What Happened to Obama’s Standing Around the World?

Dar Al Hayat ^ | May 14, 2010 | Raghida Dergham

[Islander7]

Arab rips 0bama a new one in scathing editorial

New York-The strategy of the twin tracks adopted by the US Administration to deal with the various issues, from Iran to Afghanistan and even with the Taliban, may be a clear policy in the mind of President Barack Obama and in the minds of the leaders of his administration, especially the academics among them. Yet this does not negate a noteworthy state of affairs, which is what this strategy has produced in terms of reducing trust in the United States, increasing the confusion regarding what this administration has in mind, and escalating the fear from wagering on this superpower – one which is heading towards isolationism in times of globalization, and whose hegemony as a superpower is receding while the likes of China fill the vacuum at the international level and the likes of Iran and the Taliban seek to impose a de facto situation at the regional level. It is a crisis of standing which is arousing concern at the global level, because of what it involves in terms of messages signifying that anyone can climb the American wall, which has become so low.

[Islander7]

Whatever happened to the man who stormed the international scene as an astounding US President “walking confidently like a king”, when he spoke of justice as a moral compass everywhere, from Sudan to Lebanon? Whatever happened to that handsome black man who gave a speech in Cairo that aroused the admiration of many believers around the world, who today has become the object of anger and disappointment?

[FormerACLUmember]

Despised.

Hated.

Ignored.

Disrespected.

Laughed At.

[Jet Jaguar]

Still no National Security Strategy. Due back in July 2009.

No press conference since July 2009 either.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Second largest economy of the world, Japan, checking in on Free Republic.

Cover of MAJOR mainstream Japanese weekly business journal, Nikkei Business, (日経ビジネス) just this week here in Tokyo (one of our top allies before Obama crew came in). It makes you SICK TO YOUR STOMACH WHAT HE IS doing. One prays for the patriotic leadership of the US military to sort this out some day if it puts us and our troops in direct danger--which is highly likely--not by accident and incompetence, but rather by design. At least that is what is more and more widely whispered.

[Mr. Mojo]

Mostly disrespected and laughed at.

...at least abroad.

They see weakness and incompetence and are primed to take advantage of the situation.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Yep, allegedly, we were hated around the world because of George W. Bush.

The world would love Obama the way the liberals love him, so we were told.

[advance_copy]

Epic fail.

[4rcane]

when they say, the world, they really mean europe

[Rocky]

What Happened to Obama’s Standing Around the World?

Too much bowing.

[joseph20]

What Happened to Obama’s Standing Around the World?

Foreigners see him what for he is: A weakness and an opportunity to be exploited.

[BIGLOOK]

He bowed out..

Aloha Islander!

[Neil E. Wright]

Hey America,

This is what happens when you elect the ENEMY!

And, America, you have elected the ENEMY!

★ FREEDOM! ★

[Islander7]

Aloha!

[Vanders9]

It's easy for you US conservatives to slag him off because to you he is the enemy, but, as a foreigner, let me be more reasoned.

Obama was quite forthright and open about the fact that he is not a foreign affairs specialist. That's a significant disadvantage, but hey - no one can be good at everything. And after all, as president he has all the resources of the US government to help him - all your embassies around the world, the CIA, the diplomatic services and so on. In the light of that, I would like to know what those people (the professionals) think about his performance.

As far as I'm concerned I think he has made some decidedly dodgy decisions, but I'm more worried about him not making decisions at all. On the international arena (where by virtue of being the US president he is a major player) he indulges in a great deal of vacillation. Now, it's no bad thing to consider problems thoroughly, but to the extent that he operates it makes him, and therefore the US, look indecisive. The US is still the pre-eminent power on the planet. In spite of all the rhetoric that pours from Paris, Berlin and Brussels, the other western nations look to you for a clear lead, which they aren't getting while Obama is umm-ing and ahh-ing over what to do. That frustrates your allies, it confuses the non-aligned world leaders, and it encourages the dictatorships and the lunatic theocracies.

This administration has got to do better, or there really is going to be trouble soon.

[backhoe]

Whatever happened to the man who stormed the international scene...

Selected quotes from:

Permalink | Comments (12)

"The rat made no effort to interrupt Obama out of professional courtesy."

That's not a rat. That's Nancy Pelosi's lost soul. "

"Looks like the little fella is deserting the sinking ship caused by the big fella."

[Sarajevo]

So, you don’t the showboating sock-puppet either? Join the crowd.

[vicar7]

They recognized him as the empty suit that he is, it is really that simple.

[101voodoo]

"This administration has got to do better, or there really is going to be trouble soon.

There is trouble now. You are missing something in your appraisal of Obama's attempt at leading. He is not doing it, not at all. His governing to date has amounted to nothing more than a continuation of his practice of voting "present" whenever a decision of any import needed to be made. The man is terrified of taking a position for fear it may be wrong(politically).

To Obama the most important thing is Obama and everything else takes a back seat.

[william clark]

[2ndDivisionVet]

Dr. Jack Wheeler is editor of ToThePointNews “an online geopolitical intelligence service”.

He has had two parallel careers: one in the field of adventure and exploration as the owner of Jack Wheeler Expeditions; the other in the field of political and economic freedom as president of the Freedom Research Foundation.

Wheeler’s articles are also published by WebNetDaily.

Written by Dr. Jack Wheeler
Thursday, 30 April 2009

Paris, France. It is very cool to be a French intel guy. A spectacular meal at a Parisian bistro with $90 entrées and a $200 bottle of Bordeaux? No problem. I’d known this fellow since he got me out of a jam in Sudan years ago. His James Bond days are over, but still, riding a desk for the DGSE – Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure (General Directorate for External Security), France’s military intel agency – in Paris has its decided benefits.

One of them is not being infected with Obamamania. “My agency considers him a joke,” he confides. “Every day there is some fresh lunacy that we cannot believe. Mr. Bush would often make us angry. But at this man we just laugh.”

“In truth, it also makes us sad,” he continued. “French resentment towards America is strong, so being able to laugh at your country feels good. But it is such a sad and strange thing to see America – America The Great! – do something so crazy as to elect this ridiculous man.”

“There are many people in America who think he isn’t a legitimate president as he wasn’t born in the US and isn’t a natural citizen. What do you think?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had reason to make an inquiry.”

“There are a lot of people convinced he is a traitor who hates America and is actively determined to destroy it. Any opinion on that?”

He didn’t shrug at this. After a long slow sip of wine, he mused, “I would not go that far. Many of his actions, however, are very puzzling because they are so counter-productive regarding America’s best interests. There seems to be a consistent pattern in that direction.”

“What does Sarkozy think of him?”

“Nothing but contempt.”

After a pause he asked, “And Langley?”

“Well, if you thought the war they waged against Bush was intense, it was nothing compared to how they’re going to screw Obama. He has tried to gut them with the ‘torture memo’ release and slashing their budgets. The morale is depressed, sullen, and enraged. You know what a left-wing outfit Langley is. They thought he was their boy and they feel betrayed. All kinds of damaging stuff on him will be appearing via their media friends.”

He nodded. “And in Tel Aviv City?”

He was referring to the huge underground city complex of Langley’s underneath the US Embassy in the Israeli capital. “That’s an interesting question. You know how vast and deep the relationship is there. Langley is making every effort to overcome the total and massive distrust their Israeli colleagues have for Obama, whom they know is selling them down the Jordan River. So far though this effort is in words. The Israelis are waiting to see what Langley does.”

He said nothing. I smiled. “You guys wouldn’t be Langley’s cutout for thwarting BO regarding Israel, would you? I’d never suspect that…”

He continued to say nothing, gave me only a slight smile in return, and poured me another glass of wine. “The Bordeaux is good, yes?” I nodded.

“You know, the French media worships this man the same as yours in the US. All of this ‘100 days’ talk, it is impossibly stupid. Most anyone in the French elite, the business leaders, Sarko’s people, they all know this. They all think this is some crazy joke of the Americans. But it is a very, very dangerous joke. For 100 days your president has been a laughingstock among the tout le monde of Paris. No one may be laughing 100 days or 10 months from now.”

He leaned forward. “The world can go – how do you say – sideways with this man very quickly. No one he has working for him knows what they are doing – possibly excepting Mrs. Clinton – and he certainly does not. All of us in our little community are worried – us, our friends in Berlin, London, Tel Aviv, and Langley too as you say. It is not like the barbarians at the gates. It is every barbarian horde in the world being told there are no gates. The Somalis, Chavez, Iran, Putin, Beijing, the ‘Norks” as you call them, the list is long and it is growing. We are not sure what to do.”

It took me a moment to respond. “The best thing that has happened now is Obama making Langley his enemy. They will be cooperating with you more, be more a part of your worried community. Working together, you can undermine his efforts more effectively, block and maybe even repair the damage.”

It was my turn to lean forward. “Then again, all together you could be more pro-active. The man is a mystery. Nobody can make public his actual birth certificate, or even the particular hospital he was born in, or his college grades, or how he got into Harvard, or how he made editor of the Harvard Law Review and never wrote a single article for it. It goes on and on. He really is a Zero. I think all of you guys should find all of this out and make it known.”

I added, “The quicker the better, before the laughing stops and the real dangers begin.”

“What is that phrase you use?” he asked. “Something to consider?”

I laughed. “Yes, there is much to consider – and much that you can do. I mean, really, if the Soviet Union could be dismantled, so can this presidency.”

It was a beautiful April afternoon in Paris. He walked me back to my hotel. It could be that the times we live in may get even more interesting.