A Canadian commenter wrote:
...reading this comments, I start to realize that obtaining the Nobel Peace Prize only harmed Obama's reputation and possibly even those who supported him before, are now asking themselves, what he did to deserve it. Unfortunately the answer is "not much, except for a few very impressive speeches and a probable improvement of American international diplomacy".
Julie
I respond:
Julie,
1) most people in the world are not very informed, and do not realize that many of the people who have won the Nobel Peace Prize are monsters, equivocators, and fools. So, this victory does not hurt Obama's standing.
2) Obama has not improved America's standing in the world. Russia openly defies us now.
The French President mocks Obama for his weakness.
Iran tells Obama there is no room for negotiation on nuclear issues.
Instead of making America's reputation stronger on the world stage, Obama has been a completely inept failure:
Only a person who does not like America's hegemony would think Obama is a good leader for America.
You are Canadian, apparently. As a Canadian, you might think that America's hegemony is not a good thing.
But, ask yourself these questions:
With nations like China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, North Korea, and Syria/Lebanon in the world, who will keep the sea lanes open for Free Trade if it is not America? Who will veto anti-Human Rights resolutions at the UN, if not America? Who will stop a nation like Iraq from invading Kuwait, if not America?
Is Canada better prepared to step up and take America's place, or is China/Russia?
What will happen in a world where China and Russia have hegemony?
Do you want that world to exist?
23 comments:
You singled out Russia for opprobrium 4 times. I see them as long term allies, as part of the larger European world. Russia should be considered a pillar of the West, second only to the US in power and influence.
China has nearly ten times the population of Russia, 1.35 billion. India has 1.15 billion, and the 57 nation Organization of the Islamic Conference has about 1.5 billion. Any combination of these three giants would be a dire threat to the West, so why push Russia into their arms with our hegemonic policies at least as far as the Russians see them? Russia should be treated as a great power, as OUR great power.
And even Russia, all of Europe, Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand combined total only about 1.1 billion, smaller than the other three giants and growing slower. As the 21st century goes on powerful nations like Russia and Japan and eventually even the US will find it harder and harder to compete with mega-nations like China and India, and mega-organizations like the OIC.
Japan will probably fall into China's orbit. That's why it's so important to win Russia over for the West. If we can extend our durable alliance (NATO) into Russia, the security and independence of most of the northern hemisphere can be assured for decades or maybe centuries to come. And as a united West, we could face down a hostile China-OIC alliance indefinitely.
Russia is not an ally of my West.
It's people following whatever its media spews out.
Its culture... well, attacking Georgia constitutes honor for them.
You cant compare the Russian way of handling its neighbors to the American or European way.
Russia can compare more to any Islamic country when it comes to their war tactics and personal limitations.
We went to war to defend Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. They would not soil their filthy hands by defending their own countries.
Their "thank you", financing the Jihad against the USA, the Financial jihad against the USA......and tossing the American forces out of Saudi Arabia.
We should have nuked them, and handed the ashes of Kuwait City, Mecca and Medina....over to Sadaam Hussein.
Our current dire situation, including having a President named "Hussein" stems from our two decade long promotion of Islam and submission to those filthy, primitive animals in Arabia.
I say...kill them all, and seize the oil fields for reparations.
peace.
Pastorius,
I would have to say that it would be a bad thing, if American hegemony went the way of the Dodo. Neither Russia or China respect human rights and neither has the interests of the free world at heart.
America's "kindness" in the Middle-East has destroyed any hope for future generations in the United States.
Arming the islamic nations for a 'Final Solution" to the Arab-Israeli Conflict......... has damned our immortal souls.
I will gather all the nations And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; And they have divided up My land.
Try BS'ing the Messiah...... Blame Obam or Bush or Klinton...pretend you didn't know what was going on...or be truthful, and say that you replaced the G-d Of Israel with television abd Satan worshiping politicians.
Don't bother packing a sweater.
Here... Something our leaders and the Islamic world truly agree on:
http://justgetthere.us/blog/uploads/bohemian-grove-colour.gif
Jeppo,
You said: ... why push Russia into their arms with our hegemonic policies at least as far as the Russians see them? Russia should be treated as a great power, as OUR great power.
I say: Russia has set themselves up as our enemies.
Perhaps your point is that if there is anyone Obama ought to be reaching a hand out to, it is Russia.
Ok. Yeah, maybe. Putin wants to resurrect the Soviet Union.
http://astuteblogger.blogspot.com/2006/12/will-putin-step-down.html
What do you think of that?
Michael,
You are speaking the truth, except for the fact that individuals are judged ultimately by our nations actions.
Those individuals who opposed our nations actions are judged according to their deeds, and what is in their hearts.
That's what the Bible says, and you are basically paraphrasing the Bible, so I know that you know it.
Sorry, but IMHO Russia is a giant POS and they are not only NOT long term allies, but also place the template of this theory on their actions:
'The world is a zero sum game, and therefore anything bad for the USA is good for Russia, even if that means a terrorist nuke goes off there or in a close ally since it will help cripple their economy without provoking a nuclear war'
Now reevaluate the last 3-4 years by them under that theory.
Domestically, they are more comfortable under Ivan IV than any other kind of leader or system, just as the arabs seem to be.
That is my EVALUATION based on their actions and the results of their actions
American hegemony is a result not a goal.
It is the result of our system of property and freedom (John Adams always thought they were the same thing)
Those who believe property (and therefore profit) is evil will destroy any hegemony we have because they seek to end this evil propertied system in the name of egalitarian 'spreading it around'.
This system of capital and entrepreneurship, ambition, and academic merit thru products being invented, developed, and produced - slaved to consumer demand, SUCKS, but simply reflects the true nature of humans better than any other system, including whatever is in the mind of the destructive democrats today.
That is why communism killed more people than Hitler. While such a social system works in a small group like a family or a kibbutz, once a system which needs the intellectual, work and inventive efforts of all to be shared grows beyond all those who know and depend on each other, these gifts must be seized, and the system becomes the author of violence towards its own people to achieve these 'unselfish' ends. It no longer reflect human nature.
Epa is the man.
I agree with everything he said in those two comments.
20 years ago Europe was divided right down the middle of Berlin into NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Since then the Warsaw Pact has collapsed and NATO and the EU have expanded to include 10 former Communist nations plus East Germany totalling 120 million people. And NATO has just added Croatia and Albania, 8 million more.
This has been a unprecedented improvement in freedom and prosperity for such a large population in such a short time. And it's it not over yet.
There are the remaining Balkan nations to be brought into NATO/EU, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo. 20 million people.
Then there are the eastern tier nations, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, pop. 60 million.
And then there is Russia, the final frontier for the West, pop. 140 million.
It may take another two decades to fully incorporate these nations into the institutions of the West. Many of them are now political and economic basketcases, but all were totalitarian dictatorships only twenty years ago.
The eastward march of peace, prosperity and democratic freedom must continue until all 350 million Europeans formerly under communism are safely in NATO and/or the EU. Our present policy differences with Russia shouldn't distract us from the ultimate goal: To permanently join the rest of Eastern Europe and Russia to the West.
Jeppo,
I must congratulate you on your forward-thinking on this subject.
Basically what you are articulating is the same stance I have on the NAFTA treaty.
I believe NAFTA is a great idea in the long run, but in the short run, it appears to be a bad deal for the USA.
The problem is, Mexico is not at war with the USA. Russia is at war with Europe and the USA.
I hope your scenario comes true, but I think mine is a more honest depiction.
That being said, I do agree that the Russian "mind" is Western, and it would be better for the world if Russia was part of Europe.
But they ain't.
And NEVER have been, despite such attempts by Peter and Catherine, and royal relations with every other Euro-royalty.
This is not a coincidence.
They are not Europe.
They are not Asian.
They have have 5 months of an attempt at democracy in 2000 years in 1917, and an abortive alcoholic attempt near the end of the last century.
The goal of Russia joining Europe and the rest = Afghanistan turned by the state dept into a Jeffersonian agrarian democracy = middle east peace
Let's concentrate on the doable
BTW the big diff between al the eastern euro nation, and even the Ukraine is that they were all CAPTIVE NATIONS. Russia is the captor.
That they can never be any different is illustrated most clearly by the Russian failure to discern that our anti missile systems, usable ONLY against weapons already launched against us and our allies, were instead viewed as a tool to defeat their ability to use nuclear blackmail against former captive states.
Forget Russia.
They will NEVER BE AN ALLY as today's news concerning sanctions PROVES.
Of course Russians are Europeans. Their homeland is in Europe, in fact the largest part of Europe. They speak an Indo-European language just like most other Europeans, not a Turkic or Semitic language like the nearby Asians and Africans. They are mainly Christians like the vast majority of Europeans, not mainly Muslims like in Asia and Africa.
And now there are many Slavic and/or Orthodox nations in NATO and the EU, like Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Greece, further cementing Russia's cultural ties to Europe and the West. As the Balkan states are brought into the NATO/EU fold, it will make it easier to move into the eastern tier states, which will in turn make it easier to move into Russia itself.
There are two major differences between Russians and Afghans. One is Islam, no explanation necessary. The second is IQ, and this where Russians have a further advantage. The average Russian has an IQ of 97 while the average Afghan's IQ is only 84. This is because Russians are genetically, as well as historically, geographically, linguistically, religiously and culturally European so they test at a general European rate, while the Afghans test near their Central and South Asian neighbors.
Link
I see the expansion eastward as an positive alternative to NAFTA and American expansion southward. There is a far greater economic and cultural divide between the US and Mexico than there is between Poland and Russia, or even the US and Russia for that matter. Americans should ally with their civilizational kin in Europe rather than the foreigners south of the Rio Grande.
I think any type of EU-style union of the Americas would eventually swallow the US and Canada in its mostly Spanish-speaking, non-Western and Third World whole. Far better to build a rich and powerful alliance in the northern hemisphere than a poor and marginalized one in the western hemisphere.
Epa knows history better than I do. My "expertise" (if I have any) is in Philosophy, Literature, and Religion.
In those senses, Russia is pretty much the same as Europe.
However, with that in mind, so was Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Persia, until Islam came along.
I don't really understand Russia.
I love Dostoevsky and Tolstoy though.
:)
Also Pasto, you said that Mexico isn't at war with the US while Russia is at war with Europe and the US.
I would argue the opposite. Of course Mexico's not technically at war with the US, but there's definitely an undeclared invasion going on. Mexico is clearly trying to subvert the US by flooding it with tens of millions of poor and illegal Mexicans and other Latin Americans. And they are agressively interfering in American domestic politics to push Mexico-friendly policies like amnesty, open borders, bilingualism, etc. Mexico is actively trying to turn the US into Mexico Norte and should be treated like the hostile entity they are.
Russia, on the other hand, disagrees with us about sanctions policies...so this means war! It doesn't mean war, hot or cold, it means a disagreement over sanctions and that's it. Russia is still a great power with interests that sometimes diverge from our own. The closer we can polically, militarily and economically bind Russia to Europe and the West, the less chance there is for major disagreements to flare up in the future.
Jeppo,
Mexico is using the USA as its de facto Welfare System. That is not war.
Russia is aiding and abetting our enemies.
That is war, in my opinion.
Sorry. but just because Russia is PARTLY in Europe does not make their cultural, governmental, or domestic proclivities simimlar in any way to France or Belgium or Austria.
When you have been invaded and run under since 1100+ by hordes from the east, and your cities made mountains of skulls, and then you end up with absolutist govt crushing all neighboring states and absorbing them until a revolution rationalizes the imperial conquests .. SOMETHING HAPPENS, and it ain't KANT, or GIBBON.
Empirically, they simply are not Europeans in behavior.
That's why they can't bear the idea of effective american defensive weapons whose only utility is against already launched missiles. To them, the main side effect of nukes in their possession is the ability to conduct foreign policy by nuclear blackmail.
I don't think this is what they are considering in Liechtenstein, or Madrid, or Danzig, Warsaw, or Wien as a valid way to have relations.
The idea that Russia can be a REAL ALLY over the long term is a nice idea, but they CANNOT EVER see America and who we are, and what we do as anything other than the big kid on the block who will stop THEM from being the big kid on the block. The reason is inside them.
All we ever wanted was to open more Mcdonald's, everything proceeds from that.
They OUGHT TO BE MORE 'European' in conduct, but they just aren't. I would have hoped that post Gorby-Yeltsin that would be natural, but I am compelled to recognize unpleasantly that they just are not.
Too bad.
For all.
We could use an ally like them. But it ain't there
Amercians need to stop Obama and his stupid Socialist Health plan.
I just wish LBJ was his Vice President. Lyndon wouldn't let the likes of Obama kick him around. God, please resurrect LBJ.
God, Please come and save us from Black Obama.
WE need a Savior like LBJ.
Let's see, is that wit or sarcasm?
Hmm.
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