(03-30-2015 06:26 AM)UConn-SMU Wrote: Even a broken clock is right twice a day ....
Joe asked this morning if the panel could name any country, other than the pillars of western democracy Iran and Cuba, where we have a better relationship now than when Obama took over. The liberal panel (including Chris Matthews) could not name one country. There was stunned silence.
Obama with his naive, leftist views has hurt us around the world.
So the Europeans are less happy because they now need to pay their fair share of their defense burden and can't undercut us publicly while they privately demand that we do their bidding. Net result...they're working with us. And spending their money on defense.
The Latin Americans are upset about a lot of things. Most of that results from their collapsing economies (Mexico excepted), which was not the proximate result of Obama.
Bibi is just mad that Obama isn't going to excuse his landgrab in the Middle East. And that we aren't going to war with Iran for his benefit.
The Arab states are mad that Obama is actually not some stupid punk who is so desperate to look manly that he won't go into wars willy nilly simply because they feed him some lies. Saudi Arabia is mad because Obama, rightly, is wondering why we are supporting them while they spread Wahabbism throughout the region. They're still smarting over Libya, where Obama told the Arab League "Not only am I not invading, I'm not even going to provide air cover unless you publicly ask the US to do so in a venue where your people can see it". They rightly saw Obama's 'request to Congress' to authorize action in Syria as Obama simply saying...'nah - not invading'.
Putin is mad, because Russia sucks as a country due to Putin's mismanagement.
Erdogan is mad because we didn't excuse their little entente cordiale with ISIS. And that we are providing support to the Kurds.
The Canadians are livid over Keystone. Nevermind that they won't build the damn pipeline in their own country and that we don't need their oil. Obama's action protects American oil producers. He might blame it on environmental concerns, but still.
---
So basically, people are less happy with Obama than others because we weren't some pliable actor that would do their work for them (and pay for it too). Obama is working in US strategic interests, not in others.
The idea is that it will create a stronger world if those whose interests naturally align with the US start investing in defense. The Europeans need to pay. They need to act instead of running to mama when they get in a jam. Japan can spend too.
---
Obama has made mistakes. All administrations do. He probably could have tried to work more with Latin America - but good luck working with Dilma (who only got reelected because the other candidate died). And he should have stuck to his 'absolutely no action' policy in Venezuela.
---
