Thursday February 16, 2012

Obama gives first TV interview to Arabic network

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  • 0

    Sarge

    "Obama... telling Al-Arabia that when it comes to Middle East matters, "all too often the United States starts by dictating"

    Oh, for cryin' out loud, this is embarrassing. The United States has done more for the Middle East than any other country, and here we have our president apologizing for it.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    Sarge - "The United States has done more for the Middle East than any other country"

    Uh, Sarge, the Middle East isn't a country....and besides, the U.S. has been propping up dictators for decades in that region by not weaning itself off ME oil.

  • 0

    buddha4brains

    Sarge - define "done more"

    You must be pretty young and naive to think America has not done its share of damage around the world. Anyway, Obama is not apologising for anything, he's trying to generate some goodwill so that America can be more effective. Or did you forget how much Bush weakened America's influence.

  • 0

    likeitis

    The president reiterated the U.S. commitment to Israel as an ally, and to its right to defend itself. But he suggested that Israel has hard choices to make and that his administration would press harder for it to do so.

    Sorry Obama, but the only language Israel is going to heed is cuts in military aid.

    The United States has done more for the Middle East than any other country, and here we have our president apologizing for it.

    1) Stating a fact in NOT an apology, nor is it a sign of weakness. It is merely stating a fact. Admitting an uncomplimentary fact takes courage and integrity. Those who never do are the weakest among us in terms of psychological strength. They will not excel in negotiation.

    2) When making such a grandiose, and I dare say COMPLIMENTARY (opposite of above) "fact", it would certainly help us all out if you would be a little more specific.

  • 0

    mrgalactic

    The oil argument ? Again ??? Is there no shame anymore. I mean how many brainiacs out there insisted the Iraq war was "all about oil" ? 7 years later and the US still hasn't taken control of one oil field in the country. Puleeze, pull yer head out ! And Sarge is right ! The US has created more wealth, jobs, and opportunities in the middle east than any other nation on the planet. It's their religious beliefs that have run afoul... not American policies. Obama needs to stop humiliating himself and tell the Arabs exactly what they can do with their misguided concepts on world peace. The first would be to allow all religions into the holy land and go after all fanatic muslim terrorists or jihadists that disagree with this basic principle.

  • 0

    Sarge

    Sushi - "Uh, Sarge, the Middle East isn't a country"

    Uh, Sushi, no, the Middle East isn't a country, but the United States is. Re-read my post.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    sarge: "Oh, for cryin' out loud, this is embarrassing. The United States has done more for the Middle East than any other country, and here we have our president apologizing for it."

    Your ways are the old ways, and it's out with the old an in with the new, my friend. In other words, the days of sitting in your arm chair and cheering for war as a method of 'change' are over. Now the REAL change and challenges begin, and they are already having immediate results. Bush was nothing, NOTHING but a war monger who made the world a worse and more dangerous place to live, increased terrorism, etc. Obama is making it better, and starting off on a humble tone is nothing 'embarrassing' at all -- it's taking the high road. The sad and pathetic 10% of Americans who are against this stance (people like you) can sit back in the dust while the rest of the country moves on if you like, but that's where you are -- in the dust. STand up, brush yourself off, swallow a bit of pride, and move on. You'll be happier and the better for it.

    Like it or not, sargie, Obama is making your world a better place. Stop fighting it and see it for the positive thing it is instead of desiring to continue to live in misery.

  • 0

    YangYong

    The new order is here. No more drawing lines through the sand and saying 'you lot, over there, are this' and 'you, over there, are that'. No more taking whatever you want by installing whoever you want. The Us has done more for the Middle East? Christ, you are absolutely disillusion sarge. Read up on history. Read Iran's history from the 1950s, read Saddam Hussein and who supported him... for starters.

  • 0

    wuzzademcrat

    smithinjapan writes: "Now the REAL change and challenges begin, and they are already having immediate results."

    Yeah. Obama - and a bunch of Clintonistas - are going to succeed where Clinton failed. Every president since Carter has had to deal with Iran. Obama is going to succeed because what, he talks pretty?

  • 0

    AlfGarnett

    I reckon you have to give the geezer the benefit of the doubt like.

    Strewth, he's only been in charge 5 minutes, and he can'T do worse than dumbo BUsh and his mates. I reckon he is showing Arabs he aint blindly pro Israel like others before him and all that.

  • 0

    wuzzademcrat

    "The new order is here. No more drawing lines through the sand and saying 'you lot, over there, are this' and 'you, over there, are that'."

    LOL. That sort of pompous 'leadership' was what the region got from Britain, until the Suez fiasco in 1956, when they sent you packing.

  • 0

    SuperLib

    Brilliant move. With one statement he probably got a lot of people in the Middle East to stand up and notice. Too often the US has lost the perception game but Obama looks like he knows how to play it.

    Sarge, I didn't think of it as an apology. I think what bothers you (and me as well) is the fact that Middle Eastern leaders would probably never reciprocate with with same self-criticism. We both know the radical left will frame it as evidence that change is required from the US and not the other players in the Middle East, but in reality that's mostly just an annoyance on internet message boards.

    Look at Obama's real positions: he supports Israel, he's about to send more troops into Afghanistan, he's striking into Pakistan, and he's said that Iran should never be allowed to have nuclear weapons. Is anyone talking about that? No, they're talking about his most recent message instead. He's basically following some of Bush's policies and he has the left eating out of his hand just by changing his tone and vocabulary.

  • 0

    skipthesong

    well, if we add this and what the pope has just done the other day, I hope we aren't going to just let Israel go as an ally.

  • 0

    skipthesong

    what is really to gain in trying to get friendly with religious right wingers like many in the ME, such as Iran? Would this act bring down oil prices? I hope not. That's bad for my business Would this help with easing AQ desire to strike us? Or kind of help it disband?

  • 0

    Madverts

    " he has the left eating out of his hand just by changing his tone and vocabulary."

    Heh, I wonder how long the honeymoon is going to last...

  • 0

    SuperLib

    Not long, methinks. But I do get a kick out of seeing the left support Obama when he follows Bush's policies and the right attack him when he follows Bush's policies. Sooner or later something is going to have to give. Hopefully it will shift more people from the far right/left to the center.

  • 0

    skipthesong

    Hopefully it will shift more people from the far right/left to the center." want a beer?

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    SuperLib: "I think what bothers you (and me as well) is the fact that Middle Eastern leaders would probably never reciprocate with with same self-criticism."

    And in my opinion, that makes you (ie. the US via Obama) the 'better man'.

    Why can't some of you see that instead of thinking it makes you look weak (I'm not talking about you here, SuperLib)?

  • 0

    SuperLib

    I support what Obama said, smith, but I include you in with the group that I think will be more than happy to spin the self-criticism to your political advantage.

  • 0

    rajakumar

    Way to go Obama. More interviews with arabic news networks, will bridge arabic-english world friendships more.

    The more barriers are reduced between english speaking world and arab speaking world, the better. After all most people are for good of all.

    We need to reduce communication barriers via more interviews with arab speaking world TV networks interviews and Obama administration. Many arab nationals have good friendships with many nations speaking english.

    My favourite new channel is Aljazeera,which started from an arabic speaking nation,that is Qatar.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    SuperLib: "I support what Obama said, smith, but I include you in with the group that I think will be more than happy to spin the self-criticism to your political advantage."

    As opposed to trying to spin it to your own? (in that you ARE included). People who simply come on here and say, "many of his policies are like bush's" are forgetting that many of bush's policies were like HIS predecessor, and so on, and so forth. Of COURSE many policies are 'similar' to someone else's; an example of NOT being similar would be to suddenly say, "We're going to give billions to Hamas and cut all funding to Israel", for example. Continuing to support Israel but taking a slightly different STANCE than bush or, god forbid, changing certain policies on issues and trying to be more diplomatic as he is here with Arab nations... that's not really 'being the same' to any extent beyond saying 'both men want there to be peace'. How they are going about it is quite different.

    Now, I'm going to wait for you to show me where people don't try to use something to their political advantage. Until then, all I really see is a bunch of people who seem pretty bitter about the fact that Obama is already succeeding in following some of his promises (where his predecessor did NONE), and in particular is reaching out to he Muslim community with a sense of humility where some posters on here have CLEARLY stated they are against Islam and all Muslims in general, and certainly don't want peace unless it's the kind that comes from oppression/suppression.

    To them, this approach by Obama is akin to a kick in the face to their unwarranted pride.

    Good on Obama, no matter what two or three posters on here have to say to the contrary.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    SuperLib: "But I do get a kick out of seeing the left support Obama when he follows Bush's policies and the right attack him when he follows Bush's policies. Sooner or later something is going to have to give."

    What policies of bush's does he support that bush did not support from HIS predecessors? Please do show me a policy that bush implemented from scratch or radically altered from his predecessors and that Obama is following to a T, please. If you are referring to blanket policies like 'let's support Israel', stop wasting our time unless you can point out presidents who haven't (since the end of WWII).

  • 0

    adaydream

    I really don't think that Barack Obama is just following george bush's policies.

    george bush's policy was to sit back and allow Israel to do whatever they want, then to give them $30Billion in military aid. he would allow Israel to run rough shod and give words of encouragement to continue killing. I don't think that this is going to be Obama's stand.

    I'm encouraged by Obama's action to get started and get involved in the middle eastern difficulties.

    Most of the anti-Obama rheteric by Sarge and his ilk is just that, republican rheteric because you're scared that Obama might get some good results which george bush couldn't do.

    Barack Obama is change. Change in the middle east is coming, I hope. But sitting by for another few years and doing nothing like george bush's middle eastern policy does nothing but allows Israel to kill their neighbors. < :-)

  • 0

    bushlover

    I hope Obama can pull it off and pull the wool over the ME people's eyes. To show a kinder gentler master.

  • 0

    VOR

    Most of the anti-Obama rheteric by Sarge and his ilk is just that, republican rheteric because you're scared that Obama might get some good results which george bush couldn't do.

    el wrongo. If Obama can navigate the treacherous waters of the Middle East more power to him but the concern is to what lengths Obama will go to make peace with some truley ruthless and despicable people at the expense of our national security. He's already shown a tendency to throw family and close personal friends under the bus to get to the oval office, what makes you think its wise not to watch and question what he does as he attempts to define his presidency?

    Barack Obama is change. Change in the middle east is coming, I hope. But sitting by for another few years and doing nothing like george bush's middle eastern policy does nothing but allows Israel to kill their neighbors. < :-)

    Barack Hussein Obama campaign slogans are pretty much meaningless at this point as is your little guttersniping. It says nothing about what the Obamalamadingdong is going to do about forging a Middle East policy in which the Israeli and Arab people are able to coexist peacefully in the region.

  • 0

    tclh

    President Obama is doing fine ,or so it seems. Everyone can easily be a starter, a STICKER in ME peace is what more important and much harder to achieve. It is OK to give Obama credit as a starter, now we can wish him best of luck when all the obstacles the hatred, revenges, religions..start to show up.

  • 0

    IcingDeath

    I think that this is a wise move by President Obama. Al Queda and the Taliban can feel their foundation rocking beneath their feet. In truth, they would have loved to have McCain in the office instead of Obama. They have been quoted as saying that a republican president would continue Bush's policy in the Middle East of Shoot First, Shoot Later, Shoot Some more, and then ask questions. With Obama going on Arabic TV and addressing the Middle East personally as a representative of mankind and not the head of a seemingly oppressive superpower, he has rocked the terrorist base even more. If they don't have the support of the people, then they are as good as dead.

  • 0

    adaydream

    Well VOR, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what Obama's efforts get. I have the outlook that something positive will get accomplished. Until then I'll just listen to the garbage that the republicans sling each time that Barack Obama does something.

    I'm happy about his efforts, but maybe if Barack Obama would sit back and do absolutely nothing, except to pat the Israelis on the back and give them $30Billion like george bush did, then maybe they'd give him his props.

    Nah, it has nothing to do with wanting to see a positive outcome, it's about bitching about Barack Obama. If John McCain had won and was doing the same thing that Barack Obama is doing, they'd approve. < :-)

  • 0

    Sarge

    "Barack Obama is change"

    Yeah, but change for the better?

    majime - Bzzzz! Wrong answer, dude! No frequent flier miles for you.

  • 0

    adaydream

    Sarge, how would John McCain handle it?

    How would he differ then the efforts that Barack Obama is attempting? < :-)

  • 0

    VOR

    Until then I'll just listen to the garbage that the republicans sling each time that Barack Obama does something.

    i would say you guys on the left blazed new paths in this department over the last 8 years and there doesn't seem to be any signs of it letting up.

  • 0

    SuperLib

    smithinjapan: an example of NOT being similar would be to suddenly say, "We're going to give billions to Hamas and cut all funding to Israel", for example.

    Your extreme examples have grown tiresome.

  • 0

    SuperLib

    adaydream: george bush's policy was to sit back and allow Israel to do whatever they want, then to give them $30Billion in military aid. he would allow Israel to run rough shod and give words of encouragement to continue killing. I don't think that this is going to be Obama's stand.

    I don't think that was Bush's position. Anyway, I think in the end Obama's position will be very similar to Bush's. The only difference will be how you choose to spin it.

  • 0

    adaydream

    SuperLib: I don't think that was Bush's position.

    You know it was, but that's fine. Ignore the truth and spin your yarn.

    Obama isn't waiting 6/7 years before he attempts to work out some solution like Bush did. < :-)

  • 0

    mrgalactic

    Is it too early in the year to start handing out booby prizes for lame comments of the year ??? I mean really now, smithinjapan's whimmsicle view of the current prez is laughable to say the least, but this closing ? Are you serious ?

    "Like it or not, sargie, Obama is making your world a better place. Stop fighting it and see it for the positive thing it is instead of desiring to continue to live in misery."

    So what exactly has the Obama done in his first 7 days to earn such a rousing show of approval from smithinjapan ? Lets take a look...

    -He started his term off by screwing up the inauguration oath so bad that it had to be done again. Gee, I don't recall Dubya getting any "second chances" by the bashers out there.

    -Then he went on to parade out 8 different guests, from his choosing mind you, to entertain or otherwise participate in the inauguration ceremony. We had bible readers, poets, singers, and a small band ensemble. In total the 8 consisted of people representing minorities, females, blacks, immigrants, Asians. We had representatives from all of the major ethgnic groups in the USA... except ??? Hispanics !!! Yep, Obama chose 4 blacks out of the eight... 50% and didn't give one iota about the hispanic population... who by the way let him have it with street demonstrations throughout the USA the next day.

    -Now down to business. Time to shut down Gitmo, sign the papers and... gee, what to do with the prisoners ??? Seems Obama has yet to consider exactly what to do with some of the worlds most notorious terrorists. Hey smitty, can they come and stay at your house ? Oh yeh, it seems some of the previously released have already found shelter and work... back with Al Queda ! Yep, just google it up.

    -OK, how about something positive... that Obama has promised to increase troop build-up in Afghanistan. Gee smithinjapan, more Americans going off to war probably... isn't exactly how you described it is it. What was it you said again:

    "Obama is making your world a better place."

    Hmm, pissing off the hispanic population, freeing terrorists, and sending more Americans to fight... yep, "making the world a better place" indeed !

  • 0

    cleo

    mrgalactic -

    Please put me right if I've got this wrong, but are you saying a world in which people are judged and chosen according to their ethnic makeup is a better world than one in which the colour of a person's skin plays no part?

    Sorry, I don't understand that.

    Moderator: Back on topic please.

  • 0

    mrgalactic

    Give it a rest Cleo. A person is chosen and judged on their character, education, and lifetime experiences. This is the real world now, and not the fantasy one you exist in here in Japan. Where, as we have discovered with Japans political revolving doors at the prime ministers office, that leaders are chosen from the "old boys" network... no matter how lame, ineffective, and laughable they truly are... I mean really, a 19% approval rating for Aso ? Obama has done nothing of importance to date but make screw up after screw up. He needs to focus more on the future of "his" presidency than continue to take childish pot shots at the previous administration.

  • 0

    cleo

    mrgalactic -

    What are you talking about? You were commenting on the choice of entertainers for the ceremony and complaining that there were no hispanics.

    I was simply asking if you were seriously suggesting that the world would be a better place if people (in this case entertainers) were chosen by their perceived ethnicity rather than by their perceived talent. I didn't think it was that difficult a question.

    What on earth has it got to do with lifetime experiences, Aso's approval rating or the price of tea?

    Moderator: All readers back on topic please.

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