Obama’s Tour de Europe is over. It’s amazing how popular he is here. This of course because of his personality and eloquence, but also because Europeans are more liberal and the fact that George W Bush was a semi-literate bully.
But at some point he’ll have to start delivering something in terms of real politics. And what he said during his stay in Europe was not as inspiring as I suspect his fans had hoped for. A request for more troops to Afghanistan won’t win him any popularity points. Why get into a war that is practically impossible to win? Several Europeans countries are instead gradually legalizing heroin and thus putting the Talibans out of business. In comparison Obama’s conventional warfare seems obsolete and inefficient. No change or hope there.
He also advocated that Turkey should be allowed into the EU. It will “strengthen” Europe according to the president. Doesn’t he know that half of Turkey already migrated to the EU, or that people from Muslim countries are about as overrepresentated in violent crime as African Americans are in the US? (And it’s not like we took them here as slaves – they asked to come.) Or that close to 40 percent of young Muslims in Britain want sharia laws? Methink we should trade Muslims for Mexicans so that America can be “strengthened” instead. Deal? No, didn’t think so.
If George W was still in office and delivered this crap everyone would boo. But clearly people are still so mesmerized by Obama’s charisma that he can say pretty much anything and get applause for it. He’s so elegant and sophisticated that his poor wife looks clumsy and awkward next to him – what’s a First Lady to do? Eventually though, reality will crack the facade and show Obama for what he really is – just another politician.
Filed under: Politics, Religion, Terrorism | 4 Comments
Tags: Afghanistan, EU, Obama, Turkey
Obama has just been in office for a few months. Give him sometime. His true colors will be revealed; people can make their own judgment then.
Well, his advice for us is not impressing anyone here. Hopefully he’ll learn from his mistakes.
Still he’s in a tough spot. Even if he does a good job he may not get the credit for it. Who can tell what a good result would be under these circumstances?
Actually, who can tell what a bad result would be under the already terrible circumstances? Obama is actually lucky to be in this situation; he can just blame Bush and the bank executives.
He’ll probably try that, but I don’t think it will work. Usually in bad times, whoever is in charge gets the blame. Most people live in the here and now. Just look at how impopular Gorbatchov became when he tried to reform the old USSR. They want it now, not tomorrow.