Reply #12: I'm very glad to see Obama change (or clarify) his position on this issue.

[Peace Patriot]

He has backed off from what appeared to be U.S. dictation of one of the key terms of a peace treaty. That is good. I'm glad to see such flexibility, as well as more of one of Obama's most positive qualities--he LISTENS! He listens, thinks and revises. He is TUNED IN. We have had such DEAFNESS in our leaders (including our party leaders) for so long, our people, our country and the world are a-boil with the tensions and anxiety of having no say in the actions and policies of this violent, bullying U.S. government. It is an excellent first step to a new kind of leadership--and a better country--to have a leader who doesn't react like an arrogant bully when he is opposed or criticized, who isn't a congenital liar, and who has sufficient self-confidence and honesty to listen to a wide spectrum of views, and to revise his own views when he gets new information. Jeez, we have been so lacking in this kind of leadership--INTELLIGENT leadership--for so long!

I have some grave concerns about Obama's foreign policy in the M/E and in South America. But at least he listens, thinks and revises. That is a good start toward understanding just how badly the Bush Junta has damaged us in the world, in every way imaginable--from indebtness to China and Saudi Arabia, to the outsourcing of our manufacturing capability, to our disgraceful, warmongering activities against DEMOCRACIES in South America (those with the oil!), to the horrendous, criminal slaughter of 1.2 million Iraqis to get their oil, to the torture of thousands of prisoners, and on and on. The world has re-aligned itself in reaction to U.S. lawlessness, and those re-alignments are going to take a lot of LISTENING TO. In South America, for instance, with new leftist governments, covering virtually the entire continent, they are well on their way to creating a South American "Common Market"--and, recently proposed by Brazil, a common defense--without the U.S. The Bushites have been so hostile to democracy in South America, and so devious and destructive in their "divide and conquer" activities, and THREATS--including reconstituting the 4th Fleet (a nuclear fleet) to roam around off the coast of Venezuela, and funding and organizing fascist secessionist movements in the oil-rich provinces of Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia--that South America feels obliged to arm itself against US. WE are their enemy! There is no other.

This didn't have to be. These new social justice governments in South America are FRIENDS of the American PEOPLE. They don't hate us. They hate Bush--and Exxon Mobil and the World Bank! So, who is Obama going to align himself with? Can he repair the damage between our peoples--and begin a new era of respect, of fairness, and partnership that isn't just shuckin jive for global corporate predators and "war on drugs" war profiteers? He's shown a tendency to REPEAT Bushite "talking points" (as in his speech to the Miami mafia). But he does have the ability to listen, and revise his views, and that is hopeful, and a good first step. LISTENING, rather than dictating; REVISING, rather bullying; NEGOTIATING, rather than killing and torturing.

And he has to do this EVERYWHERE on the planet. There is virtually no relationship between our people and other peoples that the Bushites and collusive Democrats have not totally fucked up.