Big Guy took his FORWARD! campaign to Southeast Asia this weekend.
At his presser in Thailand yesterday, BO explained how he’s planning to deport the American System to the Near East:
And so scientific exchanges, medical exchanges, working together on development issues -- all of that becomes very important. And because Thailand I think is more successful economically than some of its neighbors, it's now in a position to be a donor country.
Got that Thailand?
You didn’t build that on your own! Somebody else made that happen! Now it’s time to spread your wealth around.
Although the presser was in Bangkok, we had one of our cub reporters positioned to pose a question about the Israeli “situation” so Big Guy could get our official position on record so Bebe will stop bothering him :
Well, let me start with Gaza. Let’s understand what the precipitating event here was that’s causing the current crisis, and that was an ever-escalating number of missiles; they were landing not just in Israeli territory, but in areas that are populated. And there’s no country on Earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders. So we are fully supportive of Israel’s right to defend itself from missiles landing on people’s homes and workplaces and potentially killing civilians. And we will continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself.
Wow! Brave words! Butt let’s just leave it at that as you have the right to remain silent, and anything you do say can and will be used against you in the future.
Now, what is also true is, is that we are actively working with all the parties in the region to see if we can end those missiles being fired without further escalation of violence in the region.
Got that? We’re talking to all the bullies in the ‘hood because, well, apparently they stand with Hamas - the people actually responsible for “those missiles being fired” into Israel.
And my message to all of them was that Israel has every right to expect that it does not have missiles fired into its territory. If that can be accomplished without a ramping-up of military activity in Gaza, that’s preferable; that’s not just preferable for the people of Gaza, it’s also preferable for Israelis -- because if Israeli troops are in Gaza, they’re much more at risk of incurring fatalities or being wounded.
Boy, it’s hard to argue with logic like that! The Thais got to witness first hand exactly why people everywhere say Big Guy is the smartest man ever elected to the American Presidency. He went on to explain that the Arab Spring was not responsible for this latest skirmish:
In terms of the impact of the Arab Spring, let’s just remember that the exact same situation arose just a couple of years ago, before the Arab Spring. So I don’t think anybody would suggest somehow that it’s unique to democratization in the region that there’s a conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. That’s been going on for several decades now.
True, butt before the Arab Spring few stood with Hamas: just Palestine and NPR. Now it looks like they have coalesced many allies: Egypt, Turkey, Sudan, Qatar, Tunisia, Libya, probably Syria and Jordan. It would seem that the Muslim Brotherhood isn’t representing the “religion of peace” particularly well.
Welcome to the neighborhood, brother
Of course before the Arab Spring, Hamas was not nearly as well armed:
Just a few years ago, Palestinian rockets were limited to crude devices manufactured in Gaza. But in recent years, Israeli officials say, Hamas and other armed groups have smuggled in sophisticated, longer-range rockets from Iran and Libya, which has been flush with weapons since Moammar Gadhafi was ousted last year.
They’re back! Bigger and badder than ever!
And then it was on to the primary reason for the trip: a victory lap, if you will, in Burma: All hail, Caesar!
The gates, topped with barbed wire, swung open and a black presidential limousine pulled into the driveway. Out stepped President Obama, pressing his hands together and bowing ever so slightly — a gesture the Burmese democracy leader, dressed in a green scarf, peach blouse and black sarong, returned.
“I’ll have the Pad Thai, not too spicy.”
They shook hands, and then another figured rushed forth and hugged her in a long, emotional embrace. It was Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and outside gates, a crowd had gathered and could be heard chanting: “Obama! Freedom!”
Imagine the audacity to HOPE Burma nee Myanmar might one day be a bastion of democracy? And imagine the audacity of someone who says that Big Guy is taking credit for the ground work done by the Bush administration; treasonous! To imply that Bush had anything to do with it I mean.
President Obama will surely laud these reforms, enjoying a rare moment of foreign-policy success, when he visits Rangoon as part of a three-day Southeast Asia tour. Yet Burma's political calculations had little to do with Mr. Obama or with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The country's change instead was prompted by—steady yourself, Foggy Bottom—the administration of George W. Bush, who put in place a diplomatic framework that nudged Burma in the right direction when the generals were finally ready to embrace reform.
The Bush foreign policy placed a strong emphasis on human rights and instituted a multilateral effort to pressure the junta… the Bush team also maintained sanctions against the junta's leaders and steered humanitarian assistance to the Burmese people as best they could.
When the Obama crew took over the State Department, they "reviewed" these policies for months—and then discovered that the status quo was quite appealing.(snip)
The Bush sanctions were left intact too…(and) the Obama team "agreed to begin a dialogue—a senior level dialogue with the government—but also with opposition groups, ethnic minority groups, all of the people who have an important role to play in the country's future."
This was also just a continuation of policy that Mr. Obama inherited.
So maybe that’s why Big Guy didn’t spike the football during his visit to Burma.Oh wait; I guess he did. It looks like we just got the speech writers from State together with the campaign team and wrote a speech that managed to pander flatter every minority faction in the country, while taking credit for every positive thing that has happened in the past 4 years:
When I took office as President, I sent a message to those governments who ruled by fear. I said, in my inauguration address, “We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” And over the last year and a half, a dramatic transition has begun, as a dictatorship of five decades has loosened its grip.(snip) Hundreds of prisoners of conscience have been released, and forced labor has been banned. Preliminary cease-fires have been reached with ethnic armies, and new laws allow for a more open economy.
So today, I’ve come to keep my promise and extend the hand of friendship. America now has an Ambassador in Rangoon, sanctions have been eased, and we will help rebuild an economy that can offer opportunity for its people, and serve as an engine of growth for the world.(snip)
When your talents are unleashed, then opportunity will be created for all people.
Funny, I wonder why he doesn’t think that sort of thing would work so well around here?
Oh, here’s why; they won’t get to keep their ill-gained profits either:
And now, as more wealth flows into your borders, we hope and expect that it will lift up more people. It can’t just help folks at the top. It has to help everybody. And that kind of economic growth, where everybody has opportunity — if you work hard, you can succeed — that’s what gets a nation moving rapidly when it comes to develop.
It only works when everybody has a fair shot. Everyone get’s a fair deal. (And the 2% pays their fair share, which is currently around 60% of total income taxes I think.
Anyway, next, Big Guy schooled them on how democracy works:
Now, America may have the strongest military in the world, but it must submit to civilian control. I, as the President of the United States, make determinations that the military then carries out, not the other way around. As President and Commander-In-Chief, I have that responsibility…
We’ve tasted the bitterness of civil war and segregation, but our history shows us that hatred in the human heart can recede; that the lines between races and tribes fade away. And what’s left is a simple truth: e pluribus unum — that’s what we say in America. Out of many, we are one nation and we are one people. And that truth has, time and again, made our union stronger.
Wow! Really!? You could have fooled me!
It has made our country stronger. It’s part of what has made America great.
And how sometimes it doesn’t:
We amended our Constitution to extend the democratic principles that we hold dear. And I stand before you today as President of the most powerful nation on Earth, but recognizing that once the color of my skin would have denied me the right to vote. And so that should give you some sense that if our country can transcend its differences, then yours can, too.
Did you see how he did that? Made it about him? That’s political genius right there, folks.
Odd though, some people don’t seem to recognize a political rock star when they see one.
Have they been living under a rock or something for the past 4 years?
Linked By: Larwyn’s Linx on Doug Ross@Journal, and, BlogsLucianneLoves, and NOBO2012 on Free Republic, Thanks!
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