popeye1250
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Joined: 1/27/2006
From: New Hampshire
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Viridana
quote:
ORIGINAL: Musicmystery
I can't agree, and before folks pile on, I'm telling you all it's for political reasons. Readily and openly admitted. Here's why.
I strongly believe that the Cheneys of this world are wrong, that an open dialogue with other nations is not a sign of weakness and kowtowing but an absolute necessity with friend and foe alike. We don't have to like what we hear, we don't have to listen to it, we don't have to change our attitudes and decisions based on it necessarily, but to make any kind of progress, now or eventually, we must have that dialogue. No, that doesn't mean we should seek to placate our enemies, and no, it doesn't mean that they are just poor and misunderstood. It does mean that without dialogue, only force is left. Dialogue doesn't remove force from the table, but relying on force alone limits our strength quite considerably--especially in Iran and North Korea, where our force is insufficient (i.e., we invaded Iraq because we could...not so easy with Iran and North Korea, as the consequences and repercussions would be far more severe). If we can't even talk, we are the ones unreasonable.
Much of the rest of the world feels this way (especially Europe), so it's not surprising that Oslo does. Obama opened the door to the possibility of a real change from an eight year era of frigid relations with friend and foe alike--again, a policy isolation that I believe is foolish, dangerous, and short-sighted. We aren't as all-powerful as we like to fantasize. Being part of the discussion serves us much better, even when we disagree with the direction of that discussion. We should at least be there to say so and why, willing at least to listen to alternative proposals, if not necessarily accept them.
So a tiny corner of the world decided to take $1.4 million and use their only chance at a large stage to express their congratulations on a change in policy, a change that they apparently strongly believe is crucial to peace in the world.
Are they right? And is this a good use of the Prize? That's all fair game for debate. But they're also well within their rights to do with it as they please--and they have.
Thank you!
This needs to be reposted. I don't think many americans realize how isolated they've become during the Bush administration. And Obama is a breath of fresh air in the international community.
Viridana, and what's wrong with being isolated from certain countries?
Everytime the U.S. has "talks" with foreign countries have you ever noticed that those countries *always* expect a check from us?
If they *know* that they're going to get a check they'll be shaking their little heads up and down and the administration in charge at that time will call those "talks"....."successful."
Funny, that's all you have to do is "talk", you don't have to "do" anything?
I don't want my govt. giving my Taxdollars to any foreign country.
It's not a "good" thing when foreigners "like" our president. That usually means that they think he can be manipulated or "played" for their purposes. No wonder so many foreign countries were "happy" that Obama got elected, they all thought they were going to get checks! And many of them probably thought we'd be opening up the immigration gates.
The thing with many of those foreign countries is that they want to get *us* involved in *their problems!* And to them that means,......$money!
It's funny, I was in Ireland for a month while Bush was president and I didn't feel "isolated" at all! Hell, they were making jokes about Clinton, "the wanker!"
"Ah they give him the right name, "Willie!"
The only thing they said about Bush was that he was "boring."
You know it's just human nature that if you're giving people money they'll "like" you. If there's a chance that you'll stop giving them money they start to get nervous.
And if you stop giving them money they won't "like" you anymore.
For example if I hit the Powerball lottery and I started giving money to people who didn't like me guess what? New "friends!"
There are many countries that we can be "friends" with that wouldn't involve raiding the U.S. Treasury to maintain those "friendships" with. Sure, I want to be "friends" with a lot of countries but certainly not all by a long shot! Not third and fourth world countries for sure! And if we have to *pay* foreign countries to "like us" they're not really our "friends" are they?
We need to be closing embasseys not opening more like that $2 billion monstrosity in Bagdhad!
Embasseys in third and fourth world countries serve only as outposts of foreign aid and immigration. We need to gut the State Dept.
"Foreign aid" is certainly bad management, bad policy and,...it doesn't work.
If it did the amount we gave every year should be going down, not up!
There are countries that have been on "foreign aid" for 40-50 years now, how is that successfull?
If individuals want to donate their own funds to foreign causes and countries fine, go find your checkbook but stay away from my Taxdollars! Our govt. shouldn't be doing this!
Clinton gave $2B of the *Taxpayer's money* to N. Korea and look what happened.
LOL, I love that phrase "international community", sure,...as long as the CHECKS are being mailed!
We have 50 M people in this country without healthcare yet the State Dept wants to build hospitals in foreign countries, with some of the Taxdollars of those 50 million? Good management? I think not!
Foreign countries like President Obama because they think he's "easy" and they can get something out of him!
*He was being followed around by some 150 reps from foreign countries during his campaign. What does that tell you?*
Now should I go around asking my neighbors if they felt "isolated" while Bush was president?
< Message edited by popeye1250 -- 10/10/2009 12:54:07 PM >
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