Comments for Obama says reaching out to enemies strengthens US »
Posted By y_soitenly 8 months ago in Political NewsBarack Obama\'s mission to Latin America was about goodwill, and he came home claiming progress, backed by leaders from the region who took a liking to his here-to-listen style. But the real test awaits.
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y_soitenly8 months ago
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FTA~
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So Obama embraced Cuba's overture to put every issue on the table, but he wants the Castro government to free political prisoners. He had attention-snaring handshakes and smiles with Hugo Chavez, but he wants the Venezuelan leader to stop being an authoritarian figure. Obama pledged the U.S. and Mexico are united on the drug war, but violence keeps on raging.
For now, Obama has what he wanted. A start.
"What we showed here is that we can make progress when we're willing to break free from some of the stale debates and old ideologies that have dominated and distorted the debate in this hemisphere for far too long," he said Sunday at the end of the Summit of the Americas.
The White House hopes it will all pay off — Obama's personal diplomacy, his promises to lead without lecturing, his willingness to hear leftist leaders gripe about the past.-
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UnusualSuspect8 months ago
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"Everywhere in Latin America, enemies of America are going to use the picture of Chavez smiling and being with the president as proof that Chavez is now legitimate that he is acceptable," Gingrich said in an interview on NBC's The Today Show.
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"What I find distressing is that this administration is opposed to looking for oil offshore, but the president bows to the Saudi king, and the president is friends with Venezuela whose biggest impact on us is that they send us a lot of oil," Gingrich added. - Newt Gingrich
Sigh...Republicans and conservatives...they want to keep the status quo, and keep the hardline that was the downfall of the Bush Administration. To get anywhere in this world they have to understand that talking with others, shaking hands with others, is not a sign of weakness. It's not a sign that the US in in bed with Cuba or Venezuela, but a sign that we want to move forward in discussions with them, to see if things can be worked out among nations. Nothing wrong with being polite. Certainly better than snubbing people like we've done for years, acting superior and arrogant.
Gingrich et al are the old guard...watch out for them...the US is starting to gain the confidence and the trust of the world again....and people like Gingrich...all they want to do is tear it down...-
prophyporcritesComment removed: Spammer, Hard Banned1 Reply
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buckncindykill8 months ago
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Incredible suspect!
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Ortega trashes our country and what does Obama do? Rather than stand up for his country, Obama simply thanked Ortega for not blaming him personally for things that happened when Obama was young.
So what can we conclude from Obama's visit? This was nothing more than a political photo-op for Latin American leaders, and a chance for them to roast America for their perceived history of neglect and abuse. I say photo-op because Barack Obama is extremely popular with the Latin American people. That's why these Latin American leaders made a point to deride America, but not Obama .. they know that having Obama on their side will only boost their own popularity.
He is a pawn, folks. He is being used to boost personal popularity. Meanwhile, Obama's "listen and learn" approach gives them the luxury to hate on America in a way that makes them look stronger and America weaker.-
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sinophil498 months ago
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buck - Wait a minute. The USA was a big meddler in Nicaragua and helped install the Somoza family. They were completely corrupt and ruined the Nicaraguan economy while accumulating great wealth for themselves.
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USA companies exploited much of Nicaragua's resources - lumber, rubber, mining, etc - then promptly abandoned Nicaragua when these were destroyed or depleted.
And you talk of Ortega trashing our country? You are the epitome of the ugly American. Brash, abrasive, arrogant, totally oblivious of other nation's interests and totally absorbed in your own.
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Charlson8 months ago
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I approve of Obama's approach. Let's start out on friendly terms before the fur flies. Instead of the usual "do it my way approach", including them in the process and eliciting their advice about policies effecting them is a sensible diplomatic initiative. We could brow beat them and threaten military force if they didn't comply but that would just generate a hard line resistance and the policies would end up not being very effective.
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Dionys8 months ago
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"trashed the US must have been reminded of his former pastor, who did the same thing in front of Obama for 10 years."
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Saying that there are aspects of American society that could use some fine tuning, or pointing out the failings in certain parts of American society isn't trashing the US. It's one of the more honest and patriotic things a citizen can do to bring about positive change for everyone, not just the wealthy, dominant old man's club.-
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stephen-johnson8 months ago
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"Saying that there are aspects of American society that could use some fine tuning, or pointing out the failings in certain parts of American society isn't trashing the US. It's one of the more honest and patriotic things a citizen can do"
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Ortega and Chavez - the people who criticized the US - aren't US citizens. Obama is. His remaining quiet while Ortega and Chavez railed on in their anti-US diatribes wasn't either honest or patriotic - it was politically expedient.. Just like it was expedient for Obama to sit in Rev. Wright's church for all those years.
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antibrainwasher8 months ago
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George Bush: ignore and insult and call evil and get bombed by your enemies, and then say bring it on, with chears and barking from Sara Palin ignorant inbred con redneck morons.
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Obama: keep your friends close and your enemies close too.
This is smart policy, but the con morons scream for another zionist crusade based on ignorance, greed, fear, loathing and religious tribalism, just like the teliban. -
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bushiesRbonkers8 months ago
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Bush's Venezuela policy was driven, as were most things Bush, by oil companies and oil profits. Chavez nationalized Venezuelan oil; ergo, Chavez bad. Of course, as always, that was God's will, or He would not have put that conclusion into Bush's mind.
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simonsez8 months ago
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Nationalizing oil was a bad decision and likely to be what will bring him down. His oil is the bad kind, hard to both capture and process. With the drop in price, he no longer has the funds to develop his assets, so production has fallen significantly. He has no refinery in country that can handle his heavy crude.
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On top of all this, he is selling the gas for around $.25 a gallon in a country so poor that only the wealthier own cars, so it becomes a perk for the upper class. -
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beavith18 months ago
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without invoking Godwin, i can't help but equate Obama's making 'friends' with Chamberlain going to Berlin and getting 'peace in our time.'
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i'd love to see us get along with everyone, too, but i'm not so pollyannish that i can believe this is the way to do it.-
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sinophil498 months ago
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beavith -
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"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" - Abraham Lincoln
Boy, what a wimpy wuss that Lincoln was! He is just as bad as Chamberlain. He must have been the stupidest, weakest president in the history of the USA.
Sheesh! Making friends with one's enemies! ABSURD!!
What will they think of next? Saving the environment??? HAH!!!
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IslamstudentComment removed: Retracted by user1 Reply
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