Obama’s Nice Guy Act Gets Him Nowhere on the World Stage. Gabor Steingart at Der Spiegel. Translation Christopher Sultan.
Selected text that reinforces the point. The hope and change prancing is not a foreign policy dance.
When he entered office, US President Barack Obama promised to inject US foreign policy with a new tone of respect and diplomacy. His recent trip to Asia, however, showed that it’s not working. A shift to Bush-style bluntness may be coming.
Not even a protocol-blundering bow by a President to Japanese royalty was sufficient.
The “first Pacific president,” as Obama called himself, came as a friend and returned as a stranger. The Asians smiled but made no concessions.
“Obama bows to Prince Akihito in Japan.”
Image courtesy of http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/obama_bow_japan_akihito/2009/11/15/286394.html.
Worthless currency on the world stage.
Upon taking office, Obama said that he wanted to listen to the world, promising respect instead of arrogance. But Obama’s currency isn’t as strong as he had believed.
“Obama Funny Money”
Image courtesy of http://www.catalogs.com/info/bestof/the-top-10-items-to-get-you-off-on-presidents-day.
Israel maintains its priorities in the face of a sweet talking politician.
Obama’s new foreign policy has also been relatively unsuccessful elsewhere, with even friends like Israel leaving him high and dry.
“Hand wave.”
Image courtesy of http://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/extremesports/stories/thrusters_diary_archive/thrusters_diary_150305.shtml.
Talk softly and carry a big stick. Or else, start running.
Even the president seems to have lost his faith in a genial foreign policy. The approach that was being used in Afghanistan this spring, with its strong emphasis on civilian reconstruction, is already being changed. “We’re searching for an exit strategy,” said a staff member with the National Security Council on the sidelines of the Asia trip.
“Scared chicken running.”
Image courtesy of http://www.livingbeing.com/domesticanimals.htm.
Prescient observers note the “one term” foreboding moniker looms.
Obama’s advisors fear a comparison with former Democratic President Jimmy Carter, even more than with Bush. Prominent Republicans have already tried to liken Obama to the humanitarian from Georgia, who lost in his bid to win a second term, because voters felt that he was too soft.
“Jimmy Carter. Barack Obama.”
Image courtesy of http://www.exposeobama.com/2009/09/10/obamas-crisis-credibility/.
The sharks smell blood in the water.
Carter tried weakness and the world got tougher and tougher because the predators, the aggressors, the anti-Americans, the dictators, when they sense weakness, they all start pushing ahead,” Newt Gingrich, the former Republican speaker in the House of Representatives, recently said. And then he added: “This does look a lot like Jimmy Carter.”
“Sharks. Blood in the water.”
Image courtesy of http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/safari/shark/photo/photo_zoom9.html.
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