Obama's Nice Guy Act Gets Him Nowhere on the World Stage

Interesting perspective from a German vantage point. His motives for this recent trip to Asia stumped many before Air Force One even left the U.S. A trip that accomplished nothing. I guess he has nothing better to due here.

The mood in Obama's foreign policy team is tense following an extended Asia trip that produced no palpable results. The "first Pacific president," as Obama called himself, came as a friend and returned as a stranger. The Asians smiled but made no concessions.

Upon taking office, Obama said that he wanted to listen to the world, promising respect instead of arrogance. But Obama's currency isn't as strong as he had believed. Everyone wants respect, but hardly anyone is willing to pay for it. Interests, not emotions, dominate the world of realpolitik. The Asia trip revealed the limits of Washington's new foreign policy: Although Obama did not lose face in China and Japan, he did appear to have lost some of his initial stature.

In Tokyo, the new center-left government even pulled out of its participation in a mission which saw the Japanese navy refueling US warships in the Indian Ocean as part of the Afghanistan campaign. In Beijing, Obama failed to achieve any important concessions whatsoever. There will be no binding commitments from China to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A revaluation of the Chinese currency, which is kept artificially weak, has been postponed. Sanctions against Iran? Not a chance. Nuclear disarmament? Not an issue for the Chinese.

Unsuccessful Foreign Policy is plain as day. China is now holding the all of the cards.

Obama visited a new China, an economic power that is now making its own demands. America should clean up its government finances, and the weak dollar is unacceptable, the head of the Chinese banking authority said, just as Obama's plane was about to land.

'A Lot Like Jimmy Carter'

An end to diplomacy is also taking shape in Washington's policy toward Tehran. It is now up to Iran, Obama said, to convince the world that its nuclear power is peaceful. While in Asia, Obama mentioned "consequences" unless it followed his advice. This puts the president, in his tenth month in office, where Bush began -- with threats. "Time is running out," Obama said in Korea. It was the same phrase Bush used against former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, shortly before he sent in the bombers.

There are many indications that the man in charge at the White House will take a tougher stance in the future. Obama's advisors fear a comparison with former Democratic President Jimmy Carter, even more than with Bush. Prominent Republicans have already tried to liken Obama to the humanitarian from Georgia, who lost in his bid to win a second term, because voters felt that he was too soft. "Carter tried weakness and the world got tougher and tougher because the predators, the aggressors, the anti-Americans, the dictators, when they sense weakness, they all start pushing ahead," Newt Gingrich, the former Republican speaker in the House of Representatives, recently said. And then he added: "This does look a lot like Jimmy Carter."

www.spiegel.de...

Apparently, Mr. Nice Guy is not very effective in his foreign policy efforts. No surprise considering his utter lack of any foreign policy experience whatsoever. The lack of experience is also evident in the majority of his entire cabinet.

The damage control team will be working overtime in the following months in a dire effort to boost Obama's stance domestically and abroad. Obama needs something big and unfortunately if his health care scam passes, he will seal his fate as a one term president just like Carter.



[edit on 23-11-2009 by jibeho]

I actually thought this article was prepared by someone who understands foreign policy or even studied it. But instead I found:

Gabor Steingart (Born 1962 in Berlin) is a German journalist and author. He is the senior Washington DC correspondent for the German magazine Der Spiegel and author of the book The War for Wealth that was first published in German and later published in English in April 2008.

Source: en.wikipedia.org...

A journalist and author for a magazine, yeh rite!

Liars cannot speak the truth.

Obama team should listen to einstein.

Well, on this we can all agree — Obama is a tool and a bumbling token black hood ornament of the aimless, useless, pointless Liberal Left. His own party's ineptitude and greed have already destroyed his presidency and made a shambling socialist laughingstock of America, and those who once supported him are now fleeing like rats from a burning tugboat.

Obama and his befuddled minions have done what ONLY a Leftist government COULD do: They've taken a bad situation and made it hopelessly and helplessly and almost incomprehensibly WORSE.

All Hail President Obama, Ruler of the Rotting Corpse of American Liberty.

— Doc Velocity

Originally posted by December_Rain
I actually thought this article was prepared by someone who understands foreign policy or even studied it. But instead I found:

Gabor Steingart (Born 1962 in Berlin) is a German journalist and author. He is the senior Washington DC correspondent for the German magazine Der Spiegel and author of the book The War for Wealth that was first published in German and later published in English in April 2008.

Source: en.wikipedia.org...

A journalist and author for a magazine, yeh rite!

So, no opinion? I'm not sure how to interpret your "attack the source" response. The author is a journalist. Journalists are usually not experts in the topics in which they write about. However, they may be well read in the subject at hand. They compile information from a variety of sources and experts in the field. That's what reporters/journalists do. No surprise. Much like all of the "experts" on ATS.

This journalist clearly has more insight than Obama's team and he is writing from a external European perspective. Much different than you would see from an article in the pro Obama NY Times for example.

The only thing Obama has accomplished to date is a fine demonstration on backpedaling, procrastination and how not to follow through on veiled threats. Specifically, as his policy applies to Iran and Afghanistan.

His speak softly and carry a toothpick tactic is making a mockery of this country and the office of POTUS.



[edit on 23-11-2009 by jibeho]

it's a complex diplomatic situation obama finds himself in. blaming him for it is only a tenth of the story.

Interests, not emotions, dominate the world of realpolitik.

this is an astute observation, there's not much any president can do, diplomatically, when his predecessor has left him with a ruined economy and a military over-extended by unpopular and illegal wars.

china is supporting the US economy because of the economic policies of the past ten years or so. you also need to consider that the US refused to take part in kyoto for the sake of the US economy, saying the evidence for climate change was dubious, it's not really going to be taken seriously if the US now asks china to retard its economic growth for the sake of climate change.

on the military/dearmament issue, the US has indicated clearly that it can't afford to do anything to help japan or china against NK. why would they disarm when there nut case neighbor is arming.

there's also the underlying wrankel that the US has refused to acknowledge that the CIA torture people even though it prosecuted japanese people for the same practices on US POW's and the US criticism of chinese human rights abuses (detainment without trial anyone).

to think it's about obama, as a person, is to ignore reality.

Originally posted by piemanto think it's about obama, as a person, is to ignore reality.

Then it would be fair and, indeed, even appropriate to say that the Liberal Left was totally ignorant of reality for the full two terms of the Bush administration, yes? For they very surely pinned everything — from the 911 attacks to the Indonesian tsunami to manmade global warming — on the lapel of George W. Bush.

Turnabout is fair play.

— Doc Velocity

A responsible person will think all of the possible angles Vs irresponsible person who would not give it a 2nd thought and would say "lets do it." This is what Bush did running after the oil fields of Iraq and greed took him further to Afghanistan because of Kazikistan oil field. Who is going to benefit from it? Is is the middle class Americans or the Elite of this country that refuse to pay taxes and doesn't want any thing to do with the cost of Health Plan even though the Middle class Americans are suffering. It is the middle class Americans that are getting killed or injured in War or their loved ones. Obama is our president and we should force Republicans and Republican Senators that they must work in the interest of this country. Failure to do so, we must boot them out of the office. After all they are enjoying impressive benefits from our tax dollars.

Originally posted by pieman

to think it's about obama, as a person, is to ignore reality.

Except that some of obama's main campaign promises were that he was going to change the world's opinion about the U.S.

It's one of the main reasons why a bunch of you said you were going to vote for obama, or did vote for him.

That alone definitely makes it about "obama the man".

Obama didn't take Bush along with him on these trips, so when does obama - and all of you - man up and take responsibility for their own failures?

Alas, it is now just one more obama promise that we can add to the dung heap of history.



[edit on 11/23/2009 by centurion1211]

Originally posted by Doc Velocity
Turnabout is fair play.

"i'm rubber, you're glue"?!?

that's a fairly idiotic and pointless contribution to the thread, although it plays to the fox crowd, clearly.

i'm just pointing out that to expect obama to disentangle the diplomatic difficulties the US faces in asia, in less than a year, is to ignore reality. the make believe left/right divide you people have going really has nothing to do with it.

how about you, any thoughts on the diplomatic situation in asia as it relates to the american presidents recent visit and it's wider implications on the perception of the US in the rest of the world?

Originally posted by pieman

Originally posted by Doc Velocity
Turnabout is fair play.

"i'm rubber, you're glue"?!?

that's a fairly idiotic and pointless contribution to the thread, although it plays to the fox crowd, clearly.

The dems played the "meaness game" to the hilt for the last nine years and made a lot of enemies and created a lot of grudges in the process.

But now, since your guy won, it's all of the sudden supposed to be, "Why can't we all just get along?". That only dems get to play nasty in politics, but everyone else has to play nice no matter what's going on in this country?

A true definition of someone living in a fantasy world.

Originally posted by centurion1211
That alone definitely makes it about "obama the man".

the fact that most of the world would expect "obama the man" to be able to locate china on the map means he has managed to change the worlds opinion of america.

EDIT:and he's not my obama, i'm a european with insomnia

[edit on 23/11/09 by pieman]

2nd Edit: i shouldn't poke fun.

[edit on 23/11/09 by pieman]

reply to post by centurion1211


BINGO! Obama made this about himself. This was part of the change that he promised the world. He spoke of creating a new diplomatic tone and of rebuilding the image of America abroad. I fondly remember his well touted apology tour that he took soon after his inauguration. This little tour certainly set the tone for his foreign policy or lack thereof.

We have a weak president who does not like to ruffle feathers. This pretty little notion is beginning to backfire as he turns his back on our allies in Poland, Israel, Czech REpublic, the UK and so on and so on.

When you are the supposed leader of the free world you can't be everyone's friend at the same time.

obama thought he walk into office and everyone in the world would listen and he would lead the world to the promised land.....welcome to the real world Mr President...

Originally posted by pieman

Originally posted by centurion1211
That alone definitely makes it about "obama the man".

the fact that most of the world would expect "obama the man" to be able to locate china on the map means he has managed to change the worlds opinion of america.

While most Americans would expect that of obama only if his teleprompter was working ...

EDIT:and he's not my obama, i'm a european with insomnia

Then, don't you have something that needs fixing right there in your own back yard?

2nd Edit: i shouldn't poke fun.

[edit on 23/11/09 by pieman]

Exactly - unless you want us to start taking a closer look at the messes you've got in your country, or europe in general.

Originally posted by centurion1211
While most Americans would expect that of obama only if his teleprompter was working ...

the fact that he can actually read the teleprompter can still be counted as an improvement.

Exactly - unless you want us to start taking a closer look at the messes you've got in your country, or europe in general.

work away, i have no issue discussing european issues.

Originally posted by December_Rain
I actually thought this article was prepared by someone who understands foreign policy or even studied it. But instead I found:

Gabor Steingart (Born 1962 in Berlin) is a German journalist and author. He is the senior Washington DC correspondent for the German magazine Der Spiegel and author of the book The War for Wealth that was first published in German and later published in English in April 2008.

Source: en.wikipedia.org...

A journalist and author for a magazine, yeh rite!

That's weak.

You should have said:

I actually thought this article was prepared by someone who understands foreign policy or even studied it. But instead I found:

In Tokyo, the new center-left government even pulled out of its participation in a mission which saw the Japanese navy refueling US warships in the Indian Ocean as part of the Afghanistan campaign.

This misson has been one of the most hotly debated elements of Japanese foreign policy for years, and through successive governments. It has been narrowly extended in the past - with the assumption (by the former right wing government) that it would not be renewed again. It would not have been renewed again had power not changed hands in Japan, regardless of what happened in the USA. Obama could not have saved this mission, nor could a Republican president.

Attempting to shift the blame somehow onto Obama for this decision shows a complete and utter lack of understanding of the issue or the greater foreign policy issues at play.