Do you know how many blogs have this posted? KOS live blogged it! Couldn't GNB be more original?
Agreed, it's not a perfect speech, but it seems to serve the purpose of continuing the strong image Obama has in Europe while not seeming too over the top. The expectations set for this speech were rather high--if Obama had delivered the "best speech ever" and been mobbed by adoring Europeans, that wouldn't play well at home, would it?
We are original, but I wanted to hear what you think. We can't get a discussion on this at Kos with 500 comments... that is the point. Not interested? that's cool. but you know we have a number of Americans abroad both as posters and commenters here. So it is a nice place to hear what people think about our candidate and his possible positions and effect in foreign policy.
I thank you for posting it....as you said, we can at least have a conversation here about it.
Talk about contrast....someone who can speak clearly, even hauntingly in some regards, who can inspire and move people, versus the bumbling, barely coherent current occupant of the office.
I am so looking forward to being able to feel that the rest of the world doesn't think we are all that stupid.
at netroots, Richard clark reaffirmed what my experience has been so far. Most people I meet overseas hate, and I mean HATE george bush, but they still don't hate americans. They just can't understand how we have strayed so far. and they were very confused about his re-election in 04. Also, I have not met one person overseas yet, in Japan, Austria, Germany, Czech republic, where I have traveled since this election cycle began, who think we should elect McCain. Not one. kind of surprising actually.
Only a 'C' from this European I'm afraid and I'll limit myself to just one issue : Afghanistan.
A recent opinion poll showed one of the relatively few differences between British and American voters is that 42% of British want our troops out of Afghanistan this year--only 26% of Americans do.Our % will grow as casualties mount though for now Brown and Cameron both appear to be comitted to increase troops so Obama is probably as sure of govt. support as Bush was in Iraq.
Unless Obama has ideas for Afghanistan and Pakistan we're not hearing at the moment (and please not too much of your other inane losing war --''Poppies''---) I can still only see this as one of the darkest, growing clouds for both our countries.
The Germans and the French would be well advised to stay as far out as they can and I'd be amazed if any leader in either country would be fool enough to do otherwise.
This still leaves Obama well ahead of the other old fool of course but at least as far as I'm concerned he's got a long way to go before I'll see him as anything more than the lesser of two conservative evils.
Yeah, the audience was more liberal than he is. They were feeling him on nuclear disarmament much more than on his ‘we need your help to occupy Afghanistan’, but from the outset, his relaxed and friendly entrance presented a dramatic and obviously welcome contrast to W’s hostile pseudo-macho swagger.
psg(L), thanks. Your comments on the drug war (that is what you meant by poppies, right?) are a good point.
Does anyone know why no one is currently (i.e., seen in print in 200
suggesting we legalize the poppy industry in Afghanistan and use the opium for prescription narcotics? or would that just bump up against the Afghan narco-state and is therefore far too idealistic a concept? It seems as though it could lessen the power of the taliban/corrupt southern afghan leadership in a way that does not appear to have a down side.
looking to be eddicated here...
200,000 people, WOW!
Goes to show how much furriners love the US, but hate anything Bush.
Condi is here for a splash and dash visit today, no speechifying in public for her....
The idea of "legalizing" the poppy trade has been put forward, but, has not been put into action. That dratted "War On Drugs", don't you know.
I'd be amazed if any leader in either country would be fool enough to do otherwise.
psg (London)
One fool only too eager to jump on Bush's bandwagon, is Canada's own Stephen Harper. Seems little Stevie wants to be a "War Prime Minister". Meanwhile, 88 Canadians have died in Afghanistan.
Police vow to prevent citizen's arrest of Rice
Police today said they were "disturbed" by Auckland University Students' Association offering $5,000 to anyone who can carry out a citizen's arrest of Condoleezza Rice.
District Commander Superintendent Brett England said anyone who attempts to cross police lines during the US Secretary of State's visit to Auckland at the weekend will be stopped.
that's my alumni, he he!
For some reason, everyone neglects to mention that Obama spoke at a Free Concert.
Maybe all those thousands of young Germans turned up for the two bands that were playing instead of coming to hear a speach in english.
Nah, Obama's charisma is so powerful it transcends language.
More Kool Aid anyone?
thinking voter
All German kids learn english up till age 13-15.
Got a passport?
"Thinking" Voter has spent too much time chuffing on the bush tailpipe to think much about anything. Except more chuffing.
But in a very wholesome, good-christian-fellowship kind of way.
From what I’ve seen, Europeans speak better English than Americans do.
i did a lot of my time in asia and europe during the nixon (as a member of the military) and reagan (as a musician). i know well how deeply the europeans want to love us. sometimes they think of us like grown idiot children. hulking brutes with the self control and attitude of a five year old. they have found a way to keep what they know about our truths as a people and nation alive, even when we are stomping around the place wrecking everything we touch.
little things make huge differences to them. things like seeking out what makes each little place unique and special. attempting the local language or dialect. buying your food off the street instead of going to a "safe" chain.
and for christ's sake folks, try to fit in, don't be so fucking american in the "babbit" way. don't climb on your fucking high PETA horse when the spaniards are running bulls, don't lecture the french on the whens and wheres of polite smoking. for god's sake to talk to the germans about the morality of prostitution.
their embrace of obama shows us how much they want to love us again. if only we can call upon lincoln's vision of "the better angels of our nature."
I read Sen. Obama's speech, got to the part about the airlift, then realized that I had the most superficial almost-knowledge about that effort. I did a quick search, and found Berlin Airlift.
and when I read about Operation Little Vittles, I teared up, and felt that that America, the America of the Airlift, is emerging again into the larger consciousness, ours and the world's. Sen. Obama is leading our stepping back and seeing ourselves anew, although we still have a long way to go.
that's what leaders inspire.
Yeah, TV, 200,000 Germans showed up because they thought it was Love Parade. Afterwards they all kicked themselves wishing they could be with McCain outside the Fudge Haus.
Dolt.
psg: in the US afganistan is still seen as a "good" war...and honestly until bin ladens head is on a pike I dont' want us leaving.
War Nerd (http://exiledonline.com/the-taliban-strikes-back/
#more-152) and Barnett Rubin (http://icga.blogspot.com/2008/07/rubin-dilemma-
of-anti-extremist.html, via Juan Cole) have written recently on the obstacles facing the US campaign in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which according to Rubin, 'in case you hadn't noticed is not doing too well. Hundreds of insurgents attacking the Kandahar jail, hundreds attacking a U.S. base on the Kunar-Nuristan frontier (there has to be something wrong with any policy that requires a U.S. army captain to understand the differences among Nuristani tribes.)’
Rubin’s point is not that captains are dimwits – (he’s referring to this article: http://www.e-ariana.com/ariana/e...2C?
OpenDocument ) - but that cultural literacy hasn’t been Americans’ strong suit, and has better uses than calling in air strikes.
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