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Obama: ‘We can’t hide behind a wall’

X

Xando

Member
The former US president, Barack Obama, has made a plea for international engagement as he told an audience of tens of thousands in Berlin that “we can’t hide behind a wall.”

Obama was discussing democracy and global responsibility with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, as the country marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. It was Obama’s first speaking event in Europe since leaving the White House in January.

At the 18th-century monument in Berlin that has also heard celebrated speeches from Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, Obama and Merkel took questions about shaping democracy from a teacher, an actor, a social worker and a student.

In questions to both leaders on the refugee crisis, Obama said nation states had a duty to help people in need but also to make clear to their own populations the interconnected nature of the world.

“One way we can do a better job is to create more opportunities for people in their home countries,” he said. “When we provide development aid to Africa or we are involved in conflict resolution in areas where war has been taking place, we make investments to try to deal with climate change … Those things we do not do just for charity, not just because they are the right thing to do.

“If there are disruptions in these countries, if there is bad governance, if there is war or if there is poverty, in this new world that we live in we can’t isolate ourselves: we can’t hide behind a wall.”
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More at link

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...ma-draws-crowd-of-tens-of-thousands-in-berlin
 
D

Dusk Golem

A 21st Century Rockefeller
1cl7u4.jpg



The wall is fucking useless and a waste of time and money which I agree paints the US as just hiding behind tackling the real problems and isolating ourselves is dumb but probably what Trump's done base want to protect their glass-thick viewpoints.
 
D

danm999

Member
A Pew Research Center survey last June found 77% of Europeans had confidence in Obama – and 9% in the man who has now succeeded him.
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One of the craziest things that was ever thrown at Obama during his time in office by the right was that he made the United States a weak mockery in the eyes of the world. Apology tour, allies disheartened, enemies emboldened, etc.

In reality America hit its nadir in global perception under Bush and recovered massively under Obama. Needless to say Trump is shredding all that good work having managed to piss of most of Europe, Canada, Australia, Israel, etc.
 
R

Red

Member
Two terms is a good rule. Imagine if the term limit was abolished with a Trump in the White House.
 
G

gamz

Member
danm999 said:
One of the craziest things that was ever thrown at Obama during his time in office by the right was that he made the United States a weak mockery in the eyes of the world. Apology tour, allies disheartened, enemies emboldened, etc.

In reality America hit its nadir in global perception under Bush and recovered massively under Obama. Needless to say Trump is shredding all that good work having managed to piss of most of Europe, Canada, Australia, Israel, etc.
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In less then 100 days.

It's not even so much that it's being laughed at by the world is embarrassing.
 
H

HeatBoost

Member
HStallion said:
Nah you just live behind drone strikes in Obama's world.
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The drone strikes are still going on (and then some) and I don't think any of them were aimed at Central and South America

Presenting the idea of the wall as an act of cowardice is pretty shrewd. It speaks to the same kind of dumb emotional "reasoning" that makes people wanna build a wall in the first place.
 
C

Chaos2Frozen

Member
Holy shit, I understood every sentence and paragraph out of this President's mouth!

Hell, you don't even have to twist anything to make sense!
 
T

ThLunarian

Member
Red said:
Two terms is a good rule. Imagine if the term limit was abolished with a Trump in the White House.
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If this happened, Obama would pull a Return of the King and dominate whoever it was.

I agree with you about two terms; I just wanted to fantasize about that for a second
 
L

Lil'DigiOp

Member
HeatBoost said:
The drone strikes are still going on (and then some) and I don't think any of them were aimed at Central and South America

Presenting the idea of the wall as an act of cowardice is pretty shrewd. It speaks to the same kind of dumb emotional "reasoning" that makes people wanna build a wall in the first place.
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It is cowardice...

Your gonna try and build a wall, waste funds and resources, that's going result in fuck all changing... nothing will change.

What you do is get knee and elbows deep in immigration reform. Change the whole system. but they will never fucking do it for whatever reason.
Regardless, that's the "brave" response.

Edit: mainly because the idiots in office don't realize that the majority of "illegals" came here and let the visa expire... no one is jumping the border like that. it's a completely shit idea.
 
K

KDR_11k

Member
Red said:
Two terms is a good rule. Imagine if the term limit was abolished with a Trump in the White House.
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That requires Trump to remain popular for the whole time. As it is he'll have trouble even hitting his term limit, especially if he continues to not deliver what his base wants.
 
S

Skellig Gra

Member
BodiesWithoutOrgans said:
I'm Irish and live in Ireland but why can't that man be president of America forever you Americans had it so good
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He would die eventually and then we could get stuck with someone like Trump for his whole life. Obama was a good president but he had many flaws. He just looks amazing next to Trump, which just about anyone would at this point unfortunately.
 
K

Kor of Memory

Member
SilentRob said:
Especially with him sitting next to Merkel this whole time:
Your "two terms only" rule is stupid.
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cackhyena said:
It's really not.
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The only way I'd be okay with bypassing the two term rule is if each term required even more of win.

Like, if the first win requires 270, then the second win requires 320, and the third win 370, and the fourth 420.

Or, if we abolish the EC like we should, then 50% of the Pop Vote, then 60%, then 70%, etc...
 
A

Alienous

Member
But the idea behind 'the wall' isn't to hide from Mexico, it's to keep people out.

It's not cowardly, it's asshole-ish.
 
K

Kor of Memory

Member
C.Mongler said:
We especially can't hide behind a wall if it's only 74 miles long
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Well, we're using Operation: Get behind the Darkies in conjunction with Operation: Human Shield as pulled from the playbook of the famous USA/Canada War of 1999. This will help cover the areas the fence can't afford.
 
J

Jmille99

Member
Obama - A president who makes one wish the two-term rule was abolished.

Trump - A president who makes one wish it was shorter than one-term
 
S

SolarPowered

Member
Hollywood Duo said:
He would die eventually and then we could get stuck with someone like Trump for his whole life. Obama was a good president but he had many flaws. He just looks amazing next to Trump, which just about anyone would at this point unfortunately.
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He could have been much better if he had a mildly cooperative congress to work with. This congress would probably try to cut FDR's health benefits and call Nixon a pinko commie for opening relations with communist China.
 
A

Armaros

Member
The President has wayyyyyy more power then Various Prime Minister offices to be allowed more then two terms.

The scope of powers are not comparable generally. Most notably, the executive direct control over the military.
 
T

The Kree

Banned
maximum360 said:
I wonder if Obama will hit Reagan status for liberals after the thing that is the Trump presidency.
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He won't because liberals demand perfection and Obama wasn't perfect. Only thing conservatives demand from their icons is that they be old unqualified bigoted white guys.
 
S

Shake Appeal

Member
BodiesWithoutOrgans said:
I'm Irish and live in Ireland but why can't that man be president of America forever you Americans had it so good
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A Republican Congress wanted to stop Democrats from electing FDR over and over, so now there are term limits to stop the public from electing young, smart Obama instead of a 70 year-old drooling imbecile narcissistic conman.

Of course, during the Reagan years, they wanted term limits gone.
 
T

TheOMan

Tagged as I see fit
Kor of Memory said:
The only way I'd be okay with bypassing the two term rule is if each term required even more of win.

Like, if the first win requires 270, then the second win requires 320, and the third win 370, and the fourth 420.

Or, if we abolish the EC like we should, then 50% of the Pop Vote, then 60%, then 70%, etc...
Click to expand...

I don't know... you really want to have a country run by somebody that couldn't even get the majority of the country to vote for him/her?


Oh....wait.
 
A

Akuun

Looking for meaning in GAF
Obama looks so much more relaxed now.

Merkel is probably relieved at being able to talk to Obama like a human being rather than the super awkward shitshows she had to endure with that... thing that's currently in the White House.
 
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