Posted on 07/10/2011 7:36:55 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Bob Woodward: World Doesn't See America As 'The Grown-up Nation' Anymore By Noel Sheppard Created 07/10/2011 - 12:48am
Bob Woodward thinks the world doesn't hold the United States in very high regard anymore.
Appearing on the syndicated "Chris Matthews Show" this weekend, the Washington Post's most recognizable journalist said, "I’m not sure the United States has been looked at as the grown-up nation for a long time...You travel around the world a little bit, and, and there’s, there’s not even tough love for the United States" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
BOB WOODWARD, WASHINGTON POST: But on your question about grown-up, I’m not sure the United States has been looked at as the grown-up nation for a long time. I think, I think there’s a lot of negativity out there.
You travel around the world a little bit, and, and there’s, there’s not even tough love for the United States.
In the circles someone like Woodward travels in, is there ever a high regard for America?
Was there respect for this country amongst his peers when he was reporting on Watergate almost 40 years ago?
It really is nothing new that America's journalists hold her in such disregard. They've been doing it for decades.
But not all of them. The Chicago Tribune's Clarence Page wasn't necessarily willing to sell America short alongside Woodward:
CLARENCE PAGE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: And yet look how calm Wall Street has been. I mean, there, it’s, there’s a sense on Wall Street that there are a lot of theatrics going on here, but that the United States is not going to default.
Indeed.
Maybe one of the greatest measures of the respect the world has for a nation is their willingness to invest in its debt.
With all the financial distress and calamities that have befallen the globe in recent years, America's Treasury paper continues to be the universal safe haven of choice:
Above is a five year chart of our 10-year Treasury note. The vertical axis is interest rate, the horizontal one years.
For those unfamiliar, bonds and notes trade in an inverse relationship to interest rates. This means the lower the rate, the higher the price.
As is plainly evident, since the financial world turned on its ear in 2007, international investors have continually poured more and more money into our debt.
Contrary to Woodward's world view, this means that people with real money - maybe not the folks he hangs out with - do indeed see America as the grown-up.
If they didn't, they'd be piling out of our debt with both hands.
On the other hand, assuming the great-unwashed around the world aren't pleased with America, wasn't the election of Barack Obama going to change all that?
Didn't folks like Matthews and Woodward claim the junior senator from Illinois was going to radically improve our nation's level of respect across the globe?
Not at all surprisingly, this didn't come up during this discussion of the world not seeing America as the grown-up nation anymore.
Must be because that's George W. Bush's fault despite him being out of office for two and a half years.
Forgive me for even mentioning it.
well there is the man child in the white house.
Why would they, when we elected a child to the Presidency?
Part of the problem is in caring how we are viewed in the first place.
Well Bob, that must mean Barry's apology and bowing tour was a dismal failure!
Ditto: plus Woodward is a senile putz head.
We AREN’T!! Most of the people know more about American Idol than anything about government....Plus 48% don’t pay any taxes and have no skin in the game.....America is just an address for them.
Wait... I thought the world hating us was all Bush’s fault, and the Blue-Lipped Kenyan was going to *change* the worldview towards us...
You mean he *failed* at that *also*?
its the end result of putting adolesant marxists in charge.....
Don't forget all the narcissistic liberals looking for their 'inner child'...
ALSO, ALSO, ALSO, ALSO, and so on!
Do you really believe the only tax in America is the PERSONAL INCOME TAX?
That’s ok Bob, nobody sees you as a grown up journalist.
Liberal stooge.
No nation that is run by liberals can be considered “mature.” Ultimately, it ends in catechism, and that is when it when it reaches maturity.
Bob Woodward is reduced to picking scabs. That’s how irrelevant he has become.
I read recently how the US State Dept was in a spat with El Salvador because the US Govt is promoting Gay Marriage there.
We haits only one example, but we have lost our way and the world sees it.
It’s just so crazy. The left relentlessly slanders the United States for decades, then complains when the slander works.
With an admistration acting like little middle school 12 year olds, why should the world give us any respect? We obviously don’t respect America enough to elect responsible adults to care for her.
It’s childish to go on insane spending sprees and address how to pay for it after the fact. And on and on and on. What has our POTUS done that isn’t childish? His supporters have the same mentality.
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