What Does The US Stand For?

[Annie]

Dissidents or dictators? Hard to tell nowadays. I'm not so much in favor of sending money or troops, but speaking out is something the administration can do:

Bari Weiss: Miss Me Yet? The Freedom Agenda After George W. Bush - WSJ.com

OPINIONAPRIL 24, 2010
Miss Me Yet? The Freedom Agenda After George W. Bush
Dissidents in the world's most oppressive countries aren't feeling the love from President Obama.
By BARI WEISS

Dallas

No one seems to know precisely who is behind the "Miss Me Yet?" billboard—the cheeky one featuring a grinning George W. Bush that looks out over I-35 near Wyoming, Minn. But Syrian dissident Ahed Al-Hendi sympathizes with the thought.

In 2006, Mr. Hendi was browsing pro-democracy Web sites in a Damascus Internet café when plainclothes cops carrying automatic guns swooped in, cuffed him, and threw him into the trunk of a car. He spent over a month in prison, some of it alone in a 5-by-3 windowless basement cell where he listened to his friend being tortured in the one next door. Those screams, he says, were cold comfort—at least he knew his friend hadn't been killed.

Mr. Hendi was one of the lucky ones: He's now living in Maryland as a political refugee where he works for an organization called Cyberdissidents.org. And this past Monday, he joined other international dissidents at a conference sponsored by the Bush Institute at Southern Methodist University to discuss the way digital tools can be used to resist repressive regimes.

He also got to meet the 43rd president. In a private breakfast hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Bush, Mr. Hendi's message to the former president was simple: "We miss you." There have been "a lot of changes" under the current administration, he added, and not for the better.

Adrian Hong, who was imprisoned in China in 2006 for his work helping North Koreans escape the country (a modern underground railroad), echoed that idea. "When I was released [after 10 days] I was told it was because of very strong messaging from the White House and the culture you set," he told Mr. Bush.

The former president, now sporting a deep tan, didn't mention President Obama once on or off the record. The most he would say was, "I'm really concerned about an isolationist mentality . . . I don't think it lives up to the values of our country." The dissidents weren't so diplomatic.

Mr. Hendi elaborated on the policy changes he thinks Mr. Obama has made toward his home country. "In Syria, when a single dissident was arrested during the administration of George W. Bush, at the very least the White House spokesman would condemn it. Under the Obama administration: nothing."...

 

[jillian]

and?

 

[RadiomanATL]

What Does The US Stand For?

Who all your base are belong to.

 

[Dr Grump]

"I'm really concerned about an isolationist mentality . . ' ???

RATFLAMO!! See what happens when George doesn't have a speech writer?

Yet another reason why this guy is a moron....

 

[goldcatt]

Aw c'mon Grump, it's a no-brainer here. Of course America is becoming isolationist since Gibbs isn't yelling about democracy and freedom while denouncing our "enemies" 24/7. We all know if the White House spokesman isn't posturing about it for the cameras, especially in foreign policy, nothing is happening and we officially don't give a shit.

 

[JW Frogen]

What does the US stand for, well as one living outside the US, I can tell you it stands for freedom, democracy, and it stands for the advancement of Enlightenment values. That is what the rest of the world wants you to stand for.

Despite your economic woes, you guys and gals are still the Superpower the rest of the democratic world counts on.

My own nation is with you more often than not, I would hope the rest of the democratic world feels the same. Australia may sell rocks to China but it looks to America for fellowship.

We all hang together, or we all hang separately.

 

[Dr Grump]

Aw c'mon Grump, it's a no-brainer here. Of course America is becoming isolationist since Gibbs isn't yelling about democracy and freedom while denouncing our "enemies" 24/7. We all know if the White House spokesman isn't posturing about it for the cameras, especially in foreign policy, nothing is happening and we officially don't give a shit.

heh...

 

[Annie]

and?

I gave my comment. I guess you are favorably impressed by the administrations foreign policy? It bodes well for both US and world? It's much safer with Obama and his crack team? Seriously, I'd love to hear your take on his policies abroad. Iran? Syria? Russia? Israel? Poland? All great in your opinion?

 

[Sarah G]

The Wall Street Journal isn't exactly what it used to be either. That article was pretty partisan and commonplace for them of late for example.

 

[PubliusInfinitum]

Well the OP is right... Our "President" is not with US... He's a Marxist, who stands against everything America stand for... and as a tyrant, he tends to stand with tyrants.

It's the nature of the beast; and it'll get worked in November... when he is convered to a lame brown-duck.

 

[Dr Grump]

The US is liked a lot more around the globe now....

 

[Annie]

The US is liked a lot more around the globe now....

That and $6 will buy you a beer. So what?

 

[jillian]

The US is liked a lot more around the globe now....

That and $6 will buy you a beer. So what?

so what was the point of the article. you clearly think what people feel about us is VERY important.

or is that only if the opinion given validates the overly aggressive, neo-con pov that almost bankrupted this country and got us into two wars that now have to be properly cleaned up?

 

[editec]

What Does The US Stand For?

Not a damned thing.

Not any more, at least.

It used to stand for something, but it never lived up to all its own self congratulatory hype.

But at least then, it seemed like we were striving to be better.

Now, I see no evidence that that is the case.

We're an empire now.

And we have all the flaws associated with that sort of society, too.

 

[Dr Grump]

The US is liked a lot more around the globe now....

That and $6 will buy you a beer. So what?

So will your OP...

as J said...

....and??

 

[Annie]

The US is liked a lot more around the globe now....

That and $6 will buy you a beer. So what?

so what was the point of the article. you clearly think what people feel about us is VERY important.

or is that only if the opinion given validates the overly aggressive, neo-con pov that almost bankrupted this country and got us into two wars that now have to be properly cleaned up?

I answered your first post, why no reply to mine? More questions for me, sounding a bit like Truthmatters here, Jillian.

 

[Old Rocks]

and?

I gave my comment. I guess you are favorably impressed by the administrations foreign policy? It bodes well for both US and world? It's much safer with Obama and his crack team? Seriously, I'd love to hear your take on his policies abroad. Iran? Syria? Russia? Israel? Poland? All great in your opinion?

Yes, I am favorably impressed with President Obama's foriegn policy. Replacing braggadicio and beligerance with careful nuanced policy statements represents a vast improvement over the incompetance and failures of the last administration.

Yes, the world is much safer with President Obama that it was with Bush. Bush made all kinds of nonsensical statements. "Dead or Alive". And seven years later, Bin Laden was still very much alive and not in our hands. Incompetance and failure. Bin Laden demonstrated to the world that you could strike the US a greivious blow and get away with it. And Bush was his chief aid in that demonstration.

Yes, I think that President Obama has a crack team, as compared to Bush's team that seemed to be on crack.

 

[Old Rocks]

Well the OP is right... Our "President" is not with US... He's a Marxist, who stands against everything America stand for... and as a tyrant, he tends to stand with tyrants.

It's the nature of the beast; and it'll get worked in November... when he is convered to a lame brown-duck.

For sure he is not with you. Neither are 90% of Americans. And you and the other fruitloops will get a surprise this November.

 

[jillian]

That and $6 will buy you a beer. So what?

so what was the point of the article. you clearly think what people feel about us is VERY important.

or is that only if the opinion given validates the overly aggressive, neo-con pov that almost bankrupted this country and got us into two wars that now have to be properly cleaned up?

I answered your first post, why no reply to mine? More questions for me, sounding a bit like Truthmatters here, Jillian.

i'm always amused at how you fling insults at me when i show that you're disingenuous.

let me know when you're out of melt-down mode.

p.s. i didn't see any response to mine. and, frankly. it was rhetorical.... b/c your response how not caring what people think of us is BS. you very much care...as long as they agree with your neo-con messed up pov.

 

[The T]

The US is liked a lot more around the globe now....

By whom? Obama ignores and insults longstanding allies, and cowtows to enemies.