Obama’s Global Test Moment
by Big Dog on Sep 28, 2008 at 15:31 Political
John Kerry talked about a global test, the idea that we would run things by the rest of the world to see what they think before we do them. Who cares what the rest of the world thinks because the reality is unless what we are running by them is some way to let them have more of our hard earned money or a plan to protect them with our military, they will be unlikely to agree with us. This did not stop Barack Obama from putting out his version of the global test. According to NRO:
Second, at the very end Obama seemed to be going for a big finish. He talked about his father from Kenya “writing letter after letter” trying to come to college in the U.S., because in no other country on Earth could one make it like here—”our ideals and values inspired the world.” Powerful stuff.
But then Obama concludes by saying ” I don’t think any of us can say that our standing in the world now, the way children around the world look at the United States, is the same. ” CLANG. He then states, reminiscent of Kerry’s “Global Test”, that we need to “show the world that we will invest in education” and “things that will allow people to live their dreams”.
Let me just jump in and say that I can say that our standing in the world is one in which children can believe they have a chance like no place else on Earth. There Barry, I said it and I mean it.
The United States of America does not have a problem with people trying to get here and they want to be here because the American Dream is still alive and well. People risk their lives walking across deserts, being smuggled in in the back of trucks or the cargo hold of ships, they risk drowning to get here from Cuba and they do this because America offers them freedom. These people come here, often in violation of the law, just to taste freedom. We don’t have to build a wall to keep people in, we have to build one to keep them out (I don’t excuse their illegal behavior, just point out they are willing to break the law to get here).
Diplomats from oppressive countries love the freedoms they have while assigned to the US. They may come and go as they please, shop where they want, say what they want and they live a much better life than they could ever hope to in whatever crap hole country they come from.
Make no mistake, our standing in the world is extremely high among the citizens of other countries who long to live here where they can be safe and enjoy the blanket of freedom that opens the human spirit and allows people to live life to its fullest. We might not be held in high regard by their leaders but in the hearts of the people, those allowed to know about the world, we are the only real hope.
So Senator Obama, I beg to differ with you because my life experiences have shown me a different America than the one you describe. We are the lighthouse that people steer toward to illuminate the darkness of night. Most importantly, the people who live here have the best opportunities in the world and so long as they do the opinion of those outside our borders is of no consequence.
Senator, you are not running to be King of the World. You are running to be President of the United States and what we think here should be the most important thing in your mind.
Then again, I would not expect anyone with a soul mate who says:
“For the first time in my adult lifetime I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.”
To actually understand this.
I have always been proud of America, ALWAYS, and I don’t need a global test to tell me that I should feel that way.
Tags: blame America, debate, global test, Obama, pride
Well said
Always proud? Good for you. Too bad that has no relevance with what Obama was saying…
It has very little to do with a global test or whether or not people want to come to America. It’s about credibility and respect in the world and how the world’s leaders view our country and how willing they are to work with us on our terms. Leading and inspiring the American people without a shred of respect or credibility hasn’t worked one bit for President Bush. It’s the same concept in the world.
You slam Obama because he’s popular overseas and you did the same thing to Clinton. What an absurdity. God knows when it became a badge of honor for the world (at least the world other than France) to hate our President’s guts and think he’s an idiot. If we are in fact going to continue to be global leaders and the trend setters for democracy and freedom in the world then we’re going to need to do a whole lot better than what we have done in nearly the last 8 years. Or we can have more of the same…
Maybe you are right. Bill Clinton was loved by all the world and he appeased the people around it. Seemed to work out OK. I mean, other than him giving North Korea nuclear equipment on a wink and a nod that it would not be used for weapons, allowing terrorists to bomb the WTC without reprisal, launching missiles at aspirin factories to cover his sexual problems, refusing to kill OBL at least 3 times, turning tail in Somalia, and turning a blind eye to the USS Cole bombing as well as the Kobar Towers, he did a fine job of making the world love us.
They loved us so much that his actions resulted in 9/11.
Perhpas if the spineless Democrats had backed our president instead of working behind his back to undermine the country we could have had different results. They made sure to work against this country because they believe they were robbed in 2000.
If that plane had hit the Capitol they would not have had such short memories.
Like I said, we don’t have to put up walls to keep people here and people risk their lives to get here. Event he libs who threaten to leave don’t go because they have it good here.
Extremely well put, which aggrevates me as it leaves me nothing to say.
I do have something to say to Adam however. The President’s constitutional mandate is not to be popular with the rest of the world. It is to protect this nation to the best of his or her ability. That mandate comes from us, the people. and we will not relinquish it. As the author said, the main freedoms we offer the world is this country. And people are truly dying to get here. And guess what Adam? They do that no matter which political party is in power, including during the last 8 years.
Well said, Big Dog and David.
Again I think you are twisting this debate around a series of false frames that are basically meaningless to the point that Obama (and Kerry) was making:
Meaningless Frame: People love to be here, love to come here, die to get and stay here, so obviously people don’t hate us as much as liberals say.
Truth: It has nothing to do with how we feel or how others feel. It’s an issue of credibility and respect. Without it we cannot lead in the world community, we cannot leverage global markets to our advantage, and we can’t fight terrorism to our fullest extent. There’s only so far our money and our might can take us and we’ve seen how much those roads alone can cost us.
Meaningless Frame: And even if world leaders don’t support us who cares? The president is elected to serve the US, not the world.
Truth: Our president can protect us better if we stay in touch with the global community. This doesn’t imply we cede our national authority to global leaders. Of course not. Instead we can build coalitions that help each side better reach their goals. Ultimately the US benefits from a more free, wealthier world and that’s almost undebatable.
Meaningless Frame: Clinton was loved by the world and yet there was still terrorism against us.
Truth: There’s going to be terrorism no matter how many people love us. Terrorism is an evil that cannot be eradicated by goodwill alone but also cannot be eradicated by bombing and occupation. It is incredibly important to keep our hands clean, to stay credible and respected in the world in order to form strong coalitions with countries to stop terrorism at the root.
“It’s about credibility and respect in the world and how the world’s leaders view our country…”
How much respect can the “world’s leaders” have for America if HER leader doesn’t even know how many states she has?! How much credibility if America’s leader is known to invent tales (read lies) to fit any situation in which he finds himself in order to appear knowledgeable on issues or to appear as one of the group he is addressing. How much respect and credibility if America’s leader has associations with known racketeers, radicals, extremists and terrorists and has the audacity to publicly ridicule another American for an alliance with our current leader who, whatever his faults, is a true American and has absolutely NO associations with these types.
Obama and his party are seeding this campaign (AND OUR NATION) with countless English illiterate low or no income immigrants with promises of a better life through low income programs in return for their registration as Democrats and a vote for Obama. Educational instructors, like Ayers, are seeding this campaign and our nation with a “America is Oppressive” Me-Me-Me generation of malcontents using countless of our youth. And they are doing it with our tax dollars. Religious instructors, like Wright, Phleger and Farakhan are seeding our nation with the “God damn America” sentiment which reaches countless of our Black and Latino Americans. And these are all Obama’s friends, mentors, “father figures” and business or political associates. Just how much respect for America is encapsulated in this vast number of people that Obama and his far left-wing extremist Democrats are promoting?
America deserves no respect if her people allow this spawn of the corrupt Chicago Political Machine to be elected leader.
Welcome aboard TJay and well said (or written?)!