Obama Didn’t Impress Asia
By JOHN BOLTON, Wall Street Journal
The Obama bow didn't go over well in Asia either
Barack Obama’s first visit to Asia since his inauguration was one of the most disappointing trips by any U.S. president to the region in decades, especially given media-generated expectations that “Obamamania” would make it yet another triumphal progression. It was a journey of startlingly few concrete accomplishments, demonstrable proof that neither personal popularity nor media deference really means much in the hard world of international affairs.
The contrast between Asia’s reception for Obama and Europe’s is significant. Although considered a global phenomenon, Obamamania’s real center is Europe. There, Mr. Obama reigns as a “post-American” president, a multilateralist carbon copy of a European social democrat. Asians operate under no such illusions, notwithstanding the “Oba-Mao” T shirts briefly on sale in China. Whatever Mr. Obama’s allure in Europe, Asian leaders want to know what he means for peace and security in their region. On that score, opinion poll ratings mean little.
What the president lacked in popular adulation, however, he more than made up for in self-adulation. In Asia, he labeled himself “America’s first Pacific president,” ignoring over a century of contrary evidence. The Pacific has been important to America since the Empress of China became the first trading ship from the newly independent country to reach the Far East in 1784. Theodore Roosevelt created a new Pacific country (Panama) and started construction on the Panama Canal to ensure that America’s navy could move rapidly from its traditional Atlantic bases to meet Pacific challenges. William Howard Taft did not merely live on Pacific islands as a boy, like Obama, but actually governed several thousand of them as Governor-General of the Philippines in 1901-1903. Dwight Eisenhower served in Manila from 1935 to 1939, and five other presidents wore their country’s uniform in the Pacific theater during World War II—two of whom, John F. Kennedy and George H.W. Bush, very nearly perished in the effort.
Tags: Barack Obama, China, Japan, Pacific Regional Cooperation
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:22 am
[...] Obama as of 23. november 2009 ExposeObamacom: New blog post: Obama Didn’t Impress Asia http://www.exposeobama.com/2009/11/23/obama-didnt-impress-asia/ 2009-11-23 12:21:02 · Reply · View Shaylady09: "A message from Barack Obama [...]
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Yes Runner45 he should have kissed there feet and that lady that mentioned about mao was very brave but they stopped her real quick obama did bow way over didn:t he he is a disgrace to the human race he needs to bow out of Washington
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:58 pm
John Bolton is avery smart guy to me runner45 obama needs somew of what he has number one he is honest obama is not obama is a liar
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
LIAR is a good description of "OOO". Joe Wilson was right, and what he said will ring loud and clear for a long time.
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:13 pm
"Bow out of Washington", good quip saying.
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:26 pm
any politician that would allow their vote to be bought must be immediately removed from office. the will of the people cannot be for sale at any price. when are we the people going to wake up to the unaduterated corruption in dc and clean house? we the people will continue to get just what we deserve until we band together and remove this bunch from office. we must stop this insanity by whatever means required. if you are not willing to fight for what is right then you will live with corruption and destruction of the american way of life. let's get together and march on dc demanding that these people be removed from office, if they won't resign and leave then let's walk them out by force. wake up folks this is our country not theirs.
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:27 pm
BOW you fool, embarrass America and the World. How LOW can you go??
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Why should China be impressed. We owe them billions of dollars. We are their slaves. The borrower always is. Why didn't he kiss their feet? while he was at it?
November 24th, 2009 at 3:44 am
How much more does he has to screw up to finally show everyone – also his own followers – that he is the wrong leader for this country and flushing us all down the drain?
If I screw up in my job in private business, I get fired right away!
Should be the same for politicians!!!!!! Anyone agree?
November 24th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
I'm not one bit suprised that China doesn't care for Obama.. All those foreign countries probably beleive hes a weakling. Anyone who can't get what they want without buying it sounds and looks like a weakling. China now owns america and Obama weather he likes it or not. He's put himself in position that if they want him to grovel at their feet he will have to . These people also know he can't be trusted because of his dishonesty. They have him right where they want him. The reason they wanted him to be president is they knew they would be the ones who ended up winners , not him.