I hope we all understand this isn't about Obama - but about the "spreading democracy and freedom"

[BelgianMadCow]

narrative that is being used. That reasoning has been used and abused to justify American foreign policy.
It doesn't hold up to scrutiny. When those ideals fit US corporate government agenda, they are held up high. Otherwise, not so much.

Obama uses the american exceptionalism narrative. You've lost that standing - not that any such standing should exist for any country. We here in Europe have been colonizers as well. I'm sorry, but belgian MSM published a list of unkept promises and existing abuses right under the title "Great speech". This wouldn't have happened a year ago. The US involvement in Ukraine and the right-wing elements in the new regime have featured prominently.

Which members of the press were allowed into the press conference after the EU-US mini-summit was decided by the US and its security services. Sorry, that's not the behaviour of a visitor. It made live commenters go huh. The 2000 visitors in the Bozar for the speech were at the invitation of the US embassy.

Standing up for the democratic rights of Maidan protesters, which is good, whilst not extending that courtesy to Occupy Wall Street but cracking down on it with the combined force of the same corporate state makes claiming democratic ideals sound hollow. Banks, private security, universities, government, DHS and FBI worked together for that. Sorry, that's transparent.

Standing up for international law whilst allowing extrajudicial killings on foreign territory and constantly digitally raping everyone is laughable.

But these things haven't started under Obama. He just hasn't stopped them, and indeed in some cases stepped it up or codified it. He has done that as president. I don't know what you all think, but I strongly doubt presidents of the US are free to do what they want.

If the discussions focus on the celebrity Obama, we're not discussing the powers further up.

I have to make a drawing with layers of puppets - people - media - politics - corporations - banks for my lecture next week. I think I'll go for a simple hand-drawing.

[malthaussen]

1. I think your hope may be vain.

Clearly for most people, even alas many here on DU, the celebrity is the most important thing. Otherwise we wouldn't waste so much time talking about the 2016 Presidential election and would be all working to create strategies to win the midterms.

It's interesting to hear a European take on the speech, although obviously you speak only for yourself. I've been wondering how much of the speech was intended for domestic consumption, and how much consideration was given to how it would play in Europe.

-- Mal

[BelgianMadCow]

2. I spoke about it to about five people

from a socialist to a rightwinger, and they did agree with my reading. The supposedly unsmart rightwinger started about Iraq as soon as I mentioned the visit. That, and how someone needing a thousand security agents and snipers in the fields must not be so peaceful.

[alarimer]

3. Regarding the exceptionalism thing, I think Presidents are required to say they believe it.

Whether they truly do or not. All politicians, probably.

Because, for some reason, believing anything else (or at least espousing anything else) makes you a traitor. Or something.

It makes no sense to me, because there's a lot of evidence it simply isn't true.

But, just like you can't get elected dog-catcher if you don't believe in God (or at least lie and say you do), you can't get elected to any office without believing or pretending to believe in American exceptionalism. THAT is the third rail of American politics.

Politics is about getting elected. I'm such a cynic that I think everybody lies to get elected. Then, once in office, they find out that the real powers-that-be (the military, corporations, mainstream media) will not let them do what they promised to do. In fact, they have to do the opposite. It's like someone sits the new President down and says "Here's how it works: We let you say whatever you want on the campaign trail, but you don't really work for the voters. You work for us. And if you want that cushy job after you are out of office, you'd better do what we tell you. Or there will be no money for your reelection campaign." Etc. Etc.

[WillyT]

10. Great Points All !!!

[dotymed]

11. Amazingly,

it was proven under "bush the lesser" that social security was the "third rail" in politics.
Remember his privatization scheme to give SS to wall st,?

That is a quick descent down the rabbit hole.
We allow a democrat to offer a "chained CPI" yet when an ignorant r tries to upset the apple cart, WE immediately
stop him.
IMO, a Bernie Sanders would tell the controlling PTB to fuck off.
Yet TPTB have definitely noticed that a person who claims "D" status is allowed to screw us easier than an "r."

[malaise]

4. Excellent post

Rec

[WillyT]

8. Agreed !!! - K & R !!!

[bvar22]

5. DURec..

....for NOT losing sight of the important things.

[BelgianMadCow]

6. The reactions to an Op-Ed are rather clear.

here's what google translate made of it:

A M

presidents and ministers are just " puppets" of the system .... who thinks that these people have some influence is simply stupid.
03/27/14 12u25

alias Thought

History will show that it is about the same every time , money and power . Nothing democracy or other values ​​. Purely mercantile decisions. You read that as by Obama 's speech on. If it brings in money then we work with the worst regimes and we bomb and kill us off. Nothing no rights.
27.03.14 11:50

Jos W.

" Words , words, words " From a powerless president , ever promising. But crippled and degraded by the shortcomings of the American system , used by the Republicans . As before the Democrats ever did. Even the lens Obamacare limited to private micro health insurance , even appreciated by the audience. Touching the fact remains that the charisma of this liberal president is hijacked by a bevy of politicians a whole different can . Hypocrisy ?
03/27/14 11u02

Koen Vandewalle

There is a big difference between painful "the constable cent of the governed " and the system that we are undergoing . What would the people in consensus decision they could know everything and understand what is happening to the world and themselves ? That is quite different from the one or the other bead colors every four years . That is the cause of so much anger , inequality and misery . The consensus system has just been hijacked .
03/27/14 10u11

french saunier

What we have to remember this visit : our leaders , led by the U.S. , speak in unison about the importance of freedom, democracy and respect for international law . Obama will find the annexation vd Crimea eg worse than the U.S. invasion of Iraq that does not have to annex ! ! Iraq aims After hundreds of thousands of deaths every week , there are still many deaths in Iraq . The situation there still seems a little worse than those in the Crimea ? Israel vs Palestine , Afghanistan and others ...
03/27/14 10:00 am

Robby Mast

In his speech yesterday, Obama waved the "Western values ​​" indidivuele of freedom and democracy , with an admonishing finger at Putin and the Crimea . . Tomorrow he will visit Saudi Arabia . Will he have the courage to talk about individual freedom , democracy and the rights of women ? There too To ask the question is to answer it . . In short , American politics is power politics . The freedom slogans are just dug as it suits.
03/27/14 09u36

progressive not crazy

What can be , especially suppressed the truth . How well a person can also give a speech , which is to proclaim in Ukraine for freedom and democracy and to fight against bad substitute Putin , but ( as a country ) the Iraq war on his conscience , and Ukraine had a large hand in the coup , is a salesman . And a hypocrite . Defender of international law with drones and unlimited spying for economic and political purposes ? Trade between equals ?
03/27/14 08u09


Bob Fisher

Let's face it , Obama is really no more or less than what Verhofstadt was in its heyday , promise little supply . Although the latter was even more with his personal career and ambition than working with the real concerns of his constituents and the rest of the population! That essential difference you should Obama have to hand , he means well but again with hands and feet tied to the American system

[bvar22]

7. Thanks.

The content was easy to decipher,
and heartfelt remarks passed through the translator uninhibited.

This is a WORLD issue,
and BILLIONS will be making their decisions about what President Obama said yesterday.
This is NOT an issue that will be decided by the partisans at DU
vainly trying to parse the meaning of the word "is".

[blkmusclmachine]

9. The sock puppets want you to believe any criticism of the Administration is a personal attack on BHO

[fleabiscuit]

12. Thank you for the heads up BelgianMadCow.

Very interesting insight you gave.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Ukraine is going to be invaded again. They (and Russia) have something of interest to us, and by extension those who play along.

“IMF to help Ukraine with up to $18 billion bailout”
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140327/DACQ9MBG2.html

It doesn’t matter much if we have a Dem or Rep President when corporate has an interest in a country.