE]Objective, self-proclaimed as usual. At this moment, American Idol could use you.

Well, the speech is over, the opposition rigid and stoneface. My thoughts were that had it been James Earl Jones delivering the speech rather than the youthful Obama, the whole chamber would have been one chanting evangelical gathering with the Republicans rushing to kiss his feet.

I miss Bobby Jindal.

In the middle of the road, this was a spectacular speech in the same way that Sienfeld was a show of substance.

This episode was entitled "The absurdity of hope. "

Obama telling us that we need more clean nuke plants, we'll have to make hard decisions about off shore drilling and we need to be fiscally responsible was high comedy. Does he think anyone believes him?

"We're gonna save $250B." Interesting concept. But, if we passed your healthcare plan, we'd spend another $1T, so the net outflow of taxpayer money is still $750B. Makes me wonder if he learned 'new math' at those fancy schools.

Then he launches into healthcare and repeats the same lies he's been throwing around for months (it is budget neutral, fixes medicaid, brings down premiums, covers all Americans) He has the balls to say that we should go back and pass the legislation that is before the Congress. Err. What? You mean the one that has cost the Dems NJ and VA gubernatorial elections and "Teddy Kennedy's seat" in the Senate? [Side note, David Rodham Gergen might have been correct when he called it "Teddy Kennedy's Seat" I think I saw a receipt for it at the Kennedy museum, seems that Big Joe bought it back when he was a bootlegger during prohibition.] 2012 is a long ways away but logic like this is going to help him really become JC II (no, not Jesus, I mean Jimmy Carter)

Obama was trying to pull a Clinton. That is to say he was trying to take the high ground (strategic not moral) from the Republicans on energy, the economy, etc. While trying to slide his agenda underneath it and throwing a few organic, gluten-free bones to the cook left (repeal 'don't ask don't tell' -- yeah, I've been hearing the masses call for that.)

He followed this with a good five minutes of blaming Bush for all of his problems.

The cherry on top was 'transparency." I can't believe he had the bad sense to touch on "transparency" anywhere in this speech. Politically speaking, I'd have left that for another day (I. E. Never) He is so isolated in his 'cone of brilliance' (copyright wildwallye 2010) that he doesn't even realize that his form of 'transparency' (Reid, Pelosi and Rahm Emanuel making executive decisions (and payoffs) that would effect every American, with no oversight, in a smoke-filled, union-bought room) was perhaps one of the most crystallizing elements of his colossal and spectacular healthcare reform failure (which was to our mutual benefit)

He came off as arrogant and aloof (a comment from a democrat friend last night) and made sure that he was "perfectly clear" that he is a snake oil salesman. I don't think too many viewers missed that.

In my opinion, he failed miserably. Which (again in my opinion) is good for the country.