Thursday, April 9, 2009
Obama Portrays Another Side of U.S.
Obama's tremendous popularity in other countries is unsurprising; his visit abroad featured a noticeable change in tone from prior presidents. By acknowledging the United States' failures as well as its successes, and refusing to back down on bringing up issues like the Armenian genocide, I think Obama brought a pragmatism and honesty to foreign policy that is a welcome breath of fresh air from traditional diplomatic grandstanding. I also really appreciate the way he has continued to engage the youth of other nations; it shows Obama's desire to lay the groundwork for a continuing positive image of the United States. Regardless of his limited success on policy details with this trip, Obama scored a victory towards the broader goal of remaking America's image.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I thought he refused to use the word genocide.
"Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a systematic campaign of extermination during the First World War, and during his campaign for the presidency Mr Obama declared that "America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide".
Today, during a joint press conference in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, President Obama said that his views had not changed but he took extreme care not to use the word "genocide" so as not to inflame his hosts, who have always denied the claims."
*From the Times Online
The Turks need to stop being a bunch of cowards on this issue and own up to their past. They aren't fooling anyone except themselves.
Post a Comment