Political Memes: Apology (xposted from FB)
So, today we're tackling the Obama Apology Meme - it's the one stating that, when first elected, the President traveled the world apologizing on behalf of the United States.
First, here's a sample of what the President actually said: "I took office at a time when many around the world had come to view America with skepticism and distrust. Part of this was due to misperceptions and misinformation about my country. Part of this was due to opposition to specific policies, and a belief that on certain critical issues, America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others. And this has fed an almost reflexive anti-Americanism, which too often has served as an excuse for collective inaction. ...
For those who question the character and cause of my nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions we have taken in just nine months... Every nation must know: America will live its values, and we will lead by example." (U.N., 9/23/2009)*
The other quote most often referred to in this meme is "the United States has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive [toward other nations, especially and including our allies]." However, he immediately said that those same European nations had been guilty of "casual" and "insidious" anti-Americanism." (Strasbourg, France, 4/3/2009)
More specifically, (see http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/obama-quotes/) Pres. Obama criticized the Bush Administration's foreign policy and the U.S. use of torture at Guantanomo Bay. Torture, per a 2004 FBI report (see http://documents.nytimes.com/c-i-a-reports-on-interrogation-methods#p=1), is not only an ineffective tool for anything other than causing pain and suffering, it also greatly obstructs the pursuit of justice.
So. In short, the new President was coming in after one of the worst administrations in recent history (see http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/ctl/ReadCustom%20Default/mid/1508/ArticleId/962/Default.aspx) and was critical of his immediate predecessor's actions. These actions contributed directly to the 9/11 tragedy, the very costly, pre-emptive war in Iraq, the international Economic Crisis, a severe loss of support from our allies and the bungling of the manhunt for Osama Bin Laden.
Frankly, I suspect the reason that conservatives in power or wanting to be so are convinced of the Apology Tour is because they feel they should apologize.
However, no one has done so. Instead of apologizing, the current administration took a rather hard line on terrorism - one that violates the civil rights of U.S. citizens in a similar manner to the Bush administration and executes individuals, both citizens and foreign, based solely on executive privilege. It also took a rather weak line at obstructionism in the legislature, allowing the three major points of economic repair to be limited, hamstrung and blocked entirely when it could have brought much greater pressure to bear (more LBJ, less JFK, so to speak). Foreign policy, however, and the repair of relations to the rest of the world has been brilliant (notwithstanding our enemies' resentment at our success against them).
To sum up: No apology tour. Took a tough stand when an apology might have been appropriate, but made it pay off.
First, here's a sample of what the President actually said: "I took office at a time when many around the world had come to view America with skepticism and distrust. Part of this was due to misperceptions and misinformation about my country. Part of this was due to opposition to specific policies, and a belief that on certain critical issues, America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others. And this has fed an almost reflexive anti-Americanism, which too often has served as an excuse for collective inaction. ...
For those who question the character and cause of my nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions we have taken in just nine months... Every nation must know: America will live its values, and we will lead by example." (U.N., 9/23/2009)*
The other quote most often referred to in this meme is "the United States has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive [toward other nations, especially and including our allies]." However, he immediately said that those same European nations had been guilty of "casual" and "insidious" anti-Americanism." (Strasbourg, France, 4/3/2009)
More specifically, (see http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/obama-quotes/) Pres. Obama criticized the Bush Administration's foreign policy and the U.S. use of torture at Guantanomo Bay. Torture, per a 2004 FBI report (see http://documents.nytimes.com/c-i-a-reports-on-interrogation-methods#p=1), is not only an ineffective tool for anything other than causing pain and suffering, it also greatly obstructs the pursuit of justice.
So. In short, the new President was coming in after one of the worst administrations in recent history (see http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/ctl/ReadCustom%20Default/mid/1508/ArticleId/962/Default.aspx) and was critical of his immediate predecessor's actions. These actions contributed directly to the 9/11 tragedy, the very costly, pre-emptive war in Iraq, the international Economic Crisis, a severe loss of support from our allies and the bungling of the manhunt for Osama Bin Laden.
Frankly, I suspect the reason that conservatives in power or wanting to be so are convinced of the Apology Tour is because they feel they should apologize.
However, no one has done so. Instead of apologizing, the current administration took a rather hard line on terrorism - one that violates the civil rights of U.S. citizens in a similar manner to the Bush administration and executes individuals, both citizens and foreign, based solely on executive privilege. It also took a rather weak line at obstructionism in the legislature, allowing the three major points of economic repair to be limited, hamstrung and blocked entirely when it could have brought much greater pressure to bear (more LBJ, less JFK, so to speak). Foreign policy, however, and the repair of relations to the rest of the world has been brilliant (notwithstanding our enemies' resentment at our success against them).
To sum up: No apology tour. Took a tough stand when an apology might have been appropriate, but made it pay off.