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By Douglas Kohn
Kohn@Fordham.edu
Anyone who hears a left wing intellectual or writer speak of Barack Obama would notice they never speak to the strength of America. I am hoping that Barack Obama’s presidency does not end in disaster, but that is another question. On other issues, Barack Obama, by his very identity is having an impact on America and the World.
The reaction globally to Barack Obama’s electoral victory is astounding. Historically speaking, only Kennedy has engendered that reaction. But this shows the enduring strength of America in the hearts and minds of people around the world. The Liberals do not mention this; they prefer to say that it is only because of Barack Obama’s personality and charisma that the rest of the world is reacting this way. But Bill Clinton was no less charismatic than Obama and the world did not welcome him in the same way.
To the rest of the world, rightly or wrongly the election of Barack Obama is the embodiment of what America has meant to them. A nation that unlike any other is able to redress historical wrongs. America is still the shining city on a hill. It is still the canary in the coal mine of civilization. And the rest of the world still sees it as the last, best hope. Hopefully, Obama governs well and keeps it that way.
What the liberals do not say, is that America, not Barack Obama, is what has captured the fascination of the world.
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2 comments:
Stuff like this is why I just can't stay away from this blog. It's almost not worth going into but.... I... can't....resist... not tearing this apart!
1) Apparently, your listening to/ reading of left-wingers has been limited, because this is not the case. Don't feel bad about your human limitations; no one's omniscient. The rest of us just try not to make such broad, baseless comments. Regardless, why must one mention "America's strength" with every piece about Barack Obama? To reassure ourselves that the country can survive this spooky unnamed disaster?
2) Apparently you haven't been following the vast swath of reports over the past 8 years showing declining support for America abroad, reports that correlate eerily with the Bush presidency and all of our Dear Leader's failed initiatives. I doubt this recent upswing has much to do with people spontaneously re-discovering the idea of the city upon the hill and completely forgetting America-in-actuality. In fact, all evidence regarding this recent jump in international popularity directly points to Barack Obama and, moreover, what he represents for America. I won't bother discussing details at this point, but let's just get these two things out of the way: it's not about his charisma, and Obama really isn't directly comparable to Clinton.
This liberal says: it's Barack Obama that has fascinated the world AND rekindled the world's fascination with America.
Now, please, stop writing articles about what this large, ill-defined ideological group is thinking and keeping secret from everyone else.
I do not understand exactly what you are trying to say. The fact is that many people around the world have viewed America as the place they would emigrate to if their country fell apart. This is more or less what is implied by the expression 'Shining city on a hill.'
I also should have been somewhat more specific, but Public Radio in New York is where I get some of my information on what Liberal think tanks and such are spewing. The other is from my left wing professors. Every time I hear one of them speak none of them ever refers to Obama's rise and as a result of America being the dynamic country that it is. These are mostly who I am referring to when I refer to 'Liberals' or 'The Left.' Them along with publications from left leaning think tanks such as a the Center For American Progress.
Will he fix our problems? He may, he may not, few Presidents have ever come into office with the mess that Obama will. In the end he will probably have a mixed record on what he actually manages to get done. Even President's with the highest approval ratings and historical regard do not get everything right.
I'm well aware the Bush Administration has been a colossal failure abroad.
The bottom line is that, at least to a certain extent, the world still looks to America to provide leadership. And any charismatic member of a minority group would have done the job of rekindling the world's respect for America. This is because people around the world want to be able to see America as a place where anyone can make it, unlike their own countries, for the most part.
In the end world opinion is only going to care about what they see and not what a candidate is promising. They are not the ones that are going to have to live with the consequences of an Obama Administration, positive or negative.
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