Bully f*cking pulpit

[scheming daemons]

From Obama's June 4, 2009 speech in Cairo, Egypt:

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I know there has been controversy about the promotion of democracy in recent years, and much of this controversy is connected to the war in Iraq. So let me be clear: no system of government can or should be imposed upon one nation by any other.

That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people. Each nation gives life to this principle in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people. America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election. But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. Those are not just American ideas, they are human rights, and that is why we will support them everywhere.

There is no straight line to realize this promise. But this much is clear: governments that protect these rights are ultimately more stable, successful and secure. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them. And we will welcome all elected, peaceful governments – provided they govern with respect for all their people.

This last point is important because there are some who advocate for democracy only when they are out of power; once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others. No matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party. Without these ingredients, elections alone do not make true democracy.
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I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith, in every country – you, more than anyone, have the ability to remake this world.

Full speech text here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/us/politics/04obama.text.html?pagewanted=all



I don't give a damn who gets upset about me saying it... Obama provided the spark for the "Arab Spring". He had much more to do with it than f-ing Gipper had to do with the Soviet Bloc crumbling.



Bash away, haters.

[Firebrand Gary]

1. No matter what anyone says, Obama was the spark.

And it is one of the sole reasons Republicans have a feverish hatred for our President.

[scheming daemons]

3. An American President speaking in Cairo is an amazing thing...

When that President has a muslim-sounding name and brown skin, it is historic.


...and it had a major effect on sentiment in the Arab world.

[riderinthestorm]

2. +1. Credit given where credit is due. Kudos President Obama! nt

[LaydeeBug]

7. me too! nt

[WillyT]

4. Now... If Only He Could Use That Bully Pulpit Thingy When It Comes To The United States

Seems for us he only has the bi-partisan, compromising, Third Way pulpit.

President Obama... get your Bully-Pulpit ON!!!

:evilgrin:

:hi:

[scheming daemons]

5. When he does next week, you'll be the first in here saying "Just words!"

[WillyT]

6. You're Right If He Sounds Anything Like David Axelrod Did This Morning

See... with a Bully Pulpit, you inspire people to rally to a cause and work to support it.

If Obama does that... and SOON... I'll be impressed.

But if he sounds like Axelrod did... I'll be turning to something more interesting... like watching paint dry.

:shrug:

[scheming daemons]

8. You can only inspire people if they want to be inspired

You want to be pissed off, so you will be.


No matter what is said or proposed.

[StarsInHerHair]

9. dream on...

[scheming daemons]

10. Great song... back when Aerosmith wasn't a caricature of themselves

..

[Solomon]

22. yep yep

So many here have invested their egos in Obama's "failure" that it doesn't matter what he says or does.

[StarsInHerHair]

25. wrong-it matters more what he does, pity so many are so blindly devoted

[dennis4868]

11. that post took alot of courage...

so many irrational Obama haters here...we have your back brother!

[no limit]

24. Funny, Fox News loves to use the victim card as well.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BeFree]

14. Question, rp

What do you think of the American Empire?

[MessiahRp]

15. I think 30 years of trickle down (continued by Obama) along with an overaggressive military policy

and media propagandizing of our people has us at the brink of ending this whole Empire debacle. All empires fall because of the greed of those in charge. We're seeing that happen again. When we're slave laborers with no social safety net and no financial future then we'll understand just how bad Obama's continuance of the Bush/Reagan economic policies have been. And how only he being a Democrat ever had the power to dismantle SS, Medicare and other social programs. Even the boldest GOPers never had the balls nor the will of the people to pull that off.

Rp

[Tx4obama]

13. Yes, Obama did light a spark.

I remember watching the speech.
The people in Egypt (and elsewhere) listened to what Obama said very closely.
At the time it seemed like he was getting more love from the Egyptians than over here at home ;(

[Luminous Animal]

16. Yes. Let's ignore the decade of difficult work by Egyptian democratic activists and hand

the whole thing to Obama.

When I hear actual Egyptian activists give Obama some credit, I'll believe it. Otherwise, I will continue to believe that the Egyptian people themselves were the spark.

By the way, I sent sent your post to a young (23 years old) friend of mine who lives in Cairo. He networked in clandestine meetings, at great personal risk (and witnessed some of his compatriots arrested) during his teen years and up to the revolution. He told me to tell you to go fuck yourself.

[Tx4obama]

18. No one has said to ignore anyone, no one said to hand the whole thing to Obama.

But they are THANKING President Obama - you can't deny that :) (See photos within the photo below)

[Luminous Animal]

20. The OP is giving credit to Obama for sparking the Arab Spring which began in Tunisia in Dec. 2010.

Your picture is of Libya.

[Firebrand Gary]

17. I think tonight I am going to go back and re watch the Egypt speech.

[Tx4obama]

19. I'm sure it was heard and read by millions (at least 13 different languages) see below

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8448631

[JoeyT]

21. And I found a quarter on the sidewalk.

I bet he put it there! Isn't He wonderful in His infinite generosity!?

The Gipper had crapall to do with the Soviet Bloc crumbling.

If "Bash away, haters." is ok, then surely "Worship away, cultists." is too.

[no limit]

23. Do you give Ronald Reagan credit for the soviet union falling?

Because I sure as hell don't.

[GreenArrow]

26. Yeah. This guy.

"In most countries surveyed, favorable attitudes toward the United States dropped to levels lower than they were during the last year of the Bush administration. The killing of Osama bin Laden also worsened attitudes toward the United States.

In Saudi Arabia, for instance, 30 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of the United States (compared with 41 percent in 2009), while roughly 5 percent said the same in Egypt (compared with 30 percent in 2009).

“The very high expectations that were created in 2009 – there’s been a letdown since then,” said James Zogby, the president and founder of the Arab American Institute, of which the foundation is an affiliate.


Fewer than 10 percent of respondents described themselves as having a favorable view of Obama. The president’s ratings were the lowest on “the Palestinian issue” and “engagement with the Muslim world,” as the categories were described in the survey."


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/arab-worlds-views-of-us-president-obama-increasingly-negative-new-poll-finds/2011/07/12/gIQASzHVBI_blog.html

[Number23]

27. Absolutely. This is not a coincidence although I'd still love to ask "Why now?" to many

of the people involved in these revolutions.

They are terrifying and exhilarating and God only knows what the final outcome from all of this will be. The citizens of these countries deserve the vast bulk of the praise/condemnation for what's happened, but there is no question that President Obama and his administration served as a catalyst for what's happened in the Middle East/N. Africa. The pics out of Libya with rebels and protestors holding up his pic along with Sarkozy, Cameron and Susan Rice (US UN Ambassador) prove that beyond all doubt.

[sabrina 1]

28. Not according to the People of Egytpt and Tunisia.

You must not be aware that the Egytian and Tunisian youth who toppled their regimes in spite of the US, refused to meet with Hilary Clinton until the US offers an apology for their support for Mubarak and Ben Ali right up to the point where it was obvious he was going to fall.

Stop insulting these people who lost hundreds of their citizens fighting a regime fully supported by the US until they had no more choice.

Typical of ignorant westerners. Those poor brown people couldn't do anything without the US. And what a distortion of the actual facts.

Btw, how do you explain the support this administration continues to give to brutal dictators elsewhere? Any sign of us just stopping the money and military support going to Karamov of Uzbekistan eg as he brutally represses his own people? And why did this country not even admonish our puppet government in Iraq when they recently brutally repressed peaceful protestors trying to join the Arab Spring?

It is highly insulting to people who are NOT lesser beings just because they are not Americans who took their countries' fate into their own hands and in spite of the decades long support of their regimes by the US until this past Feb., risked their lives to get their independence.

Obama had zero to do with this. The Egyptians have offered no thank you to this administration since they know what Americans apparently don't, the truth. Did you see any US Flags waving in Egypt or Tunisia? Hardly.

It's embarrassing to see these kinds of posts. Go to Egypt or Tunisia and tell them how Obama saved them from Mubarak and Ben Ali. Hillary did, although she didn't try to claim any credit as she knew it would be a lie to do so.

[Scurrilous]

29. ...

:kick: