First off if you think by being a world bully is what makes our nation great you may as well stop reading this post as you cannot understand it.

Bush ruined the reputation of our American Nation. His actions tarnished YOU. It is not Chavez or the King of Saudi Obama speaks to through his handshakes and bows. It is the people's of those Nations he speaks to through his gestures.

Chavez is a crank, obviously. Castro is a cruel dictator. Our embargo's, scoffs and disregards of these "Enemy States" have proved 100% fruitless. In fact it has caused new generations of their countrymen to be born with disdain for our Country. These people alive today were born after the atrocities of Castro. They only see the "evil untied states".

Unless your ready to just kill them all you need to wake up to the reality of human emotion and physiology. They being Innocent of past atrocities, only see the us that we present to them. They carry no remorse for things done by long gone people. They live in a world were they wake up having miserable lives partially because the Big Bad USA has an embargo on them. That is all they know of us.

To change the hearts and minds of our enemies does not take killing their fathers, brothers and friends. It requires them to get to know the REAL us. You know the good, honest, caring America. Not the fear mongering, vengeful, misguided thugs that Bush has turned us into (Remember, I am talking about our world perception not who YOU really are).

The bow and handshake in my perspective, was not to the men that stood before our President rather it was a bow and Handshake to the People's they represent in a manner in which those people would understand.

It is respectful to show others you are trying to understand them as they are. Doing so garners trust instead of fear.

No, Obama does not make he or us look weak. He is making us look like America has a Brain. A Brain much smarter than most can even comprehend. If you do not get it, I suggest you take some History, Physiology classes or just find some books about how humans tick. If you do not get it, then you are operating from ignorance, and I do not mean to call you ignorant.

Try to use you logical, knowledgable mind rather than your emotional responce to the world and you will see. You will not however be succesful if you have not read and or learned about we humans.

The conspiracy here is that Obama is using his knowledge of humanity to change and coerce our enemies into friends. Americans (us) interaction with Cubans (in Cuba) would eventually lead to a change there, were years of embargo's and hate have failed.

"Its the people stupid", the guy representing them changes all the time.

Good post buddy, S+F.

It's only right that Obama should start to usher in a new age of american understanding with former 'rival' states. It isn't weakness at all, respect and decorum ultimately show more strength and integrity than cowardly preemptive strikes against largely defenceless countries.
He's building, not burning bridges in order to try and bring about some degree of stability. The fact that he's observing and respecting local customs when visiting these countries only adds to his good nature.
People need to live in the here and now, not the past, otherwise they're blind in one eye.

Now, I just wonder how many people are going to disregard your advice on the first line...

First off if you think by being a world bully is what makes our nation great you may as well stop reading this post as you cannot understand it.

...and launch off on a chest beating 'U.S.A! U.S.A!' tirade, without reading your fine points. They're not all like that, but no harm in being prepared.

Nice reasoning man.

Wait a minute. You didn't explain the bow. You brushed over it and moved on to Chavez which is neither here nor there.
Obama bowed to that piece of garbage dictator because he has oil. That's it. We haven't once done ANYTHING remotely aggressive to SA because they continue to trade with the dollar.

The real irony here is that Obama bowed, right? That "bow" would turn into an invasion faster than you can say "internal combustion" if that balbo-sporting douchbag started trading oil for euros.

Originally posted by Sunsetspawn
Wait a minute. You didn't explain the bow. You brushed over it and moved on to Chavez which is neither here nor there.
Obama bowed to that piece of garbage dictator because he has oil. That's it. We haven't once done ANYTHING remotely aggressive to SA because they continue to trade with the dollar.

The real irony here is that Obama bowed, right? That "bow" would turn into an invasion faster than you can say "internal combustion" if that balbo-sporting douchbag started trading oil for euros.

I do not know weather Mr. Obama bowed to the King or not. If he did bow then it was a planned gesture to impart some meaning to the Saudi People.

If he did not bow, it is something else entirely perhaps a misstep. I could see myself evidently bowing to a King because we are all brought up and trained to bow to Kings.

Saudi does have some power by being a huge oil producer, but they do not have the power to bring great harm to us in anyway. There is no logical reason for an American President to make such a gesture out of humility. Obama may have decided to use the gesture for a reason but it was not to relay that America or our President is bowing in subservience to the King.

So, it was either a misstep or an intentional gesture to garner trust of the King and the Saudi peoples.

Obama cannot win every enemy over by offering friendship, but those that are truly wanting to harm us will reveal themselves through there actions rather than the posturing political words they use.

We Americans did not like to see Mr. Obama bow, as it hurts our pride, but if you realize it was either and accident, or done for a purpose other than to show subservience, then you have climbed past your emotion to the logical.

I used to be similar to Bush when I was younger. That is the way of old civilizations. To really bring change, you must change (you must control your emotional repsonce and use the logical mind you have). Animals attack because they do not have the logical side to guide them. We have both and a choice. Changing the world does not start without it starts within.

I agree that our relations have to be brought to better standings. However as for the bow, he bowed to this man at a summit if I remember properly. A summit in which the queen of england herself was there and not a single bow or even curtsey from him or his wife to her. However if like you said we are all brought up to bow to a king then he should have also been brought up to bow to the queen of a country as well.

Now saying this if we follow your belief of no longer punishing those next generation people (who can make a change for the better in thier country if they so choose). It's like saying we should no longer have race or sex being a factor in hiring into jobs. Or if the police stop a hispanic or black american, it should not be called upon as a racist issue. Since none of these so called "white people" ever owned a slave only thier grandparents and great grandparents may have. So why are they still being punished?

I like your ideas on building bridges instead of burning them. I also agree that we should re-open trade with these countries for the purpose of strengthening our situation. However to forgive and forget is possible only when the agressor shows signs of change and remorse.

Until that day I believe we should be cautious and wary when doing trades with these people.

Originally posted by anubis9311
Until that day I believe we should be cautious and wary when doing trades with these people.

I agree with you. Cautious and wary are the things for our CIA and FBI to take care of. The President on the other hand should be Shaking hands and agreements that benefit both countries while quietly discussing issues that inflame populations ro degrade relations. Just becoming our friends and integrating societies will bring change that can bring real peace.

Killing inocents (even accidental) will not stop the kid, who's dad we killed, from becoming the next Bin Laden.

Castro the evil man that he is will die soon...he may be living life with a different spirt than he used to. It is possible though not likely that Obama could convience Castro to leave this Earth having freed his people and thus being remembered as a leader who took the county in prosperity rahter than bheing remember only for his atrocious behaviors. So many things can happen with dialog you just never know.