Obama Cairo Speech Bigger Here than There?
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James Joyner | Friday, June 5, 2009 |
Andrew Exum makes an interesting point:
Does anyone else get the sense that Obama’s big speech in Cairo today is a bigger deal in the Western world than it is in the Arabic-speaking and Islamic worlds? The speech is only the #2 story on al-Jazeera right now, behind the clash between Palestinian security forces and Hamas in Qalqilya.
His commenters suggest that Arabs are tired of hearing speeches and have heard all this before. That’s likely true.
More importantly, though, Americans have an unfounded faith that everything is about us and that everybody would love us if only they knew us. To the extent we have problems with the rest of the world, it’s either because they don’t understand us or because our president isn’t being nice enough. That’s not how it works.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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More importantly, though, Americans have an unfounded faith that everything is about us and that everybody would love us if only they knew us. To the extent we have problems with the rest of the world, it’s either because they don’t understand us or because our president isn’t being nice enough. That’s not how it works.
Correct. And so what, then, is the Chosen One negotiating?
When I saw the Arab opinion round-ups that were 50-75% negative about Obama's speech, I started to get the feeling that either (a) the speech won't have the stated effect of moving the Muslim world toward America or (b) that the actual intended effect was not to mend the rift with the Muslim world but to give Obama a speech that would make him look truly presidential. Of course, both things could be true.
Heh. careful, guys. Remember that this was a speech partially directed at Iran. You're going to get tagged for referring to Iranians as 'arabs' by the usual nutcases.
"...Americans have an unfounded faith that everything is about us and that everybody would love us if only they knew us. To the extent we have problems with the rest of the world, it’s either because they don’t understand us or because our president isn’t being nice enough."
Americans, or the American media?
"That’s not how it works."
Amen.
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