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All 2 posts Subject: Shocked World Smacks US Please login to post Thread expires Down

Jade
(soccer mom)
11-09-04 12:27
No 540626
User Picture       Shocked World Smacks US

Shocked World Smacks US
CW FISHER

The world's metropolitan newspapers are still reeling from the results of the US election, and what they have to say is informed, important and highly instructive. Presented here are column excerpts from Saudi Arabia, India, Nigeria, Hungary, Japan, and the Philippines, each giving a slightly different take on what the US is becoming.

Saudi Arabia, Arab News

"The strict separation of church and state is one of the many things that make the US as great as it is. Bush’s religious beliefs that he so proudly carries on his sleeve, though that may please millions of evangelical Christians, is disturbing for a person like myself who has always counted on the US being a secular country where all religions are allowed to be practiced or not according to the beliefs of each individual.

"...After the fact emerged that the 19 hijackers who slammed US passenger jets into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington were Arabs, many in the Bush administration realized that decades of coddling regional dictators coupled with a resurgent Islam and stagnant economies had created the monster of Al-Qaeda and its millions of supporters across the Muslim world.

"...Enemies of the US, who envy its success and freedoms, want it to fail in Iraq, (because) if it succeeds it would set an example for neighboring countries that Arab governments would find hard to resist.

India, Mid-Day

"Regardless of what we had been told about the manner in which a Bush victory would serve India’s interests, we still wanted him to lose. ...India is not a random example. In nearly every country in the world, polls showed that Bush was horribly unpopular. At no time in recent memory — not even during the dark days of the Vietnam War — has America been so unpopular throughout the world.

"The phrase, the Ugly American, which I thought had been buried under the debris of Big Mac wrappers and cast-off Levi’s jeans, is back on our lips. Even in those countries where America claims to have found support for its war on terror, it remains staggeringly unpopular.

"In Britain, all polls show a lack of support for Bush. In Pakistan? Bush’s so-called key ally in his so-called war against terrorism, a recent poll put Osama bin Laden’s approval rating at 72 per cent. Bush came in at 12 per cent.

"In just three years, this man has alienated the whole world. It could have been so different. The day after 9/11, we were all New Yorkers. We wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with Americans to fight the terrorists who had killed so many innocent people at the World Trade Center towers. We felt America’s grief.

"How could one President have squandered all that goodwill? And still retain his popularity at home? I suspect the answer to both questions is much the same. In the aftermath of 9/11, Bush had two choices. He could have taken the world with him.

"Or he could have appealed to America’s innate conservatism and mistrust of the rest of the world. He chose the latter course.

"The irony of globalisation is that it reaches every part of the world — except for America. As Rupert Murdoch has famously said, globalisation is just another word for Americanisation.

Nigeria, All Africa

"The conservative fervour of the Bush Administration is therefore not an accident. It is the pursuit of the passion or illusions of dangerous men, who waged the cold war, won it, and are unrepentant in their zeal to enthrone a sole superpower, with a right to act as it pleases. They are unbending on beating the world to accept this doctrine - the doctrine of the sole super power - which does not owe the world anything. Their zeal is to redefine world relations, in such a way that the US can act without a care about the interests of others.

"All through the campaign George Bush kept talking about this power - the power of the United States. It is amazing, sometimes laughable, and at the same time frightening."

"...Opposition to abortion does not make one a Christian. If that is the only measurement of religiousity, then Osama bin Laden and Bush can exchange rosaries. Also a claim to fervent prayer does not give one a right to claim piety and righteousness. Early American leaders like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln were Christians, yes. But they lived it not by their empty exhortations before television cameras. They left their imprints through their intellectual contributions and the moral character of their governments. The Bush government cannot lay claim to any of these. Its only religion is profit. Its claim to compassionate conservatism is as puerile as the mandate Bush claims. Since he became president, more Americans have become poor, and more people in the world have been impoverished. A Christian government will not go to war in an Islamic country because it was desired by a vice-president who represents interests that want to control Iraqi oil. All those evangelicals who voted for Bush on account of his opposition to abortion and not the total content of his faith, are accomplices in the scorching war the far-right is waging against the world.

Hungary, Heise

"...What strategists from both sides didn't count on was the Iraqi insurgency which not only killed over 1,100 American soldiers and wounded some 30,000 so far, but that it would actually make the problem of the world's oil supply even worse. The Chinese have indeed turned out to be a major importer of oil, and OPEC doesn't have the capacity to meet demand.

"Meanwhile, sabotage of the oil fields and pipelines in Iraq has made oil traders very nervous.

"From this angle, it can be seen why the American political establishment is not keen to bring the troops back, despite the fact that it's now commonly accepted that the war was wrong. But there is also the question of prestige: after the humiliation of Vietnam, the American military can't admit that it was defeated in the deserts of the Middle East by highly skilled guerrillas. And so the war will go on, spilling both precious blood and oil in the process. "

"Although George W. Bush is clearly not very intelligent (his command of English and knowledge of geography is often ridiculed both at home and abroad), his image actually appeals to many Americans. The way Bush thinks, acts, and talks -- not to mention his arrogance -- mirrors that of the average American, who is often proud of the fact that they don't know too much and are isolated from the rest of the world. Along these lines, many are able to identify with George W. Bush. "

Japan, The Asahi Shimbun

"Kerry assailed the president for isolating the United States in the international scene and losing jobs at home despite the economic recovery. Kerry pleaded for reunification of the United States that became divided in the four years under the Bush administration. His plea won over independent and young voters. The tightly contested race showed how divided the United States has become.

"The first task for the new administration is to put the situation in Iraq on track. The United States must, first of all, repair relations with its European allies that were damaged over the opening of the war and its occupation in Iraq. It is also essential for the country to have deeper cooperation with the United Nations and Arab countries. If the United States continues to put international cooperation on the back burner and is absorbed in containing anti-American forces on the strength of its military power, stability and reconstruction of Iraq will only recede further into the background.

"Regaining the Arab world's trust in the United States also requires positive U.S. involvement in creating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. The United States should change its stance leaning toward Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's administration in Israel and have it sit on the table for making serious efforts for peace.

"In many countries in Europe and other parts of the world where pre-election opinion polls were carried out, most people showed support for Kerry rather than Bush. The president should not make light of this fact. He should aim to build a United States that is respected rather than hated by changing his policy toward Iraq and peacemaking efforts in the Middle East.

"The world cannot be moved without the participation of the United States, but the United States cannot move the world in a direction it wants unless it wins the sympathy of the world.

"If the Bush administration does not change the trajectory it took during the president's first term, the rift with European countries will become irreparable to the detriment of U.S. interests.

"The third task is to prevent the growing ``twin deficits''-the deficits in trade and budget-from rocking the foundation of the American economy. Economic growth in the United States, along with that of China, has been the locomotive of the world economy in the past several years. But many forecast the U.S. economy will slow down in 2005 due to rising interest rates and higher oil prices. "

"If President Bush is to patch up the deepening rifts both within the United States and with other countries, he must have the courage to respect the positions of others, bury the hatchet and join hands with them.

The Philippines

"Americans have a full appreciation of their nation's immense power but, in general, they tend to have a retarded view of the great responsibility that comes with this power. Global in reach, they remain incredibly parochial in consciousness.

"The presidential election last Tuesday brought out the power of insular Middle America. Conservative, deeply nationalistic, moralistic and wary of foreigners, this side of America found its voice in George W. Bush.

"We were wrong to think that, with Iraq and the global war on terror emerging as the focal point in the presidential debates, voters would see the folly of having gone to war alone and the danger of further isolation. We forgot that the average American does not read the New York Times or the Washington Post or watch BBC. He would not be able to point Iraq, Afghanistan and the Philippines on the map. While he would be distressed by the number of dead American soldiers being brought home from the war front, he would be unaffected by any suggestion that his country has violated any international law. It is an ironic fact that foreign affairs remains foreign to most Americans. This election was inward-looking, and probably even more so than previous US elections.

"The Democrats must now re-assess their situation to be able to fight for a more tolerant and progressive America. Democracy is no good without an effective opposition, and an American Empire run by a triumphalist right-wing party is a big danger to the rest of the world. "

There's a terrorist behind every Bush.

PolytheneSam
11-10-04 22:12
      They're faking it. They don't want to be ...
(Rated as: incomprehensible)

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	All 2 posts		Subject: Shocked World Smacks US		Please login to post		Thread expires		Down


		Jade (soccer mom) 11-09-04 12:27 No 540626				Shocked World Smacks US
						Shocked World Smacks US CW FISHER The world's metropolitan newspapers are still reeling from the results of the US election, and what they have to say is informed, important and highly instructive. Presented here are column excerpts from Saudi Arabia, India, Nigeria, Hungary, Japan, and the Philippines, each giving a slightly different take on what the US is becoming. Saudi Arabia, Arab News "The strict separation of church and state is one of the many things that make the US as great as it is. Bush’s religious beliefs that he so proudly carries on his sleeve, though that may please millions of evangelical Christians, is disturbing for a person like myself who has always counted on the US being a secular country where all religions are allowed to be practiced or not according to the beliefs of each individual. "...After the fact emerged that the 19 hijackers who slammed US passenger jets into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington were Arabs, many in the Bush administration realized that decades of coddling regional dictators coupled with a resurgent Islam and stagnant economies had created the monster of Al-Qaeda and its millions of supporters across the Muslim world. "...Enemies of the US, who envy its success and freedoms, want it to fail in Iraq, (because) if it succeeds it would set an example for neighboring countries that Arab governments would find hard to resist. India, Mid-Day "Regardless of what we had been told about the manner in which a Bush victory would serve India’s interests, we still wanted him to lose. ...India is not a random example. In nearly every country in the world, polls showed that Bush was horribly unpopular. At no time in recent memory — not even during the dark days of the Vietnam War — has America been so unpopular throughout the world. "The phrase, the Ugly American, which I thought had been buried under the debris of Big Mac wrappers and cast-off Levi’s jeans, is back on our lips. Even in those countries where America claims to have found support for its war on terror, it remains staggeringly unpopular. "In Britain, all polls show a lack of support for Bush. In Pakistan? Bush’s so-called key ally in his so-called war against terrorism, a recent poll put Osama bin Laden’s approval rating at 72 per cent. Bush came in at 12 per cent. "In just three years, this man has alienated the whole world. It could have been so different. The day after 9/11, we were all New Yorkers. We wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with Americans to fight the terrorists who had killed so many innocent people at the World Trade Center towers. We felt America’s grief. "How could one President have squandered all that goodwill? And still retain his popularity at home? I suspect the answer to both questions is much the same. In the aftermath of 9/11, Bush had two choices. He could have taken the world with him. "Or he could have appealed to America’s innate conservatism and mistrust of the rest of the world. He chose the latter course. "The irony of globalisation is that it reaches every part of the world — except for America. As Rupert Murdoch has famously said, globalisation is just another word for Americanisation. Nigeria, All Africa "The conservative fervour of the Bush Administration is therefore not an accident. It is the pursuit of the passion or illusions of dangerous men, who waged the cold war, won it, and are unrepentant in their zeal to enthrone a sole superpower, with a right to act as it pleases. They are unbending on beating the world to accept this doctrine - the doctrine of the sole super power - which does not owe the world anything. Their zeal is to redefine world relations, in such a way that the US can act without a care about the interests of others. "All through the campaign George Bush kept talking about this power - the power of the United States. It is amazing, sometimes laughable, and at the same time frightening." "...Opposition to abortion does not make one a Christian. If that is the only measurement of religiousity, then Osama bin Laden and Bush can exchange rosaries. Also a claim to fervent prayer does not give one a right to claim piety and righteousness. Early American leaders like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln were Christians, yes. But they lived it not by their empty exhortations before television cameras. They left their imprints through their intellectual contributions and the moral character of their governments. The Bush government cannot lay claim to any of these. Its only religion is profit. Its claim to compassionate conservatism is as puerile as the mandate Bush claims. Since he became president, more Americans have become poor, and more people in the world have been impoverished. A Christian government will not go to war in an Islamic country because it was desired by a vice-president who represents interests that want to control Iraqi oil. All those evangelicals who voted for Bush on account of his opposition to abortion and not the total content of his faith, are accomplices in the scorching war the far-right is waging against the world. Hungary, Heise "...What strategists from both sides didn't count on was the Iraqi insurgency which not only killed over 1,100 American soldiers and wounded some 30,000 so far, but that it would actually make the problem of the world's oil supply even worse. The Chinese have indeed turned out to be a major importer of oil, and OPEC doesn't have the capacity to meet demand. "Meanwhile, sabotage of the oil fields and pipelines in Iraq has made oil traders very nervous. "From this angle, it can be seen why the American political establishment is not keen to bring the troops back, despite the fact that it's now commonly accepted that the war was wrong. But there is also the question of prestige: after the humiliation of Vietnam, the American military can't admit that it was defeated in the deserts of the Middle East by highly skilled guerrillas. And so the war will go on, spilling both precious blood and oil in the process. " "Although George W. Bush is clearly not very intelligent (his command of English and knowledge of geography is often ridiculed both at home and abroad), his image actually appeals to many Americans. The way Bush thinks, acts, and talks -- not to mention his arrogance -- mirrors that of the average American, who is often proud of the fact that they don't know too much and are isolated from the rest of the world. Along these lines, many are able to identify with George W. Bush. " Japan, The Asahi Shimbun "Kerry assailed the president for isolating the United States in the international scene and losing jobs at home despite the economic recovery. Kerry pleaded for reunification of the United States that became divided in the four years under the Bush administration. His plea won over independent and young voters. The tightly contested race showed how divided the United States has become. "The first task for the new administration is to put the situation in Iraq on track. The United States must, first of all, repair relations with its European allies that were damaged over the opening of the war and its occupation in Iraq. It is also essential for the country to have deeper cooperation with the United Nations and Arab countries. If the United States continues to put international cooperation on the back burner and is absorbed in containing anti-American forces on the strength of its military power, stability and reconstruction of Iraq will only recede further into the background. "Regaining the Arab world's trust in the United States also requires positive U.S. involvement in creating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. The United States should change its stance leaning toward Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's administration in Israel and have it sit on the table for making serious efforts for peace. "In many countries in Europe and other parts of the world where pre-election opinion polls were carried out, most people showed support for Kerry rather than Bush. The president should not make light of this fact. He should aim to build a United States that is respected rather than hated by changing his policy toward Iraq and peacemaking efforts in the Middle East. "The world cannot be moved without the participation of the United States, but the United States cannot move the world in a direction it wants unless it wins the sympathy of the world. "If the Bush administration does not change the trajectory it took during the president's first term, the rift with European countries will become irreparable to the detriment of U.S. interests. "The third task is to prevent the growing ``twin deficits''-the deficits in trade and budget-from rocking the foundation of the American economy. Economic growth in the United States, along with that of China, has been the locomotive of the world economy in the past several years. But many forecast the U.S. economy will slow down in 2005 due to rising interest rates and higher oil prices. " "If President Bush is to patch up the deepening rifts both within the United States and with other countries, he must have the courage to respect the positions of others, bury the hatchet and join hands with them. The Philippines "Americans have a full appreciation of their nation's immense power but, in general, they tend to have a retarded view of the great responsibility that comes with this power. Global in reach, they remain incredibly parochial in consciousness. "The presidential election last Tuesday brought out the power of insular Middle America. Conservative, deeply nationalistic, moralistic and wary of foreigners, this side of America found its voice in George W. Bush. "We were wrong to think that, with Iraq and the global war on terror emerging as the focal point in the presidential debates, voters would see the folly of having gone to war alone and the danger of further isolation. We forgot that the average American does not read the New York Times or the Washington Post or watch BBC. He would not be able to point Iraq, Afghanistan and the Philippines on the map. While he would be distressed by the number of dead American soldiers being brought home from the war front, he would be unaffected by any suggestion that his country has violated any international law. It is an ironic fact that foreign affairs remains foreign to most Americans. This election was inward-looking, and probably even more so than previous US elections. "The Democrats must now re-assess their situation to be able to fight for a more tolerant and progressive America. Democracy is no good without an effective opposition, and an American Empire run by a triumphalist right-wing party is a big danger to the rest of the world. " There's a terrorist behind every Bush.



		PolytheneSam 11-10-04 22:12				They're faking it. They don't want to be ... (Rated as: incomprehensible)

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