The World Hopes for Its First President
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@artwhore said:
...In short, My HOPE for Obama is that he doesnt blow it.
My biggest hope as well!
The focus of my question was the meat of the article, rather than the Obama popularity lead-in paragraphs. Seeing that amazing Berlin speech crowd started to coalesce all the tidbits of disgust I’d heard about our nation’s actions over the past eight years into the question of where the US stands in the world community…and where it ought to stand.
We have the largest economy in the free world, I think(?), and the largest military. We have the largest military presence outside our borders, the largest corporate presence, and the biggest political influence construct as well. Scary amount of power, and responsibility, if focused together without regard for the complete/world-view long-term consequences. (The recent bank and market collapses drove these fears home.)
I grew up thinking my nation’s world-wide interaction was mostly selfless acts of hope and protection…I was a child of the 50’s after all. I matured understanding there was a balancing act with rather piggish self-interest always in play…gotta love the awakening of the 70’s. I grew old watching it all tip way out of balance...there will be much written about the Bush years.
I’m now thinking it’s time for the US to find a new place for itself in this new world. I’m thinking it would be better for all concerned if we were just one of the gang, an equal partner…it would certainly be less responsibility and worry for us? I'm wondering what you out there in the rest of the world think?
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@tomsdesk said:
Rather controversial title of a Newsweek article...addressing some of the ideas that have been sloshing around in my head since the Berlin speech: http://www.newsweek.com/id/166910
Love to know from the world out there, as represented here, if this is at all accurate and/or represents similar ideas you have, thanks?
Tom,
Just my thoughts: wondering how I would convert my thoughts into words on paper/internet my eye fell on one of the posted comments.
It just about sums it up for me.Comment: Of course "the world has never watched any vote, in any nation, so
closely"! Do you actually realize the incredible incompetence with which the US
have managed problems (which the US often created on their own!) in the past 8
years? Geez, please open your eyes and stop this unfounded narcissistic crap!I have never come to understand how you (not personal) could have elected a president so dumb and arrogant, not only once but twice in a row!!! Also a liar in many occasions, surrounded by some notorious liars. It wouldn’t even be that bad if not so many lifes were/are at stake. And that “only” for power and money.
Personally I hope the next US president will be Obama. Not that he will be our/my president. But it could be the change many people all over the world are looking for and hopefully it will bring the US back to what it is. Just a big country (not that many people) as part of a world that belongs to all of us.
Mind you, the US is a nice country with a lot of bright and friendly people. But what a mess you make out of politics and on where you should stand in the entire worldscene. And this country wants to ‘export’ democracy? What a laugh!
And let’s hope this time they’re able to count all votes right, without cheating!Wo3Dan
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@unknownuser said:
The rest of the world, for its part, will see something different. America, already said to be on the decline, will look all the smaller for having failed to redeem itself with the election of a young black man with African and South Asian roots and a Middle Eastern middle name. And it will look smaller still for having had the opportunity to do so, yet failing to see the opportunity, let alone capitalize on it and breaking a line that goes back more than 200 years in the United States. To the rest of the world, in electing another Republican America will have appeared not only to extend the agonies of the Bush years, but to have missed a historical chance for which it's hard to find a precedent or parallel in any country: the ultimate triumph of a long-oppressed minority.
Man, what racially-motivated stupidity to say we should elect Obama because he's a minority. If someone said we should elect McCain because he's white, it would be equally stupid. Equally stupid is saying that electing Obama would "redeem" the USA.
Should we elect a black man as president? Sure, no problem - as long as he's the right one. Obama just isn't the right one.
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@wo3dan said:
@tomsdesk said:
Rather controversial title of a Newsweek article...addressing some of the ideas that have been sloshing around in my head since the Berlin speech: http://www.newsweek.com/id/166910
Love to know from the world out there, as represented here, if this is at all accurate and/or represents similar ideas you have, thanks?
Tom,
Just my thoughts: wondering how I would convert my thoughts into words on paper/internet my eye fell on one of the posted comments.
It just about sums it up for me.Comment: Of course "the world has never watched any vote, in any nation, so
closely"! Do you actually realize the incredible incompetence with which the US
have managed problems (which the US often created on their own!) in the past 8
years? Geez, please open your eyes and stop this unfounded narcissistic crap!I have never come to understand how you (not personal) could have elected a president so dumb and arrogant, not only once but twice in a row!!! Also a liar in many occasions, surrounded by some notorious liars. It wouldn’t even be that bad if not so many lifes were/are at stake. And that “only” for power and money.
Personally I hope the next US president will be Obama. Not that he will be our/my president. But it could be the change many people all over the world are looking for and hopefully it will bring the US back to what it is. Just a big country (not that many people) as part of a world that belongs to all of us.
Mind you, the US is a nice country with a lot of bright and friendly people. But what a mess you make out of politics and on where you should stand in the entire worldscene. And this country wants to ‘export’ democracy? What a laugh!
And let’s hope this time they’re able to count all votes right, without cheating!Wo3Dan
LOL see what I mean. This is how the world views the US under the Bush administration, thought it was pretty obvious. Its time for change.
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@rickw said:
@unknownuser said:
The rest of the world, for its part, will see something different. America, already said to be on the decline, will look all the smaller for having failed to redeem itself with the election of a young black man with African and South Asian roots and a Middle Eastern middle name. And it will look smaller still for having had the opportunity to do so, yet failing to see the opportunity, let alone capitalize on it and breaking a line that goes back more than 200 years in the United States. To the rest of the world, in electing another Republican America will have appeared not only to extend the agonies of the Bush years, but to have missed a historical chance for which it's hard to find a precedent or parallel in any country: the ultimate triumph of a long-oppressed minority.
Man, what racially-motivated stupidity to say we should elect Obama because he's a minority. If someone said we should elect McCain because he's white, it would be equally stupid. Equally stupid is saying that electing Obama would "redeem" the USA.
Should we elect a black man as president? Sure, no problem - as long as he's the right one. Obama just isn't the right one.
I don't think you understand Rick. Obama isn't just black, he is of mix-origin. In the world of embittered and renewed racial tension across the globe he is a symbol of an alternative. One of peaceful coexisting, post-racial world however unrealistic it might be. Race embodies a lot of meanings for which I am not ill placed to analyse. Safe to say just by being 'black' (which he is not! I hate it when people call him black when he is only half black!) he is already in a position to 'heal' alot of deep seated wounds, and isn't that worth something? If the history of the 'White man' and the 'Colored man' was 'symmetrical' I would be on your side. Fact is, it wasn't so it is completely hypocritical to pretend otherwise.
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Amen, brother.
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@chango70 said:
I hate it when people call him black when he is only half black!
Obama will be the States' first beige president.
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@chango70 said:
@rickw said:
@unknownuser said:
...America, already said to be on the decline, will look all the smaller for having failed to redeem itself with the election of a young black man with African and South Asian roots and a Middle Eastern middle name...
Man, what racially-motivated stupidity to say we should elect Obama because he's a minority. If someone said we should elect McCain because he's white, it would be equally stupid. Equally stupid is saying that electing Obama would "redeem" the USA.
Should we elect a black man as president? Sure, no problem - as long as he's the right one. Obama just isn't the right one.
I don't think you understand Rick. Obama isn't just black, he is of mix-origin...
You completely missed his point. The Newsweek article is saying we need to elect Obama specifically because he's black, not because of his policies. This is liberal guilt, pure and simple.
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Thanks Eric. I think these smilies are silly.
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is that not the point of a smilie?
he he
pav
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Yeah, Bruce...it's gonna be a long day into the night! Since I can't seem to shake the worry, I wish I could just get drunk and wake up tomorrow with the news...but I can't 8-(
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Tom.
Have no fear, I predict no suprise in the results. In fact I predict about 340 to 180 for Obama in the electoral votes and 8 senate seat from Republicans to Democrats.
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Oh, it's not really fear...more anticipation mixed with the hard learned wisdom of age: things are often not as they seem :`) I did just see that Chuck Todd is thinking we'll know if an Obama win is assured by a little after 8PM EST...after that it's a toss-up nearly to the end. Relief may be sooner than I thought...your optimism continues to help too.
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@unknownuser said:
If he looses I would say democracy will have to be redefined for the average person who thinks his vote makes a difference.
On the contrary, the Electoral College empowers the average person in the less populous states. Without it, the candidates would only have to win over the voters in a few densely-populated locations, and would be free to completely ignore the issues faced by people in other areas.
The Electoral College is a combination of equal and proportional state representation - 435 House seats + 100 Senate seats + 3 DC seats = 538. It's a fitting system for a representative republic.
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Not very democratic is it?
One man one vote!!
Popular vote should determine the winner, and you know it.
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For me, if all the states let/required their delegates to vote with the people of their separate districts, rather than as a state together, the system would work more as intended...a better mix of popular vote and equal representation.
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