Obama in Berlin - Moon of Alabama
So why is this U.S. guy campaigning in my home country? The Turkish prime minister was here in February. He rented a soccer stadium in a western industrial city. There he gave a talk to some of the 1.8 million Turks living here. That was fine with me. But there are less than 100,000 U.S. people in my country and some candidate, not even a formal one yet, from across the pond makes a big show at one of the premier historic places in our capital? Why is this in our interest? Said candidate by the way is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on European Affairs. Since he got that job in January 2007 he held no policy hearing and never visted Europe. His real interests seem to be elsewhere.
So why is this U.S. guy campaigning in my home country?
The Turkish prime minister was here in February. He rented a soccer stadium in a western industrial city. There he gave a talk to some of the 1.8 million Turks living here. That was fine with me.
But there are less than 100,000 U.S. people in my country and some candidate, not even a formal one yet, from across the pond makes a big show at one of the premier historic places in our capital?
Why is this in our interest?
Said candidate by the way is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on European Affairs. Since he got that job in January 2007 he held no policy hearing and never visted Europe. His real interests seem to be elsewhere.
There are also some interesting comments.
Well, there were twice as many people who showed up to see him today! If you don't want the circus to come to town, don't go to the circus when it comes to town! Lol. Unbelievable.
Look, I am no true believer in Obama. I don't think he's inherently good or bad. But don't complain when America ignores Europe and then complain when America pays attention to Europe. It makes you come across as chronic complainers and nothing more. "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
I don't see how you could have read my sentence being about Americans. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
US people are Americans, correct? "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
Back to Benhard's post: the key sentence is "Why is this in our interest?", which I see he has re-written into the even more explicit "How is this in our, German, interest?" in the meantime. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
"How is this in our, German, interest?" It is in our interest, that McCain isn't elected president of the US, because of his assumed greater international experience. It is kind of deceiving, to cheer for a lesser evil, but if it is the much lesser evil, I would say it is allowed. In the beginning I wasn't sure how bad McCain would really be, but the longer the campaign, the more I have the impression, McCain could be a desaster, not only for the USA, but for the world. Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den MenschenVolker Pispers
We know Europeans are susceptible to spin too: we elected Sarkozy and Berlusconi. Still, spin is spin. And Bush is still not impeached.
The point is that electing Obama does not solve any problems I agree that it stops making them worse, and maybe that's the best one can hope. But the problems are still going to be there. And some WILL be worse: 150,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, yey! In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
Or rather, there are problems. In order for them to be solved, America has to be part of the solution. America isn't going to be part of the solution until Obama is in office. Who knows if the problems will be solved. But the first step to solving them is getting Bush and his lackey McCain out of the damn room so the adults can talk. "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
I like Van jones' take that we should not too much on one individual but should count on ourselves.
I'm part of the solution too. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
I'm reasonably positive about Obama being the end of "being part of the problem"; I just have no clue about his being part of the solution.
I'm really not convinced of this at all.
First, I think that Obama is going to fold like a chair if he is elected.
Second, I think that if you look at his economic advisers, he's full of half ass solutions that aren't going to work.
Voting for Obama is like taking an aspirin for cancer. It might make you feel better, but it's not going to do a think about the disease that's killing you.
And America's got economic cancer, and it's going to take tougher medicine than Obama's serving up to deal with this.
Domestically, he does nothing to address the healthcare crisis, and he's basically Clintonian in his economic orientation.
As for globalization, he's bought into the market will make everything better talk. When the truth is that until neo-liberal globalization is backed up by something like the (albeit very basic) social contract offered in the acquis communitaire the net effect of further globalization is going tio be the erosion of existing rules and the unleashing of naked capitalism. And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
Stopping digging is a good thing, but when you're in such a deep hole, I agree it's not quite enough. I guess we'll all have t osee what comes next (actually, I'm curious as to what will come before the election, on the energy and economic fronts: we're in a lull this week, but I don't expect things to last like this for very long). In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
I have never found you to be less than polite.
I think that Obama is go to lose. This was a golden opportunity for change, and the chattering classes got fixated on Iraq. It's as though for many of them (and I'm sure that you met this contingent at the big orange place) that there was no Left before the Iraq War.
At the very least, Obama's electoral collapse will be unique in that he will demonstrate an entirely new way to lose, by picking up states like Virginia and Colorado, in which economic issues like trade and healthcare matter less politically than social issues. And losing a gigantic swath of the Midwest (Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania) where factory jobs have gone poof.
The first block of states is worth about a third of the electoral votes of the latter group.
Again, on the positive side, it will be an opportunity for European broadcasters to try to explain what the Electoral College is.
C'est la vie. And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
That's a keeper. (To be applied not just for Obama.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
First hearings on impeachment start in about 7 hours. You can watch them live. Unfortunately, it's actually a non-impeachment impeachment hearing, and Conyers has apparently been threatening to shut it down if witnesses accuse Bush of an impeachable offense. From Indybay
Apparently the rules of Congress are designed to allow impeachable offenses to be discussed only in impeachment hearings. Apparently this didn't occur to Chairman Conyers when he decided to hold a non-impeachment impeachment hearing. As a result, his hearing may be quickly shut down, and he will have a choice of holding a real impeachment hearing, resigning, or dropping the pretense that he intends to resist Cheney and Bush in any way whatsoever.
M of A - Obama in Berlin
Speech is over: First mistake: announced for 7pm and started at 7:20pm. In Germany you are supposed to come punctual or come not at all. Otherwise: Well written speech, good orator. About 70,000 people max. A quarter of them U.S. folks. Started with good touch on the Berlin wall and the 1948 air lift to walls in the rest of the world. Said 9/11 terrorists trained in Hamburg, Kandahar and Karachi? Karachi??? Pakistan, watch out! And what about the flight training they got in the U.S.? That and other "war of terror" talk by Obama did get sparse applause. Other talk about "U.S. bases" in Germany and around the world also. Talk about Afghanistan - applause also very low. Obama called for a "world without nuclear weapons" - BIG applause. Common effort against climate change - BIG applause. Some phrases that sound wired for Germans: "sacrifice" "struggle for freedom" "remake the world" These are empty phrases for Germans. Unlike in the U.S. there is no positive associations with these.
Speech is over:
First mistake: announced for 7pm and started at 7:20pm. In Germany you are supposed to come punctual or come not at all.
Otherwise: Well written speech, good orator.
About 70,000 people max. A quarter of them U.S. folks.
Started with good touch on the Berlin wall and the 1948 air lift to walls in the rest of the world.
Said 9/11 terrorists trained in Hamburg, Kandahar and Karachi? Karachi??? Pakistan, watch out! And what about the flight training they got in the U.S.?
That and other "war of terror" talk by Obama did get sparse applause. Other talk about "U.S. bases" in Germany and around the world also. Talk about Afghanistan - applause also very low.
Obama called for a "world without nuclear weapons" - BIG applause. Common effort against climate change - BIG applause.
Some phrases that sound wired for Germans:
"sacrifice" "struggle for freedom" "remake the world"
These are empty phrases for Germans. Unlike in the U.S. there is no positive associations with these.
Most of the German MSM won't emphasize these (though I already saw an article noting the Pakistan thing). *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
