Guardian UK: America, under new management

[marmar]

America, under new management
Barack Obama sent out a double-edged message today: the US is ready to make a fresh start – but it will be no soft touch

Simon Tisdall
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 20 January 2009 19.29 GMT


If Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, North Korea's King Jong-il, or Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe were watching Barack Obama's inauguration address, they might be forgiven for thinking that the following lines, delivered with cool, determined confidence, were directed straight at them:

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the west – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

There, summed up in a couple of sentences, was the double-edged message that America's rookie president wanted to convey to those around the world who have suffered most, and raged, defied and taunted the most, during the confrontational Bush years.

The US, under new management, was ready to lead again, was ready to make a fresh start, was prepared to learn from its mistakes, keen to revert, revive and re-base its policies on ageless values handed down from the Founding Fathers. .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jan/20/barack-obama-inaugural-address-foreign-policy

[navarth]

1. Quite. n/t