The world is impressed with us...

[mefordis]

now that Obama has been elected, we have already gone a long way to mend our reputation. I'm so happy we got our country back. This is definitely a proud time to be an American.

 

[MN Vikings Fan]

Yes! I received an email from a friend in Ireland today.

Its title "WELL DONE AND CONGRATULATIONS"

The text:

Here in Europe the delight on the election of Obama is immense.

Voter apathy produced Bush who spread division and despair around the
world.

At last the Americans have shown their true spirit by overcoming
apathy and voting for humanity and co operation.

The relief at this outcome is staggering the shift in world politics
of seismic proportions. According to our national and international
news people of all races, religions and politics across the world now
feel enthusiasm for the future.

 

[aprilgail2]

OMG- I really have to stop reading here for awhile because this whole "next coming of the lord thing" is making me ill. So, just because we elected a black president the whole rest of the world will coming bowing at our/his feet??
BO will be like every other president- make hundreds of promises while he is running and then not follow through with them- its the same game year after year- why do you people think that just because the new lord is elected that he will be the one to follow through- he speaks like a snake oil salesman telling you what you want to hear- he just does it more "oily" than most of them!

 

[disneydave2003]

now that Obama has been elected, we have already gone a long way to mend our reputation. I'm so happy we got our country back. This is definitely a proud time to be an American.

I'm not feeling particularly proud today. in fact, I'm feeling pretty scared. I'm very scared for our country. I actually feel like our country is slipping away. i wonder how long it will take all the OB supporters to realize what they have done.

I really really really pray that the next 4 years go by super fast.

The world is really proud of us today? gee that's exactly what I was trying to achieve yesterday, making the rest of the world happy and giddy.NOT i don't really give a rat's patooty what the world thinks right now. i'm more concerned what's going to happen to us as a nation. as soon as everyone stops to obama they will see his true colors. GOD help us!

 

[Briarmom]

I am an American living overseas, and I can tell you that Europe* is very happy.

I have heard 'Who are you voting for?' from many many people. Most of whom know NO other English. I just don't think people can fully grasp what the world* has been thinking of the US unless you've traveled a lot in the past few years.

*Disclaimer: I do not profess to speak for all of Europe or the world.

 

[Holly]

OMG- I really have to stop reading here for awhile because this whole "next coming of the lord thing" is making me ill. So, just because we elected a black president the whole rest of the world will coming bowing at our/his feet??
BO will be like every other president- make hundreds of promises while he is running and then not follow through with them- its the same game year after year- why do you people think that just because the new lord is elected that he will be the one to follow through- he speaks like a snake oil salesman telling you what you want to hear- he just does it more "oily" than most of them!

I'm not feeling particularly proud today. in fact, I'm feeling pretty scared. I'm very scared for our country. I actually feel like our country is slipping away. i wonder how long it will take all the OB supporters to realize what they have done.

I really really really pray that the next 4 years go by super fast.

These two posts could have been written after Clinton was elected, because Republicans said the EXACT same things about him.

Guess what? The country is still standing and prospered under Clinton's presidency.

 

[RockNRollerGator]

I don't think what Europe thinks should have any bearing on what this election means for the future of this country.

 

[honugirl]

How easy other parts of the world have forgotten the help we've offered after the many floods, Tsunamis, Earthquakes and other natural disasters over the years. We send food, clothing, medical supplies and other necessary items to countries all over the world. Not to mention working on brokering peace deals and other treaties. Plus liberating Iraq from Saddam Hussein. How much more as a country do we have to give to the rest of the world? If the rest of the world can't see the good we've done over the years, then that's their problem. While I may not have agreed with everything President Bush did over his 8 years, there were many good things that he did do. Americans are among the most caring and generous people in the world.

 

[Mikelly1221]

I don't think what Europe thinks should have any bearing on what this election means for the future of this country.

Ok, something is really wrong here....

I'm agreeing with a Gator!!! (Just kidding!)

Seriously, the rest of the world can run us down all they want, but they will still look to the U.S. to help them out financially and/or militarily.

 

[ConcKahuna]

I don't think what Europe thinks should have any bearing on what this election means for the future of this country.
[/IMG]

No matter what you think, international opinion has a HUGE bearing on our country. A good view of America can increase our standings in the global market, increase tourism to our country, and gain us allies in times of war. It's a win-win situation when other countries look up to us

 

[cinmell]

How easy other parts of the world have forgotten the help we've offered after the many floods, Tsunamis, Earthquakes and other natural disasters over the years. We send food, clothing, medical supplies and other necessary items to countries all over the world. Not to mention working on brokering peace deals and other treaties. Plus liberating Iraq from Saddam Hussein. How much more as a country do we have to give to the rest of the world? If the rest of the world can't see the good we've done over the years, then that's their problem. While I may not have agreed with everything President Bush did over his 8 years, there were many good things that he did do. Americans are among the most caring and generous people in the world.

Agreed. You wrote what I was too lazy to type myself.

 

[Mikelly1221]

No matter what you think, international opinion has a HUGE bearing on our country. A good view of America can increase our standings in the global market, increase tourism to our country, and gain us allies in times of war. It's a win-win situation when other countries look up to us

I think the slumping dollar has more to do with tourism than how others feel about America.

 

[Yen Sid]

I think the rest of the world is happy because we did something right for a change and elected the best possible canidate out of the ones we had running. The republicans have destroyed this country and it is time to rebuild it starting now.

 

[N&B'smom]

I was never one for wanting to please other people. I don't want to impress other areas of the world, but sadly we did. Al Qaeda supported BO so they're happy.

Sometimes you have to make choices that not EVERYONE likes, it's hard but the right thing to do isn't always easy.

Reminds me of my HP quote, Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.

Shelby

 

[ConcKahuna]

I think the slumping dollar has more to do with tourism than how others feel about America.

With the slumping dollar, we should have seen a big increase in international tourists over the past couple of years. Living near one of the largest international tourist destinations in the world, I have to say it hasn't been the case (from my observations).

 

[Holly]

The arrogance in this thread speaks for itself.

No matter what you think, international opinion has a HUGE bearing on our country. A good view of America can increase our standings in the global market, increase tourism to our country, and gain us allies in times of war. It's a win-win situation when other countries look up to us

 

[Acklander]

. i wonder how long it will take all the OB supporters to realize what they have done.

I don't have blind faith. I'm sure there are things that Obama will do that I won't agree with, and I'll be vocal about it.
What surprises me though is how many Bush supporters never realized what he had done and would defend his every move.

 

[ConcKahuna]

I was never one for wanting to please other people. I don't want to impress other areas of the world, but sadly we did. Al Qaeda supported BO so they're happy.

psst, the Al Qaeda website encouraged it's US members to vote for McCain...

 

[DawnCt1]

now that Obama has been elected, we have already gone a long way to mend our reputation. I'm so happy we got our country back. This is definitely a proud time to be an American.

I wonder how long the honeymoon that "the world" is taking Obama on will last.
Lets hope that in 2012, this isn't an assessment of his FOUR YEARS.



OBAMA 2012: HIS TRIUMPHS ABROAD

By RALPH PETERS

November 1, 2008 --

Looking back on the four years of his first administration, President Obama can be proud: He made the US welcome among the family of nations again; he reduced our reliance on military force; and he gave us peace by reaching sensible accommodations with our enemies.

The lies told about him in the 2008 election were exposed as sheer bigotry. Far from being "soft on radical Islam," President Obama was the first world leader to welcome Jewish refugees after Iran's nuclear destruction of Israel's major cities (his only caveat - a fair one - was the refusal to accept Zionist military officers and their families, in light of Israel's excessive retaliation).


He also demonstrated his resolve in the face of extremism when he overruled the obstructionist advice of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and ordered our military to cross the border into Pakistan in force. The subsequent debacle, as Pakistan cut off supply routes to Afghanistan and threatened a nuclear response, was entirely the fault of our generals on the ground, not of the administration.

Fortunately, President Obama's willingness to talk to our enemies rescued the situation. After laying down their arms, our troops were allowed to evacuate Pakistan and Afghanistan in peace. The Taliban's return to power in Kabul did not result in an excessive bloodbath, and al Qaeda is not permitted the unrestricted freedom it enjoyed in the country prior to 2001.

State Department surveys prove that the Afghan population welcomes Sharia law, the closure of girls' schools and other such cultural choices. Our reparations payments to Kabul (as with those to Havana) are only just. Opium production is, arguably, no worse than in the past.

We also have seen peace in Iraq. Claims that our troop withdrawal was responsible for the resurgence of al Qaeda and the subsequent civil war are nothing but Republican campaign propaganda. With the International Sunni Alliance in firm control of Iraq - after Israel's wanton destruction of Iran - order prevails in the streets. As for the Turkish and Arab suppression of the Kurds, our diplomats regard it as a small price to pay for regional stability. Biased reports of massacres and concentration camps remain unsubstantiated.

Our relations with the Muslim world have rarely, if ever, been better. The current $320 per barrel price of oil allows long-oppressed states to develop themselves without the yoke of neo-colonialism or invasive efforts to force democracy upon their populations. As UN Ambassador Ayers noted, "We can state with pride that the US not only respects, but embraces cultural differences."

Relations with Russia are also at a high unthinkable a mere four years ago. Moscow's legitimate concerns for the welfare of its citizens in the "near abroad," as well as for ethnic Russians persecuted by so-called free democracies, fully justified its peace-preservation military deployments into Ukraine and other regional states. The subsequent referendums on re-unification with Russia, while displaying a few inevitable irregularities, have been judged free and fair by the Jimmy Carter Memorial Foundation.

While the deployment of Russian forces into the NATO-member Baltic states to protect ethnic Russians proved controversial, President Obama's personal intervention kept us - and NATO - out of war. Partisan charges of "Finlandization" distort the generous terms of the neutrality guarantees Moscow provides for the former NATO members.

After the internationally brokered (with President Obama in the lead) demilitarization of eastern Poland, it's clear to all responsible parties that Russia's legitimate claims have been fully satisfied and we may expect peace in our time.

President Obama resisted yet another war trap as China lost patience and finally reclaimed its long-lost province, Taiwan. Furthermore, the reduction of the US military presence in Japan and South Korea has deflated strategic tensions in East Asia to the lowest level in over one hundred years. Again, President Obama gave us peace.

(The resulting peace dividend from our president's 25% cut in the defense budget has allowed our government, in a public/private partnership with the Chicago-based Rezko Foundation, to provide subsidized housing for almost six million new immigrant families from developing countries. No other administration policy has raised the world's esteem for us more profoundly than our "Global Balance" instant-citizenship immigration reforms.)

In our own hemisphere, President Obama has supported the cause of justice, human rights and trade unions, cutting off military aid to Colombia, killing the proposed free-trade agreement with that country, and expressing humane understanding for the long freedom struggle of the FARC and other liberation groups.

Preferring a sensible rapprochement with Venezuela to needless confrontation, our president went to Caracas and negotiated a regional division of labor with democratically-elected President Hugo Chavez. The end of our destructive trade embargo against Cuba, our formal apology for the deprivations we imposed, and our generous reparations payments have inaugurated a new era of friendship with our long-suffering neighbors to the south.

The only complaint Democratic Party cadres fairly may lodge against the Obama administration's foreign policy is that we still have not fully opened our border with Mexico. Resistance among right-wing fanatics in Washington and bigots around the country remains too strong for now.

As for Mexico's presidential contest, President Obama has made it clear that, while he would prefer that a reputed drug-cartel leader not be elected, the US will respect the will of the Mexican people and strive for good relations with any future Mexican government.

One can only ask how much higher our 16.2% unemployment rate - an obvious legacy of the Bush years - might be if President Obama had not restored America's standing in the world and re-negotiated unfair trade treaties imposed on American workers by previous administrations.

As our president remarked just the other day in a re-election campaign speech in Dearborn, Michigan: "Wealth redistribution isn't just an American issue - it's a global issue. Better that Americans should be a little poorer, if that means our brothers in Egypt and Bolivia can become a little richer."

Under President Obama, America's back!

Ralph Peters' most recent book is, "Barack Obama: Too Great To Be A Mere Messiah?" (Fairness Doctrine Press, Limited, Chicago, July 2012)

 

[momo3hods]

psst, the Al Qaeda website encouraged it's US members to vote for McCain...

Of course it did so we as Americans would not!