The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[Alex]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I don't care, honestly. However, since the theme seems to be that we need to "rebuild" our image in the world, and she has insulted (whether they have reason to take offense or not) European leaders with her American vs. European democracy comment, I decided to make an issue of it from a purely rhetorical standpoint.

A valid point, but if Obama really does bring us out of Iraq, works diplomatically and honestly on global environmental issues, and smiles handsomely when abroad, I somehow don't think that failing to pat the Greeks and Romans on the head for trying and then abandoning democracy will overwhelm the impact on world opinion.

But it should be noted that all of these countries do have conservative (by U.S. definition of the word) wings -- especially in England -- that will be complaining about anything Obama does just as is the case here (and similarly, the knee-jerk whining brigade about Bush was replicated worldwide even in more conservative nations). I would say that the big difference insofar as you're concerned will be that you now will hear about them because it will be in the interests of your primary news sources to repeat them where they were ignored before as the mewlings of wuss's jealous of U.S. power.

I debated whether or not to bring up Obama's insult of the British PM, when he gave 25 DVDs to him as a gift.

I tend not to care much for empty symbolic gestures and give exchanges between heads of state pretty much fall into that category (like either Obama or Brown spent an evening at Saks trying to find just the perfect thing).

I think that Obama should have just handed Brown a card, and inside that card a piece of paper that said "In lieu of a gift i have donated $25 to the March of Dimes in your name."

But I will agree that unless they were of some deeply personal meaning, that a gift of DVDs (man I hope they were region free or of the appropriate region) and Marine One models is lame. As they were making fun of this on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me this weekened it really does have the look of a last minute gift Obama got from the White House Gift Shop on his way to the meeting.