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Post by Benjamin Haines on Jun 4, 2009 21:44:43 GMT 2
President Obama spoke at Cairo University today in an effort to reach out to the Muslims the world over. Here's a complete transcript of his speech in PDF form courtesy of CNN: i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/06/04/obama.anewbeginning.pdfIt really is amazing to consider the difference in how Obama and Bush have approached the eastern world during their respective tenures as American presidents. Bush acted and presided with hostility, xenophobia and a penchant for conquest, while Obama is representing the United States with dignity and maturity, making our country look (dare I say it) civilized to the rest of the world. It's refreshing and reassuring, to say the least. |
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Post by trashcanman on Jun 4, 2009 23:20:59 GMT 2
Yes, but unfortunately he's not exactly ingratiating himself to the disloyal opposition back home. Good for him, but he needs to focus his attention on uniting out country at the moment. All he's done so far is increase our debt. He needs to speak at length of his intentions abroad to the the American people because right now they feel he cares more about "the enemy" then us. But I do applaud his civil diplomacy. Standoffishness is a very unbecoming trait in a world leader.
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Post by Benjamin Haines on Jun 5, 2009 0:15:45 GMT 2
I'm still withholding judgment on how this whole matter with the economy is going to play out. In any other situation, I'd have thought that the stimulus package would have been a ridiculous idea for any president to back. But considering just how terribly our economy has declined since Clinton left office and how perpetually in the gutter things seem to be, maybe something as crazy as the stimulus deal is what it's going to take to get things back on track in the long run.
Penn Jilette recently compared Obama's action with the economy to driving into a skid when you lose control of your car. When a moving vehicle starts hydroplaning or sliding on ice, the natural reflex for the driver is to hit the brakes, but of course that's the worst thing you could possibly do. If you hit the gas and maintain your steering, essentially driving into the skid, you'll instantly regain control of your car. Whether Obama is letting the economy slip out of his grasp or driving into this skid, we'll just have to see.
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Post by trashcanman on Jun 5, 2009 6:49:04 GMT 2
But resuscitating failed businesses whose own greed ran themselves into the ground so that the CEO's can continue giving themselves 7-figure bonuses and flying around in private jets is some George W Bush bullshit. Obama promised change and has given us business as usual and put allegiance to billionaires over the needs of the people under the guise of an economic stimulus the effects of which cannot be measured in any reliable way. Immigration and health care and getting us the fuck out of Iraq should be priorities. The economy is capricious by nature; it's a force of it's own and it's never been proven that any policy short of deregulation helps it along. And we know he's not going that route. The government is just stealing our ill-gotten tax money and giving it to the rich, no strings attached. The American way.
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