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If We Want the World to Respect Us Again...

By Kat on February 4, 2008 | | Comments (7)

[Kat]

Our very first act would be to elect Hillary Clinton president. No, seriously. If that's our concern, "America's standing" in the world. In other words, who likes us and wants to follow us.

No, I'm not shilling for a candidate. In fact, Hillary only makes it on my list of candidates under glass that reads, "La Medici: Break in case of loss of world standing or someone needs killed quietly".

Then again, that could be right now.

(continued in flash traffic)

It all started over at Small Wars Journal, a discussion was started on the boards regarding "America's Relationships in Disrepair". It was based on a question posed by the Foreign Policy Institute: What single policy or gesture can the next president of the United States make to improve America’s standing in the world?

Some of the responses were interesting, several of them were down right egregious and would probably see the next president never being elected again or their party thrown out of public office for 30 years. It did get me thinking about who the next likely and most appropriate president should be to deliver this goodness to the world. The more I thought, the more I leaned towards Hillary Clinton.

Reason #1: Sometimes We Need a Swift Kick in the Pants

Hillary has all the best qualities necessary to deal with world leaders. She can relate to them politically and economically. Most of them are socialists like her, but got their money from drowning in the capitalist dream. Or, stealing it from other people. Whichever was easiest at the time. Like them, she sees no hypocrisy, no moral dilemma in espousing socialism for everyone else while she lives the fat capitalist's dream, stashing millions away under tax breaks and protection schemes while the rest of the regular Joes try to figure out where their next paycheck is coming from.

But, don't worry, she'll be telling us its all for the greater good. Something else she has in common with the erstwhile world and its leaders. Elect Hillary and we'll get more of that along with an extra heaping helping of respect from all those countries who will be happy to see Americans finally having to pay taxes like they do while she kicks the American individualism out of us.

The world will be so happy!

Hillary '08: When America needs a good, swift kick in the pants!

(This post was not approved by the Hillary campaign nor the owner of this blog. It is strictly the observations of an undecided, independent voter who has never contributed any funds to any political party or candidate for any reason. Neither the length of this post nor the time you took reading it while getting paid for work you didn't do implies any "in kind" contributions to the Hillary Clinton campaign nor any of her competitors. This disclaimer required under McCain-Fiengold and various other legislature smashing free speech.)

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7 Comments

By fdcol63 on February 4, 2008 6:53 AM
I want our friends and potential allies (those who share many of our values, goals, needs, and desires) to like us. I'll settle for the fear and respect of those who don't.
 
By John of Argghhh! on February 4, 2008 9:24 AM
The best satire is that which leaves you wondering...
 
By kat-missouri on February 4, 2008 10:31 AM
Hmm...I got more. I just didn't want to use up all my campaign time in one post.
 
By AFSister on February 4, 2008 11:13 AM
I guess it all depends on who you want respect and admiration from. You want to be admired and respected by the faint of heart, who believe in socialized medicine, and by those with a "stand by your man because he'll lead me to greater position in life" mentality.. go ahead. Vote for Billary. You want to be admired and respected by newbies in the world of international relations, and those supported by anti-military groups like MoveOn.org and anti-military celebrities... go ahead. Vote for Billary. Vote for Osama Obama. If you want to be admired and respected by countries who believe in men with a spine, a man who will stand up for others, a man who is committed to properly removing our troops from the ME and a man who will (unfortunately and shamefully) stand up for illegals over the rights of his own citizens... Vote for McCain. If you want to be admired and respected by countries with christian-like religious beliefs, who support us in the GWOT (yeah, I know, it's not technically called that anymore, but it quacks like duck and waddles like a duck, kwim?), who believe that anyone in their country should be there legally, and agree that private gun ownership should be allowed but regulated.. then you vote for Romney. And if you don't vote at all, or throw your vote away on a write-in in the final election, be prepared to say either President Obama or President Clinton (AGAIN).
 
By fdcol63 on February 4, 2008 12:54 PM
Exactly, AFSister. Instead of always worrying about why these other countries don't still respect US, perhaps we should acknowledge that the problem is THEM .... and celebrate the difference. Personally, I don't think they ever did really "like" us. They merely "tolerate" us until they need us to save them from their own self-induced horrors and crises. WW1, WW2 & the Holocaust, the Cold War, Bosnia/Kosovo, and their unwillingness to confront today's Islamist jihadism all show just how empty the notions of European "sophistication", "diplomatic prowess" and military capabilities actually are.
 
By AFSister on February 4, 2008 9:58 PM
Personally, I don't think they ever did really "like" us. They merely "tolerate" us until they need us to save them from their own self-induced horrors and crises. I feel the same way. Seems to me that the answer to all of the world's problems lies within the US- at least that's what the rest of the world thinks. I guess I'd rather be in that position that be believed to be the CAUSE of all of the world's problems, but still....
 
By fdcol63 on February 5, 2008 8:51 AM
Europeans and Old Worlders. 1) They call us "imperialists" and "oppressors". They should know, they actually WERE imperialists who oppressed others while looting and pillaging their natural resources. 2) They call us "fascists" and "despots". They should know. They actually HAVE BEEN and ARE fascists and despots. 3) They call us "warmongers". They should know. They actually started 2 world wars and an assortment of other continental and global conflicts. 4) They call us "genocidal ethnic cleansers". They should know. They've "cleansed" and "purged" millions in the religious wars of the Reformation, the Holocaust and WW2, Stalin's purges, Mao's Cultural Revolution, the Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge, Bosnia/Kosovo, etc. 5) They call us "naive" and "ignorant" and "unsophisticated", yet their own sophistication, intellect, and experience helped create all of the evils listed above. Despite, or some might say because of, our "naivety", "inexperience", and "ignorance", we've created a culture of can-do people who optimistically strive to do good for ourselves and others. We've largely avoided making the same mistakes our European and Old World "betters" have made, and we've been the ones they look to for salvation from their own self-created crises. We may be a country that can trace its origins to Europe and elsewhere in the Old World, but we ARE NOT they. Every European, Asian, or African who came to America did so to escape the blight, oppression, and political systems of their home lands. It makes no sense to attempt to make THIS country more like THEM. We are BETTER than they are precisely because of who and what we are - the progeny of the best and brightest of those Europeans and Old Worlders who sought a better life for themselves and their children, and who had the courage and conviction -- and who made the sacrifice - to leave their families and friends to seek that better life. As a country made up of immigrants from all around the globe, we ARE the world - more so than the homogeneous Germans, French, Danes, Asians, or others who've remained in their comparatively isolated enclaves. That's why OUR culture is inherently superior to theirs, and that's why it's being universally adopted by others despite their protestations. Let them grumble in their envy and let us ignore their criticisms while we remain true to our own values and ideals. We should never be "one of the herd" or more "like them". Our obligation is to use the collective wisdom of all the cultures that make up America ... to LEAD.
 
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