Why Washington Worries

Obama has made striking moves to fix U.S. foreign policy—and that has set off a chorus of criticism.

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  • Posted By: Nath @ 08/10/2009 4:49:59 AM

    Mehdud was clearly very very unhappy to leave this world to meet Allah... he ran around like a coward for several weeks, even tried to have a son on the last evening -as if he was very afraid that he was to die. His martyrdom was also not duly celebrated by the muslims , the Pakistani Army...what else can one say? That they are not so so cornvinced about "heaven" and prefer to live here in hell?

  • Posted By: Kabeer @ 04/09/2009 4:24:02 AM

    http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0408/p09s01-coop.html

    Read this - Americans must embrace the truth... instead of living in a trance

  • Posted By: Pudbert @ 03/18/2009 12:11:27 PM

    Fareed Zakaria is totally CLUELESS, and obviously a liberal i diiot to boot.

    • Posted By: buzzboyd @ 03/25/2009 10:53:21 PM

      One word... WRONG.

      • Posted By: elores @ 03/31/2009 6:17:12 PM

        What do concerned Canadian and Pudbert eat for breakfast COW PATTIES? because all they have regurgitated is BULL ____

  • Posted By: Concerned Canadian @ 03/18/2009 12:57:20 PM

    Zakaria is a radical Jihadist Muslim who should not be allowed in the USA , Canada , Mexico , England or any other western Christian nation. I for one am calling on all western governments to round up all Muslims and ship them back to the Middle East. These people are radicals, their "religion" is a just a doctrine for hate , they brutalize their woman and Islam is a culture still living 2,500 years back in time ...plain and simple. Europe is getting ruined because of the Muslim people....throw them out already...starting with Zakaria....coward !!

  • Posted By: ALEARYVOTER @ 03/18/2009 11:57:38 AM

    Please, please stop playing the blame game. I could hardly get past the first few paragraphs of your article. Obama wasn't elected to keep blaming others for "this mess I inherited" but to fix it as he promised in ALL his campaign speaches. He said that he had the answers and was the one to do it. I am very disappointed in his first 50-days of office and I am afraid that he is in way over his head. I am hoping that I didn't waste my vote by picking the wrong person, but it is sure statrting to look like it.

    • Posted By: buzzboyd @ 03/25/2009 10:53:01 PM

      50 days. I'm not sure 50 days was enough time for George Bush to correctly memorize the first sentence of the first speech he was to give about his first 50 days. Forget the impromptu press conference. Geeze, can't you come up with something a little deeper than this?

  • Posted By: buzzboyd @ 03/25/2009 10:41:10 PM

    I'm not sure about the harrylogy stuff because it sounds like high pitch bat noises to me. However, this article by Fareed seems to be right on. Being a super nation is a transient thing. Ask any nation that was once a super nation. Things change. Just because you're currently the biggest kid on the block doesn't mean you get free lunch cards forever. Some day, someone will come along, who is younger, bigger and/or smarter (in their time frame and circumstance) You wanna be enemies with that country, or countries? Keep up the stupid short term, short sighted thinking. By the way, does the abuse reporting feature on this site work or what?

  • Posted By: Tan Boon Tee @ 03/20/2009 12:59:12 AM

    For years I have been advocating mutual respect and tolerance as the key to international harmony and fruitful co-existence.

    The US must realize that the days of their supreme hegemony and undisputable political superpower are already numbered, more so with the current financial mayhem paralyzing the nation.

    Hawks must be replaced by doves, the world loves doves. Weapons must be substituted by olive-leaves, the world hates weapons. THINK ABOUT THAT.
    (Tan Boon Tee)

  • Posted By: IndianDP @ 03/19/2009 9:49:28 PM

    Kabeer COOL IT

    US was pressurized by Pak to see how much US can influence India; on its part India should keep safe minimum troops and thus at least send signals to Pak that there are no intentions of attack. The Paks are scared s**t of an indian invasion during aftermath of mumbai, thanks to western initiated phobia. They (west) were convinced, wrongly so, that outraged india was, an Indian invasion was imminent. Pak depleted its troops from west to its eastern border, army now gets a relief from the drubbing they are receiving from Afpak terrorists. Paks say their troops were killed by terrorists more than by the indian army ever ( no pun intended). Now Pak army is refusing to fight the terrorists and are happy to stay put on the indian border where they can sleep and be alive in their bunkers. should they Instead choose to travel to other end they will be promptly beheaded in large numbers.

    China became a leader of rogue nations that you enlisted. US is the only hope for the democratic and civilized world including India. In the large interest of the planet the two great democracies have to put up with each others shortcoming and tread the path in this complex world. Looking globally, Europe is quiet after its recovery from WW1 and 2. The asia is getting there but terror/ Islamic fundamentalism are is the cancerous growths that need to be addressed. Then hopefully we all can focus on saving Africa. Instead of pulling US down, its prudent to strengthen its resolve for common good.

  • Posted By: Kabeer @ 03/19/2009 11:47:07 AM

    Read this: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pull-back-troops-from-Pak-border-US-to-India-/articleshow/4288579.cms

    While u must realize that the US wants India to remove troops from the borders of a country like Pakistan, AND THAT AS A GOODWILL GESTURE, it should think if it would have removed troops from the border with Pakistan had it been a neighbour. While the Americans wont even remove troops from Iraq, until they realized that they wont get Oil until they let the same amount of American Blood flow, they only expect democratic nations like India to make goodwill gestures to serve American Interests, in favour of a country sponsoring terror and the likes of Al Qaeda, Taliban and Osama. American hegemony has crossed all boundaries and levels now. The Americans don't care about Indian lives being lost in order to prevent more American Blood being spilled. I really think that the Iranians, Russians, Venezuelans, North Koreans, The Chinese etc. do the right thing by doing what they do to the Americans. Just why the hell should India remove troops ? The Americans also want India to give concessions elsewhere. They didnt raise a voice about Tibet. They don't care abt what happens in Gaza, so why do they talk about Freedom and Human Rights elsewhere, U KNOW IT - ITS ABOUT AMERICAN INTERESTS. TO HELL WITH AMERICA... TO HELL WITH AMERICANS... MAY THEY NEVER LEAVE IRAQ, NEVER LEAVE AFGHANISTAN, THEY DESERVE THIS.

  • Posted By: Avigdor @ 03/19/2009 7:12:52 AM

    The "stimulus" which was rammed through Congress without time for anyone to even read it, included $27.5 billion for highway and bridge construction ... and $58 billion to FOREIGN BANKS. I can't decide which is worse, Obama's disastrous economic policy or his disastrous foreign policy, which so far has consisted of snubbing our traditional allies (case in point, Gordon Brown) while "reaching out" to Iran, where they're building an atomic bomb for use in the next Holocaust. I don't know about you, but I've had enough "Change" in these past two months to last a lifetime. You can cheerlead for Obama all you want, but as we watch our wealth fly out the window, people are losing faith in the "the one."

    • Posted By: 40YearR @ 03/19/2009 10:38:16 AM

      Eerrr... uh... not so sure that "$58 billion to FOREIGN BANKS" came out of the most recent $30B,,, maybe... might have come out of 'the other' $140B...

  • Posted By: HolyRoller @ 03/19/2009 12:38:56 AM

    Is PrezBo-Zo Barry gonna give back his BONUS from AIG???...

    Senator Barack Obama received a $101,332 bonus from American International Group in the form of political contributions according to Opensecrets.org. The two biggest Congressional recipients of bonuses from the A.I.G. are - Senators Chris Dodd and Senator Barack Obama.

    NOBAMA!!!

  • Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 03/16/2009 11:06:30 AM

    Zakaria is painting happy faces for the Obama administration again I see.

    What is differant is what truly is occuring in the world outside of the tight partisan confines of a NEWSWEAK.

    al-Nasrallah,HEZBOLLAHS top kingpin,admits to REUTERS in Damascus that there ''will be no peace with Israel. we do not,will never accept Israel'' .

    Pakistan is sliding into complete anarchy. As expected as a portion of the Swat Compromise,over 15,000 jihadists have been freed,according to ASIA TIMES,REUTERS and the Voice of America to begin combat operations in Afghanistan with ,and as a portion of, the Taliban. So much for Zakarias rosy observations [and if anyone thought that even the hint of ''shutting GTMO down'' has produced any salutory response, we point Zak to:

    four tourists blown up in Yemen over the weekend.

    A scurry in Indonesia to shut down the work by a jihadist that is spreading across the country,creating hardline Islamic sentiment aimed at blowing things and people up in order to achieve the result of jihad.

    Englands total incapacity to deal with the radicals in their midst [one Muslim who joined the anti-British Army protests at HEATHROW last week which called upon Islamics to ''kill'' these soldiers,works as a,of all things,baggage handler at the airport].

    Pakistan and Afghanistan we have already seen,but what of the problems in the Horn of Africa and Darfur? Sudan? Kurdistan is falling apart,and we find out that billions in US aid monies in the region have completely disappeared,setting up the same fate for the billion to be given the Palestinians by this government.

    Yet another tape by bin Laden,urging the usual stuff on [''war against American and Briton'' '' perpetual jihad'' and the like].

    Outside of Iraq,and this is no sure thing,what is it of former Bush policies and new ones adopted by the Obama administration that are ''working so well'' Zak?

    • Posted By: Alvy @ 03/16/2009 11:44:53 AM

      But it's you Lee.
      Blather. Assuming you know more than the guy who actually did research.

      • Posted By: Vigilance @ 03/16/2009 1:13:43 PM

        Lee knows a lot, but when he starts out his thinking by going "NEWSWEAK", it's difficult to see that as anything but the facts being made to be subordinate to the hypothesis, instead of the other way around.

        • Posted By: sane person @ 03/16/2009 2:38:25 PM

          Vigilance, I concur with all your posts here, they are spot on and it is refreshing to see. I loved your comment: "it's difficult to see that as anything but the facts being made to be subordinate to the hypothesis, instead of the other way around." Yea, there's a lot of that going around.....

          Why is has it become so difficult for us to have logical, rational, reasoned discussions amongst our fellow citizens without it turning into a name-calling, petty, invective filled diatribe against the 'evils' of the other side. Just because someone disagrees with us that does not make them a bad person. If we can't get over this, I fear for the long term moral and intellectual solvency of our nation.

          Anyway, as stated, enjoy your posts.


          • Posted By: Vigilance @ 03/16/2009 2:50:43 PM

            Thanks, but it's about the issues, not me. I do accept your compliment.

            I fly off the handle sometimes too and it's likely you won't agree with everything I say at some point. I'd much prefer the chance to have an honest conversation with you when that happens over a compliment to my policy positions, or similar. :)

            I share your desire for some kind of community acceptance that it's okay to agree to disagree here.

            • Posted By: sane person @ 03/16/2009 3:24:51 PM

              I agree completely it is about the issues, but it seems difficult to discuss ideas or policies when everyone is calling the other names or ranting crazy consiracy sounding nonsense.

              • Posted By: jimbo3800 @ 03/16/2009 9:02:38 PM

                Yo, is there anything spouted by left-wing extremists that you don't agree with completely? I doubt it.
                I guess some people are born to be followers.

                • Posted By: Les Habs @ 03/17/2009 5:58:28 PM

                  These personal attacks are counter productive. Ever convinced someone of something by yelling it at their face? Jimbo, if you really believe what you say, try a different approach. Here in Australia the views of posters like sane person and Vigilance would be considered pragmatic and intelligent and not immediately shot down with outrageous accusations of socialist extremism and the like.

                  • Posted By: jimbo3800 @ 03/17/2009 10:37:14 PM

                    Do I care what anyone in Australia thinks about anything? I think not. Go away, little man.

                    • Posted By: Les Habs @ 03/18/2009 12:40:09 AM

                      Oh sorry, here I thought we were discussing US foreign policy. But foreign views are not welcome. Thanks for clearing that up Jimbo.

                      • Posted By: jimbo3800 @ 03/18/2009 9:07:28 PM

                        You are more than welcome to comment on Australian foreign policy all you want. And what does that involve? Exports of vegamite sandwiches and Olivia Newton-John CD's? Shouldn't you be out roaming the outback, or whatever the hell it is you do down there?

                        • Posted By: Les Habs @ 03/18/2009 9:20:59 PM

                          Jimbo, Australia's foreign policy has involved support in both Afghanistan and Iraq operations. We're actually amongst the United States' most loyal allies. But why should you bother with such details considering the fine situation your country finds itself, economically, militarily etc. If you can't manage politeness, you'll never manage credibility.

                      • Posted By: 40YearR @ 03/18/2009 3:06:53 PM

                        According to Jimbo, he only acts this way because liberals abuse republicans so badly.

                        • Posted By: jimbo3800 @ 03/18/2009 9:04:44 PM

                          Don't put words in my mouth, you worthless piece of leftist garbage.

      • Posted By: Marinegrunti39 @ 03/18/2009 11:58:29 AM

        All the above you have mentioned resulted in our warped foreign policy and our blind support to israel right or wrong
        point 1) Hezbollah rose from the ashes and resistant from Israel 1982 invasion of lebanon,: it became stronger after defeating Israel in the June 2006 war
        2) pakistan situation resulted from the Bush pressure first on Musharraf and now on Zaida to fight their own people on under the banner of fighting terrorism BTW these tribal groups had nothing to do with 911
        3) the 900 millions given to the Palestinians will mostly benefits israeli companies, Abbas will see to that
        and all the others crisis that is going around the world will always go on regardless who is president
        i hope that Obama foreign policy ends the 41 years of Israel oppressive occupation of Palestinian land 1967 border

        • Posted By: jwfinjef @ 03/18/2009 12:26:31 PM

          Do you not read your bible God plainly stated any nation that come up against Israel will feel his wrath. Why do you think the US is suffering? Keep the anti-Israel stance going and the Americans have only seen the beginning of what God can do to this country. KEEP IT UP JUST KEEP IT UP!

          • Posted By: shanzy87 @ 03/18/2009 12:38:44 PM

            Seriously? The whole reason the United States is dealing with hostility in the middle east is the undying support for Israel and their interests, no matter how out of whack they may be. The problems that we are facing here at home have been caused by a few pigs at the top of the chain carelessly throwing around money. Study the facts before you start throwing around your neo-con rhetoric.

      • Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 03/16/2009 3:19:47 PM

        The one who ''actually did the research'' is the one you are responding to. Perhaps you have the answers for the above,and these. [as ad hominum,ad nauseum,will not cut it]. Besides,history shows that I was correct on Mumbai,and Zakaria,wrong. These guys were jihadi Pak-trained gunsels and anyone with a modicum of brain matter would have seen this to be so. I was also correct about the Swat region, being among the only ones here who maintained that this area would become a launchpad for further incursions into Afghanistan,as it is already proving to be.

        Why is the FBI worried about Somali-American teens and young men who have ''disappeared'' from the US and are joining ''jihad'' in Somalia?

        What was the impetus of HAMAS pulling out of the Cairo talks with FATAH this weekend?

        What worries a returning Afghan to London,after brooding upon ''Taliban Chic'' seen elsewhere here on NEWSWEAK?[ Are young British-Afghan men doing the same thing as the American Somalis]?

        What was an Iranian drone doing hanging around Iraq,where it was shot down by US forces?

        Why is Mexicos President Calderon,angry at the United States? What role does the administration play in Obamas ''Mending Relations With Other Nations After Bush Screwed Them Up''?

        What is the Russian word for ''reset''?

        What has Obama done with the issue surrounding the arrest warrant served on Sudanese President Bashir by the ICC?

        Now having been granted the fervent desire of liberals,especially those in Europe that we close GTMO,for what reason are the Euros afraid to take any of these back, even those nationalized before being picked up on Afghan battlefields?

        It would appear that Obama is already having problems on the foreign policy front. Zak should be acknowlaging this.,especially the disintegration of nuclear-armed Pakistan.

        • Posted By: Alvy @ 03/16/2009 3:30:20 PM

          All you do is blabber about how much you dislike Obama, and ignore the amount of work he is putting in from variable angles untried by those who caused this mess, then blame him for the mess here and overseas.
          That's just stupid.

          That's all you do. That's all you have done. That's all you will do Pee.
          You're just nonsense. Not pros and cons - nonsense.
          You blather. Not research. Blather.

          • Posted By: zinka @ 03/18/2009 1:20:59 AM

            Pray tell just what has been done. Lets see, a pork filled package, a budget of over 3 trillion dollars, signed a 410 billion spending bill also full of ear marks over 8000 of them, gave AIG more money and where are the jobs promised. As far the jobs it is government jobs first than the government contractors who will hire union works and other before they evern look at us. A tax credit mmmmm that won't even make a house payment. I won't hire any lobbyists or how about the tax cheats in cabinet positions and to boot they are the clinton era people. So pray tell me what has BO done other than spend, spend and spend some more. As far as foreign policy, well just read and listen to HC has done and oh yes lets talk to them first maybe I can put them under my spell. what a laugh if we were not a laughing stock before I bet we are now. Just because the market has been up for a few days is not a sign that things are working. Where is the common sense we were born with, it most assuredlly has gone out the window. We are in trouble and it is getting worse just wait and see. As always just my opinion.

          • Posted By: jimbo3800 @ 03/16/2009 9:00:46 PM

            Alvy -

            The only non-researched blather here belongs to you and your nonsensical response. I noticed that you could not/would not refute a single thing that Lee Holmes said.

            Once again, you are intellectually vacant.

          • Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 03/16/2009 6:30:59 PM

            More nonsense. You cannot refute an iota of what I have put down,and thus resort to dissembling. Yet Mexicos war grows hotter,these Somali kids are just as gone,Bashir just as safe, Calderon just as angry,the Pak borders just as porous, the Russians just as puzzled, the Euros just as afraid,and the English just as divided as these things were one minute before I took Zakaria to task.

  • Posted By: JerryG1 @ 03/15/2009 8:26:33 PM

    Ambassador Charles W. Freeman Jr., on his withdrawal from his appointment as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, as quoted in Jewish Peace News:

    "I regret that my willingness to serve the new
    administration has ended by casting doubt on its ability to consider, let
    alone decide what policies might best serve the interests of the United
    States rather than those of a Lobby intent on enforcing the will and
    interests of a foreign government."

    Who should worry about this?
    Not AIPAC.
    But, Washington? The Obama Administration? The American people?

    • Posted By: Vigilance @ 03/16/2009 1:44:13 PM

      My friend,

      In 1968 Israel obtained something like 500 tons of yellowcake uranium in a secret offshore operation involving a German freighter, mostly hidden from the international community. This was called "Operation Plumbat". You can feel free to research it if you like.

      In 2003, AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee ) successfully lobbied the U.S. to go to war with Iraq by accusing them of the exact same thing.

      To put it bluntly, I've HAD it with the pro-Israel contingent. My guess is that "Jewish Peace News" isn't. Israel had better take a good long look at some kind of international standard as to who is really allowed to obtain yellowcake illegally, who has actually done it, and who possesses the highest density of nuclear weapons per square mile in the entire world.

      • Posted By: jimbo3800 @ 03/16/2009 9:20:18 PM

        Wow, there is a ton of anti-semitism baked into your breathless screed.

        I'm glad the Israeli's have nuclear capabilities, and I'm damn glad the Iraqis do not. Your bizarre "moral equivalance" argument is like comparing Charile Manson with Pat Boone.

        • Posted By: dmb12345 @ 03/17/2009 11:31:55 AM

          Typical throwing in the accusatory bomb to the his point- maybe you are the bigot.. Answer his arguments in a cohesive manner. It is time to question where the American aganda lies, and only the AMERICAN agenda. If others wish to follow then good, otherwise it is their problem.

          • Posted By: jimbo3800 @ 03/17/2009 10:38:49 PM

            What in the hell are you blabbering about? Can you at least try to be coherent on on point?

            • Posted By: vogtcha @ 03/18/2009 9:40:30 AM

              I believe bothVigilance and dmb12345 are perfectly coherent in their point and you are not.

              I think we are all sick of being called an anti-semite because we critize the policies of the state of Israel.
              I am capable of seperating religion from policies of state, so why cant you??

              I see the current Israeli state as the biggest obstacle to long lasting peace in the middle east, primarily because of the extreme policies of ethnic cleansing of Arab Israelis & Palestinians, all in the name of self-defence and security.

              I think it is way past time the US stopped arming Israel, and I beg moderate Israelis to look at the state and standing of Israel since the death of Yitzhak Rabin, and ask themselves if he will be proud of what has become of Israel today.

              • Posted By: jimbo3800 @ 03/18/2009 9:11:21 PM

                And so why do you hate the Jews so much? You must, because you are advocating for their destruction. You can wrap your bigotry in all of your big words, but the ugly truth still comes thru.

  • Posted By: fastandfirm @ 03/18/2009 8:45:13 PM

    All of America is going right down the tube with the help of left liberals who are clueless & have dangerous opinions as to what Amerivca should do. 7 Obama does not know what he is doing. He gives boring speeches that are full of style but very little substance & Americans are buying. But! for how long?
    We know the honeymoon is almost over & we will soongrow tired of his (so called charm) what will he do then?
    Look at the State he came from, look at the public school records and you will see they are all failing .
    In all aspects of government the state of IL. is a failure & a welfare state.

  • Posted By: Cengiz TOKGÖZ @ 03/18/2009 8:23:08 PM

    we have one world . and we need to live together and world are getting small. so we need peace always .all world know that usa is biggest and supper power of the world countruy. but if we can screen world history .we can see a lot of big imporer sach as rome and ottoman and a lot of like that . but we dont see none of them today.so we we want to live in full of peace world we need to be careful .we need to help poor country and and poor people . we dont have time to fight together . l think if you are big country you need alo of ally countr more if you like to be a big person you need alot of friendship. so l think like that president obama is a on true way we need to help him and help his administration .we need to keep that in our mind . no one dont win anything wit war . but if everybody can believe in peace anod love in that time we can win a every day and every second .

  • Posted By: Cloudosmoke @ 03/18/2009 1:20:43 PM

    President Obama's style of carefully sizing other nations' attitudes will pay off in the end. Unlike his predecessor which was quick to jump the gun on everyone he 'believed' harbored Islamic extremists, not taking into account that extremists come in many different forms, President Obama decides on the regions and the amount of activities Osama bin Laden's remnants are partaking in. I have no boubt that his intelligence gathering is the most effective in recent history. CIA, FBI are still most useful, it needed true leadership to prove it is effective. President Obama has built relationships to use as a not only an ally but as a tool to weed out the disruptive groups that would seek to attack the United States.

    The foreign policy began during the Democratic campaign. Let's commit to dialogue with many nations. This whole thing about walking tall and carrying a big stick is a bully tactic. The U.S. has a history of trying to push people around which has been a culmination of the current global situation. But thank God, change is in the making! No more unwarranted criticisms to issue a call for war, no more negative cynism of a countries motives, straight forward discussions to force leaders to think about the path to a more productive, humane society. There is a way to unite a world together, President Obama has to clean up the mess the kids left behind and once that is done, then the way forward will be clearer.

    Who cares what the Conservatives have to say. If it were up to them, they would nuke, nuke, nuke. They can whine all they want, President Obama is his own man. The Democratic Congress doesn't run the show, he does. Bush gave guns to his enemies by way of scorn; President Obama is putting forth the olive branch. President Obama knows the best way to govern is to do complete opposites of what Bush did.

    Foreign policy was used by the Bush Administration as a way of saying, the Democratization of the world is the only way to achieve a dictatorship. We'll help you overthrow your regime and replace it with ours. Those that agreed that Bush was a foreign policy expert are a blind following.

    Your argument is the norm for your party and useless. When did Reid say, "Obama we want you to run for President because we can use you like a puppet, kind of like the Conservative machine used G.W." Clinton was the shoe in if I recall. President Obama ran on his merits as a person that loves his country and is ready to move her forward back to its prominence.

    I guess you have agreed with McCain to push back. "Don't push me you commie! I'll shove a bomb down your throat!" Yeah, those tactics have proven real fruitful.

    • Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 03/18/2009 3:13:19 PM

      Where to begin.

      There is so much partisan nonsense evident here,coupled with a solid dose of revisionism,that none of it stands on its merits.

      Todays New York Times acknowlages that Obama desires to ''push into Pakistan'' using US forces,to go after the Taliban,widening this conflict. Obviously,the Russians and Chinese and Palestinian factions have all shown us that no big stick and more hot air,as dispensed by Clinton, is getting nowhere as well ,with all of these nations standing by fully preparing, and using, ''bully tactics''of their own,to wit:

      REUTERS and ITAR/TASS confirming Russias anti-air and medium-range missle sales to Iran,and telling the US to back off from any further moves in the democtatization of Eastern Europe which is what the people of these nations demand,having lived under Soviet and Nazi oppression for decades. These are to abandoned to their fate on more trumped up ''incidents'' that launched the Second World War to begin with,and will occur in the same region.

      The AP now confirms that China is using its new navy to throw its weight around in the Eastern Pacific,and will ''defend'' oil producing areas deemed to be open international oceans,thus annexing these areas for ''China'',or in the case of Vietnam,openly grabbing these waters that Vietnam claims belongs to them,already creating high-seas ''incidents''between these and the US Navy.

      Syria ,as opposed to Zaks odd theses,uses its own ''bullying tactics'' in a nation that does not belong to them. Never has. Namely,Lebanon,where it murders,invades, running arms to HEZBOLLAH allies, and rigs elections,carrying out political assassinations on a routine basis..

      FATAH and HAMAS broke off talks in Cairo last week as the more moderate FATAH belonging to Abbas [Abu Mazen], could not get HAMAS to agree on ''recognizing Israels right to exist'', thus virtually guaranteeing that the misery in Gaza and the OT,will continue.

      Mexico has become an inferno unseen since the 1911 Revolution. President Calderon has become angered with the American response that includes sending armed US troops [National Guard,for now],to the border hotspots in Texas and Arizona. I agree with this tactic. but the idea that Obama is Winning Friends And Influencing Nations,is false.

      Ditto in England,where Obamas support has dropped like a grand piano heaved from a tenth-floor window for his crummy treatment,as seen through British eyes,of their PM Gordon Brown during a recent state visit. [Todays UK Telegraph and the London Times on Mar.02,2009 for more on these developments].
      .
      More and more nations are getting upset with the US [except Iraq,where a brand-new BBC poll finds 64% of its people,whipping us by over half,''confident of the future''. Another of these Bushian legacies that is 'going so terrible,' eh]?

      • Posted By: Cloudosmoke @ 03/18/2009 3:33:20 PM

        You obviously don't get the point of this post. It's called cut and paste which is all you know how to do. Rehash all your trash. I know what I'm talking about because it's based on fact instead of talking points which is all you have. You followed Bush, you bow to Limbaugh and you are divisive. I could care less what type of Confederate flag you wave, those days are over friend.

        • Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 03/18/2009 4:01:42 PM

          Garbage. I have no need of your puny ''cut and paste''. We all have need however,of a lucid foreign policy which is now confused and unproductive.

          • Posted By: Cloudosmoke @ 03/18/2009 6:03:01 PM

            None of what you say says any differently to the fact that you have followed a hollow right wing doctrine that abuses power and suppresses the less fortunate.

            • Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 03/18/2009 7:40:39 PM

              As opposed to hollow leftwinged doctrines that have sent most American states to near or beyond double-digit unemployment. Hows This for looking out for the little guy? Thus,we see a confused foreign AND domestic policy all at once. As we saw earlier here on NEWSWEAK ,''Washington Knew About AIG Bonuses Before They Were Paid'' [Mar.18] Geithner and Dodd are in a shouting match as we write with each blaming the other for what AIG pulled,desperate because there are no GOPers to pin this on. You are not getting it. The only place that registers ''hope for the future'' in yesterdays BBC poll of the region is Iraq.[ 64% of its citizens that are seeing all services,goods,capital,and infrastructure improving ], which was supposed to be a ''neocon''failure. Go ask your pals Jack Murtha [D-Pa] and Nancy Pelosi [D-Ca] about ''abuses of power''. You may begin here.

              www.politico.com

              www.thehill.com

            • Posted By: 40YearR @ 03/18/2009 6:12:26 PM

              Yup. A failed doctrine.

        • Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 03/18/2009 4:04:30 PM


          PS . I do not listen to Limbaugh. My family fought for the Union during the Civil War,with my great-great grandfather,wounded at the 1861 battle of Balls Bluff Va. while with the 11th Massachusetts. Go peddle your nonsense to the peanut gallery whose line forms to the Left. We are already full up around here.

  • Posted By: 40YearR @ 03/18/2009 4:18:06 PM

    'Even Richard Perle, the neoconservative guru, acknowledged recently that 'Bush mostly failed to implement an effective foreign and defense policy.' "

    What a lefty thing to tell is this, Zakaria!

  • Posted By: NoFair @ 03/18/2009 11:27:16 AM

    Fareed is embarrassing himself. Just look at today's news where Russia admitted supplying the iranians with S300 missiles that are likely to protect their nuclear program. You think Russians are going to use their leverage to finally make Iran comply with all IAEA requirements for peaceful nuclear development?? What a joke, Fareed!

    By any chance, are you an islamist? I'm just asking...

    • Posted By: jimprince @ 03/18/2009 2:30:16 PM

      NoFair, The question you raised was good about Russian involvement in Iranian Nuclear Reacter. However, by 'Just Asking" if Fareed Zakaria is an Islamist you just exposed your racism.

  • Posted By: Riley Flack @ 03/18/2009 1:07:44 PM

    This article is as ridiculous as could be. Socialism is real. AMERICA IS NOT AND WILL NOT FALL PREY TO THE IGNORANT ANTI-AMERICAN 'AMERICANS' THAT WRITE ARTICLES SUCH AS THIS (COMPLETELY IGNORING SENSE AND WORSE THAN THAT FACTS) OR THE PEOPLE THAT SHARE THE VIEW EXPRESSED IN THIS BS.

  • Posted By: Cloudosmoke @ 03/18/2009 12:58:10 PM

    Who cares what the Conservatives have to say. If it were up to them, they would nuke, nuke, nuke. They can whine all they want, President Obama is his own man. The Democratic Congress doesn't run the show, he does. Bush gave guns to his enemies by way of scorn; President Obama is putting forth the olive branch. President Obama knows the best way to govern is to do complete opposites of what Bush did.

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