I think that all our enemies are going to start **** now that we have a president with 0 foreign policy experience. Russia announced their plans to put short range missiles on its Western border. Do you think Iran, North Korea, and China will start making more aggressive moves knowing that Obama ran on an anti-war platform? Specifically I think Iran will overthrow the pro-American Iraqi government as soon as most of our soldiers are withdrawn while China will make more in-roads in South America and continue supporting Sudan We live in a dog-eat-dog where any form of weakness can be fatal so I think this election has revealed the decline in American desire to be a superpower.
President Obama - what does it mean for foreign affairs?
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When I first heard of Obama's candidacy, I very much doubted that he would become the nominee, never mind win the election....
Then he ran this astonishing campaign, showing admirable discipline throughout, and staying cool and focused during the debates. I think that he is a very intelligent man, and one who knows that he doesn't know many things, and he is good at surrounding himself with good advisors.
I personally think that he will be much more respected abroad than the current president, and I doubt that he will be a softie.
I don't particularly want to get into a political discussion here, but it seems to me that America as a superpower has suffered tremendous blows in the last 8 years. But that's just my opinion. Although I live here, I am Italian, and I have lived in Denmark for 8 years before coming here in 2004, so my perspective is likely different from that of many Americans. Overall, I am very pleased and hopeful about the outcome of this election, on many levels.
Then he ran this astonishing campaign, showing admirable discipline throughout, and staying cool and focused during the debates. I think that he is a very intelligent man, and one who knows that he doesn't know many things, and he is good at surrounding himself with good advisors.
I personally think that he will be much more respected abroad than the current president, and I doubt that he will be a softie.
I don't particularly want to get into a political discussion here, but it seems to me that America as a superpower has suffered tremendous blows in the last 8 years. But that's just my opinion. Although I live here, I am Italian, and I have lived in Denmark for 8 years before coming here in 2004, so my perspective is likely different from that of many Americans. Overall, I am very pleased and hopeful about the outcome of this election, on many levels.
Gashin though I count you as a friend i'll have to disagree as I really don't think that will be the case. Many people across the globe are inspired by this election, not just the American people.
China and Iran are not "out to get" the US (i'm paraphrasing I know) and China, Iran, and North Korea can't even be put in the same category because they won't agree with each other on very much anyway.
China and North Korea are both "Communist" countries (there's never been a such thing as pure communism in this world, the Human race is too imperfect for it), but they are completely different forms of government with completely different goals and completely different methods of foreign and domestic policy.
Iran has a bone to pick with the US for what we did to them, but I really doubt they intend on doing so. I have more respect for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad than I do for many other world leaders including our incumbent President purely based on level of intelligence. Iran is "defiant" because it is trying to assert its sovereignty and political clout in the international arena. Call it flexing one's muscles.
President Ahmadinejad has stated he will agree to complete and unhampered inspection from the IAEA if the G8 countries are willing to do so as well. Isn't that only fair? What makes the G8 countries immune to inspectors and Iran not? Or the more important questions...would the US accept the same level of unhampered inspection letting a UN committee go in and try to discover secret military projects?
It just doesn't make sense does it?
What gives us the right to determine who is trustworthy? If Iran is to be inspected, the party calling for the UN inspection must reciprocate, in that case the US. Who knows what kinds of diabolical projects the US government has under wraps.
*EDIT* and I might also add that Ahmadinejad serves democratically elected by the will of the Iranian people (for those of you who think he's a tyrant, he doesn't fit the definition), and MOREOVER, he is not the leader of Iran. His boss is Ali Hoseyni Khamenei, the Supreme Leader.
China and Iran are not "out to get" the US (i'm paraphrasing I know) and China, Iran, and North Korea can't even be put in the same category because they won't agree with each other on very much anyway.
China and North Korea are both "Communist" countries (there's never been a such thing as pure communism in this world, the Human race is too imperfect for it), but they are completely different forms of government with completely different goals and completely different methods of foreign and domestic policy.
Iran has a bone to pick with the US for what we did to them, but I really doubt they intend on doing so. I have more respect for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad than I do for many other world leaders including our incumbent President purely based on level of intelligence. Iran is "defiant" because it is trying to assert its sovereignty and political clout in the international arena. Call it flexing one's muscles.
President Ahmadinejad has stated he will agree to complete and unhampered inspection from the IAEA if the G8 countries are willing to do so as well. Isn't that only fair? What makes the G8 countries immune to inspectors and Iran not? Or the more important questions...would the US accept the same level of unhampered inspection letting a UN committee go in and try to discover secret military projects?
It just doesn't make sense does it?
What gives us the right to determine who is trustworthy? If Iran is to be inspected, the party calling for the UN inspection must reciprocate, in that case the US. Who knows what kinds of diabolical projects the US government has under wraps.
*EDIT* and I might also add that Ahmadinejad serves democratically elected by the will of the Iranian people (for those of you who think he's a tyrant, he doesn't fit the definition), and MOREOVER, he is not the leader of Iran. His boss is Ali Hoseyni Khamenei, the Supreme Leader.
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Although I do not have any sympathy for Ahmadinejad, I agree with most of what Rorschach says. It often appears that the US puts itself above standards that it expects other countries to follow. If Guantanamo had been instituted in any other country, it would have been the object of righteous indignation from the US. A number of countries have nuclear weapons, the US most of all. Yet, some countries cannot have them, for any reason. The usual rationale is that some countries cannot be trusted, while others can. I never thought that this was a particulalry good argument, and now it is probably even less so.
This said, I am hopeful that Obama will be good for US foreign policy. In my view, it can hardly be worse than the last 8 years....
This said, I am hopeful that Obama will be good for US foreign policy. In my view, it can hardly be worse than the last 8 years....
The overwhelming reason for the problems in the Middle East is due Israel.
Basically Israel was cut out of Muslim owned lands in 1948 by the UN to create a "homeland" for the Jews (which was done with the best of intentions, as the jews really didn't want to be in Europe after what had happened).
However, Israel promptly rose to being the most powerful nation in the area thanks to help from the U.S. We gave them planes, we gave them ships, and we gave them nukes, and at this current juncture the only country Israel could not defeat in a war is the U.S. Unfortunately, Israel has been very warlike about keeping or even expanding "their" land, which needless to say is a concern to pretty much every country in the area.
Israel has pretty harsh policies towards the Palestinians (such as bulldozing the houses of suicide bombers, even if the remaining tenants were unaware of what their family member was doing), which really does not help relations any with their neighbors. Meanwhile, the U.S. hardly utters a peep about this while constantly harping on other middle eastern countries for human rights abuses.
In order for any kind of peace in the Middle East to happen, we basically have to negotiate a compromise which would allow Israel to continue to exist, ensure the welfare of the Palestinians (and provide mechanisms to prevent abuse by the Israelis), and respect the sovereignty of the other nations in the area.
Unfortunately, the Jewish Right doesn't want this (They believe Israel belongs to the Jews and only the Jews, and assassinated Yitzhak Rabin for negotiating a peace treaty), the Muslim Right (as we call them in the U.S., "terrorists") thinks that Israel shouldn't exist period, and, scariest of all, many elements of the Christian Right (in the U.S., the "Republican Party" j/k
) believe that the Jews must control Israel in order to allow The Rapture and Armageddon to happen.
So there you have it. The reason the Middle East is in such a crisis is solely because of the fundamentalists from the three religions of Abraham refuse to make a compromise. This is why I'm an atheist.
Hopefully Obama will be willing to put his foot down on all three elements. I have my doubts, but at this point I'm grateful for any pleasant suprises.
Basically Israel was cut out of Muslim owned lands in 1948 by the UN to create a "homeland" for the Jews (which was done with the best of intentions, as the jews really didn't want to be in Europe after what had happened).
However, Israel promptly rose to being the most powerful nation in the area thanks to help from the U.S. We gave them planes, we gave them ships, and we gave them nukes, and at this current juncture the only country Israel could not defeat in a war is the U.S. Unfortunately, Israel has been very warlike about keeping or even expanding "their" land, which needless to say is a concern to pretty much every country in the area.
Israel has pretty harsh policies towards the Palestinians (such as bulldozing the houses of suicide bombers, even if the remaining tenants were unaware of what their family member was doing), which really does not help relations any with their neighbors. Meanwhile, the U.S. hardly utters a peep about this while constantly harping on other middle eastern countries for human rights abuses.
In order for any kind of peace in the Middle East to happen, we basically have to negotiate a compromise which would allow Israel to continue to exist, ensure the welfare of the Palestinians (and provide mechanisms to prevent abuse by the Israelis), and respect the sovereignty of the other nations in the area.
Unfortunately, the Jewish Right doesn't want this (They believe Israel belongs to the Jews and only the Jews, and assassinated Yitzhak Rabin for negotiating a peace treaty), the Muslim Right (as we call them in the U.S., "terrorists") thinks that Israel shouldn't exist period, and, scariest of all, many elements of the Christian Right (in the U.S., the "Republican Party" j/k
) believe that the Jews must control Israel in order to allow The Rapture and Armageddon to happen.So there you have it. The reason the Middle East is in such a crisis is solely because of the fundamentalists from the three religions of Abraham refuse to make a compromise. This is why I'm an atheist.
Hopefully Obama will be willing to put his foot down on all three elements. I have my doubts, but at this point I'm grateful for any pleasant suprises.
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In the tomb of the holy Sepelchur there's a ladder sitting on an awning above a doorway. It's been there since the 1800s because none of the religious orders that maintain the shrine can agree who has the authority to remove it.
Religious conflicts are crazy.
Religious conflicts are crazy.
Just a small point - Russia's plans to move missiles close to Poland's border has nothing to do with future foreign policy and everything to do with current US and NATO policy.
Sorry. Only works in a Scottish accent. I suppose the English translation would be
All men, no women.
All men, no women.
It's just something my dad always said when a prayer on telly finished. Blame him.
More knitting would be good for this country! Up the jumpers!
More knitting would be good for this country! Up the jumpers!
This is from the US side of the house. Well it appears the majority of people replying are liberals. Bush was as far from being conservative as he could get. He should have run for the democratic ticket back in 2004 because he sure has not upheld a republican values. The US government has become bloated and spread like a disease. Government is not the answer to our problems. Unfortunately the Democratic Party believes the government is the answer to all of our problems. Now that the elections are over the trend will be to move this country to a more socialized position where government wants more control of our lives. Where there is control there are more taxes and funds going to the government to support all the programs and pet projects. 700 billion bailout - WTF. You want a bail out. Give each American citizen a check for $100.000 and let us decide who or what we support. It is our money anyway. Most politicians take our money freely but are very reluctant to give it back. The Constitution is the foundation of our government and should stay within the boundaries the Constitution has set. When you have liberal federal judges legislating from the bench, a break down in the will of the people is trampled on until the issues reach the US Supreme Court. Even with in the US Supreme Court some judges legislate from the bench wrong. All they are to do is apply the law according to the way it was written. Example immigration there are courts that turn a blind eye. Once an individual enters the US with out going through the proper channels they have broken federal law (try getting in the UK without going through the right channel and you will be tossed out on your bum). You cannot allow someone who has broken the law to receive amnesty or become a citizen. When you have cities acting as sanctuary cities they are ignoring federal law. Federal funding should be cut off until the city complies with federal criminal statues. Obama will not do anything to further or secure our sovereignty but will most likely move to an open boarder country. Federal, state and local taxes will have to be raised on all law abiding people to support the massive increase in demand on our health care system, educational system, transportation system, law enforcement, fire departments, public utilities, and court systems to name a few. So let's spread the wealth, raise taxes, and start speaking Spanish. The uneducated individuals who got caught up in the emotional side, voted for someone they did not understand. God help us.
PS for those of your who are impressed with the Irans Ahmadinejad, wake up and realize he is supporting terrorism and funding the insugency that is killing our men and women. Where do you think the first thermonuclear device will be detonated once Ahmadinejad has one? If one is detonated in the US or the UK life as you know it is over. It is wiser to fix the problem now than to clean up the destruction afterwards. After a thermonuclear detonation there is no clean up option now that we all understand how radiation affects all of us. Remember Chernobyl it is a ghost town and nothing exploded. How do you want your kids and loved ones to exist and live?
PS for those of your who are impressed with the Irans Ahmadinejad, wake up and realize he is supporting terrorism and funding the insugency that is killing our men and women. Where do you think the first thermonuclear device will be detonated once Ahmadinejad has one? If one is detonated in the US or the UK life as you know it is over. It is wiser to fix the problem now than to clean up the destruction afterwards. After a thermonuclear detonation there is no clean up option now that we all understand how radiation affects all of us. Remember Chernobyl it is a ghost town and nothing exploded. How do you want your kids and loved ones to exist and live?
This is from the US side of the house. Well it appears the majority of people replying are liberals. Bush was as far from being conservative as he could get. He should have run for the democratic ticket back in 2004 because he sure has not upheld a republican values. The US government has become bloated and spread like a disease. Government is not the answer to our problems. Unfortunately the Democratic Party believes the government is the answer to all of our problems. Now that the elections are over the trend will be to move this country to a more socialized position where government wants more control of our lives. Where there is control there are more taxes and funds going to the government to support all the programs and pet projects. 700 billion bailout - WTF. You want a bail out. Give each American citizen a check for $100.000 and let us decide who or what we support. It is our money anyway. Most politicians take our money freely but are very reluctant to give it back. The Constitution is the foundation of our government and should stay within the boundaries the Constitution has set. When you have liberal federal judges legislating from the bench, a break down in the will of the people is trampled on until the issues reach the US Supreme Court. Even with in the US Supreme Court some judges legislate from the bench wrong. All they are to do is apply the law according to the way it was written. Example immigration there are courts that turn a blind eye. Once an individual enters the US with out going through the proper channels they have broken federal law (try getting in the UK without going through the right channel and you will be tossed out on your bum). You cannot allow someone who has broken the law to receive amnesty or become a citizen. When you have cities acting as sanctuary cities they are ignoring federal law. Federal funding should be cut off until the city complies with federal criminal statues. Obama will not do anything to further or secure our sovereignty but will most likely move to an open boarder country. Federal, state and local taxes will have to be raised on all law abiding people to support the massive increase in demand on our health care system, educational system, transportation system, law enforcement, fire departments, public utilities, and court systems to name a few. So let's spread the wealth, raise taxes, and start speaking Spanish. The uneducated individuals who got caught up in the emotional side, voted for someone they did not understand. God help us.
PS for those of your who are impressed with the Irans Ahmadinejad, wake up and realize he is supporting terrorism and funding the insugency that is killing our men and women. Where do you think the first thermonuclear device will be detonated once Ahmadinejad has one? If one is detonated in the US or the UK life as you know it is over. It is wiser to fix the problem now than to clean up the destruction afterwards. After a thermonuclear detonation there is no clean up option now that we all understand how radiation affects all of us. Remember Chernobyl it is a ghost town and nothing exploded. How do you want your kids and loved ones to exist and live?
PS for those of your who are impressed with the Irans Ahmadinejad, wake up and realize he is supporting terrorism and funding the insugency that is killing our men and women. Where do you think the first thermonuclear device will be detonated once Ahmadinejad has one? If one is detonated in the US or the UK life as you know it is over. It is wiser to fix the problem now than to clean up the destruction afterwards. After a thermonuclear detonation there is no clean up option now that we all understand how radiation affects all of us. Remember Chernobyl it is a ghost town and nothing exploded. How do you want your kids and loved ones to exist and live?
From an English point of view I am certain that Mr Obama will do extremely well in foreign affairs - but I feel that this may benefit the whole world rather than America specifically. I speak as an English Conservative voter (a bit like a Republican rather than a Democrat).Clear evidence of a tough, intelligent mind was demonstrated throughout his campaign. That's enough for me.
The last thread on the election saw Republican support from my friend Nazareth, whom I respect, but who hasn't returned to post here since then. These political differences can turn very ugly. I fear he withdrew -- and we've lost a valuable poster.
Since the election is over, I suggest we park our partisan philosophies and differences. You don't care what I think and I don't care what you do either. Only our future is of interest now.
Since the election is over, I suggest we park our partisan philosophies and differences. You don't care what I think and I don't care what you do either. Only our future is of interest now.
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