Obama’s Cairo Speech

For all the blistering that I, and many others here, give to Obama for his continuation of the Bush/Cheney duplicity on wiretapping, privacy, torture and Executive Branch primacy issues, there are similarly a great many areas in which he is so many light years ahead of where we have been moribund for the last eight years that it is hard to remember we are still in the same galaxy. This morning’s speech in Cairo was one of those moments driving home the difference.

Spencer has posted the full text of the speech, and some good comment. Click the link and read the full text of the speech, it is well worth it.

It was a remarkable speech. This is a not just a speech that George Bush would not have given, but a speech he functionally could not have given; even with wordsmith speechwriters and handlers, he simply doesn’t have the intellectual depth, greater worldview or oratorical skill to have pulled off what Obama did. If there is a hope for peaceful and productive coexistence with the Islamic world, and peace in the middle east, this speech will be the first linchpin of Obama’s effort in that regard.

He was visionary:

No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Koran tells us, “Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.” That is what I will try to do – to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.

He was challenging and proud of America:

But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire. We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal, and we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words – within our borders, and around the world. We are shaped by every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept: E pluribus unum: "Out of many, one."

Humble, but unapologetic, as to our mistakes:

Let me also address the issue of Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible. Indeed, we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said: “I hope that our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us that the less we use our power the greater it will be.”

But most of all, he played both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian issue like a Stradivarius:

Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed – more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, ignorant, and hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction – or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews – is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve.

On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations – large and small – that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own.

Obama gave weight to both and tough love to each, you really have to read it all to get the effect, but the point is clear: Obama cares about the middle east and he is going to make a strong play on middle east peace, on a retooled and equilibrated plane. It is a legitimate effort, and contrary to all the initial fears, Obama and his Secretary of State are, so far, on exactly the same page and slowly but surely setting the stage.

Obama hit on several other topics in Cairo including peace in the middle east above and beyond the I-P situation, nuclear weapons in the world, the will of the world’s people and democracy, religious tolerance (noting specifically and candidly the pains of Muslim intolerance) and economic development and opportunity. Of particular significance were his words on women’s rights:

I know there is debate about this issue. I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality. And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well-educated are far more likely to be prosperous.

Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons, and our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity – men and women – to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice. That is why the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams.

Considering the forum, and it coming hot on the heels of his time in Saudi Arabia, the support for women’s rights in Muslim lands are welcome and bold words. It is also something that both his Secretary of State and wife Michelle are focusing on too. It is a worthy effort.

Make no mistake, this was nothing more than a speech, and just one speech at that. But it was dignified, powerful and in a setting that conveyed the importance of the moment. We here in the US have quickly become used to seeing Obama and his soaring rhetoric, but this speech in Cairo will leave a mark and, from what I saw, a good one. And Obama, as is his style, is insuring mass saturation to the maximum market, especially through the modalities that will reach and affect youth. The early reports are that the response on these alternate modalities is huge; good, let the youth carry the message. The key is not how Obama’s speech and visit plays here at home, but what lasting imprint it makes there. Again, I think it is going to leave a good mark.

Barack Obama’s foreign policy surge, especially in the middle east, is still in its infancy, but it is a joy to watch so far. This truly is the hope we all sensed from Obama during the election. Hopefully today’s Cairo speech, like the sun rising on the pyramids, is the dawn of a new interaction of the United States with the the middle east and Muslim world.

image_print
114 replies
  1. JThomason says:

    I agree that this was a watershed speech like the one he gave in Berlin and it did encompass a noble vision and spoke spiritual truth at a critical time but I could not help but grieve for the civilians casualties especially in Iraq and Pakistan as Obama spoke of the ideal of protecting the innocent. His lack of outrage for where we are, in apparently eschewing consequences for those perpetrating civilian loss and war crimes in our name, undermines his moral authority. And though I too would like to find such a place, where, in fact, is this world without consequence in which Obama resides?

  2. puravida says:

    “Hopefully today’s Cairo speech, like the sun rising on the pyramids, is the dawn of a new interaction of the United States with the the middle east and Muslim world.”

    I completely agree.

    However…there are many actors on this stage, and some will use violence and death to snuff out this new beginning. The test will be in the U.S.’s continued leadership when the violence occurs.

    • paz3 says:

      However…there are many actors on this stage, and some will use violence and death to snuff out this new beginning. The test will be in the U.S.’s continued leadership when the violence occurs.

      Yes, and there are those in this country who will use mendacity and fear to attempt to snuff out this new beginning.

      As Pogo said so famously, “we have met the enemy, and he is us.”

  3. lllphd says:

    bmaz, this remarkable review – with its depth and insight and generosity – shows precisely what an outstanding mind you are. thank you so much; could not agree more on every point.

    • BooRadley says:

      Seconded.

      bmaz, you, as many of the great writers at FDL do, routinely make tough stuff accessible without draining it of all of its nuance.

      I know it when I read it, but except on a few select topics, I can’t duplicate it.

  4. Phoenix Woman says:

    “I know there is debate about this issue. I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality. And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well-educated are far more likely to be prosperous.”

    Dang. This is just excellent.

  5. bobschacht says:

    bmaz,
    You don’t suppose Obama was attempting to be… (gasp) even-handed, do you?

    It has always amazed me how the militant Zi*n*st forces get really, really upset when American politicians talk about being even-handed in the Middle East. It is the only place in the political sphere where being even-handed is deemed totally unacceptable.

    Bob in HI

  6. freepatriot says:

    so our Guy did Okay ???

    we’re watchin a MASTER player here, folks

    Bill Clinton is on his way to being the second greatest political operator I’ve ever seen

    the word “Genius” gets overused, but it might fit here

    how is this playing with the Rushbo Newtster Cheney crowd ???

    are heads explodin much ???

    • BooRadley says:

      I hope you’re right.

      Your knowledge of and references to Lincoln’s keen political sense and strategic positioning are spot on.

      • freepatriot says:

        it’s a low bar to clear, but Obama is doing WAAAAAY better than Abe was at this point

        South Carolina ain’t declared war on us yet

        an ya can’t really blame texas on Obama …

        but seriously, on the real “inside baseball” part of politics, this guy is GOOD

  7. TarheelDem says:

    for his continuation of the Bush/Cheney duplicity on wiretapping, privacy, torture and Executive Branch primacy issues,

    All of the shoes have not dropped on these issues yet. Courts are a big part of the picture. Obeying court orders that limit Executive Branch primacy will be more long-lasting than unilaterally declaring the he for his administration forgoes these elements of the Bush/Cheney putsch.

    And the longer he delays in dealing legally with the architects of torture the more they will think they are home free and will confess. Not to mention the more research Marcy will have delivered. Right now, the Truth Commission idea is off the table primarily because so much has become known. Anyone *cough, cough* Rick Sanchez *cough, cough* who advocates now for a truth commission is transparently looking for immunity.

    Now to the speech, will the Congress put money behind all of those development aid ideas he snuck into the end of the speech or will they take the attitude that war is not too costly but peace certainly is.

    And exactly what did Abdullah and Mubarak talk about with Obama, given the tone of the speech. Did he say, “Guess what Mr. Wisdom and Mr. Stability, I’m gonna give you heartburn?”

    • freepatriot says:

      All of the shoes have not dropped on these issues yet

      don’t think “shoes”

      think CARDS

      Obama is a poker player

      dead eye dick keeps raising the pot, and handing Obama cards

      the repuglitards are being played

      we go “All In” in 2012

      the repuglitards are gonna be forced to defend torture

      or throw cheney to the wolves

      (the crystal bong has spoken)

  8. Petrocelli says:

    Great insight as always, bmaz !

    As a Canuck and furrener, I give Obama’s speech an “A” for intent. It is hard to recruit fanatics in the Arab World when a guy that looks like them and has a name like theirs is POTUS.

    This speech was a resounding victory for moderates in Arab countries because it gives them momentum and inspiration while taking that away from fundies.

  9. freepatriot says:

    so I read the speach. I turned the sound off, so I don’t have to listen to chicken noodle network misinform me. And this is what I found:

    Good speech. two solid pokes at lushbo (Nobel prize and congressional oaths on Jefferson’s Koran), and he lumped lushbo in with osama bin laden

    some dissemination an obfusicification (Morrocco ???) along with a slight acknowledgment of our disastrous past in the mideast

    an then it kinda evolved into an international version of “I have a Dream”

    pretty effective stuff, I think

    let’s see what effects it has

    has lushbo had his hissy fit yet ??

    • Petrocelli says:

      I fully expect them to splice all his pro-Islam statements together and reveal the hidden agenda of BHO to their devout followers …

      • freepatriot says:

        and THEN South Carolina declares war on us …

        it’s all so clear now

        (duckin & runnin)

      • JThomason says:

        BHO did wander into the waters comparing the “New Age” to the “New World Order.”

      • Styve says:

        I guess the Right is going to say that Obama is appeasing our enemies by owning up to the 1953 coup in Iran.

        Obama admits US involvement in Iran coup in 1953

        Published: Thursday June 4, 2009

        US President Barack Obama made a major gesture of conciliation to Iran on Thursday when he admitted US involvement in the 1953 coup which overthrew the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.

        “In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government,” Obama said during his keynote speech to the Muslim world in Cairo.

        It is the first time a serving US president has publicly admitted American involvement in the coup.

        The CIA, with British backing, masterminded the coup after Mossadegh nationalised the oil industry, run until then in by the British-owned Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.

        For many Iranians, the coup demonstrated duplicity by the United States, which presented itself as a defender of freedom but did not hesitate to use underhand methods to get rid of a democratically elected government to suit its own economic and strategic interests.

        Obama also said: “For many years, Iran has defined itself in part by its opposition to my country, and there is in fact a tumultuous history between us.

        “Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has played a role in acts of hostage-taking and violence against U.S. troops and civilians. This history is well known.

        “Rather than remain trapped in the past, I’ve made it clear to Iran’s leaders and people that my country is prepared to move forward. The question now is not what Iran is against, but rather what future it wants to build.”

        Shortly after Obama’s inauguration on January 20, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad demanded apologies for “crimes” he said the United States had committed against Iran, starting with the 1953 coup.

        • Petrocelli says:

          He deftly puts the ball in Ahmediamtwoface’s court – “The question now is not what Iran is against, but rather what future it wants to build.”

        • foothillsmike says:

          I would be fascinated to know what was said in the debate today in Iran between Ahmadenijad and his main oponent in the upcoming election.

        • Petrocelli says:

          I have a Persian friend who watches all these debates … will e-mail her and let you know what was said.

        • Petrocelli says:

          Persians are passionate about this stuff … they will record and watch their debates several times and have debates about those debates … *g*

        • esseff44 says:

          I was going through the SC cases yesterday and came across one where a lower court had awarded an Iranian expat a judgement against for the alleged assination of his brother in Paris some years ago. He was awarded $28 million in damages and $300 million in punitive damages. OUCH! How many of these are there. He had received $23 from a US fund set up to pay uncollectible judgements. Under the sanctions, there are all kinds of ways of soaking up their foreign exchange to bring them to their knees. These lawsuits seem like one of the ways since they are default judgements and there is no way they can defend against these cases. What would we say if it were the other way around?

          Does anyone know more of these cases and awards?

  10. Leen says:

    Obama’s change of tone having to do with the I/P conflict was refreshing. Hopefully that tone turns into changes on the ground.

    • Petrocelli says:

      Looking at his lineup [Obama, Biden, HRC, Mitchell, Presidents Carter & Clinton] I don’t see how anyone could doubt that this admin. will adopt a full Court press on a MidEast peace deal. The bigger question is, how much will Congress support or obstruct this effort.

  11. Leen says:

    Listening to Amy Goodman and her coverage on the speech. She had Prof Juan Cole on to discuss the speech. Not there yet

    http://www.democracynow.org/

    Have heard numerous folks bring up how Obama did not apologize for the death and destruction in Iraq

    As you pointed out EW we have come along way since the persistent “axis of evil” warmongering to Obama today “And I’m also proud to carry with me the good will of the American people and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: As’salaamu alaykum.”

  12. emerson says:

    To this point- try to record “Wiewpoint with James Zoghby” on Link TV NOW. Obama’s speech is the topic. Queen Noor is the current guest. He alsways has great guests

  13. demi says:

    What a nice thread. A word of hope, peace and grace. We all need it. We all deserve it. Thank you.

  14. ART45 says:

    There s a polluted river.

    A notable person says the river will be cleaned. Because he knows saying so will play well.

    Do we focus on the words?

    Or the river?

    By the way, I hope the river gets cleaned. I really hope that.

    • demi says:

      I think we should celebrate at moment of goodness.
      Shall we gather at the river? Please don’t only focus on the pollution. It’s been there, always. Check out the freshness, the renewal, once in a while. It is there, too.

  15. newtonusr says:

    Just finished watching. Remarkable.
    And the whackjobs response is predictable. Liz “beard” Cheney encapsulated it quite fully on Wolfie a few minutes ago.

    She is a colossal tool.

    • Petrocelli says:

      Dude !

      How happy were the translators that they no longer have to decipher Bush’s speeches ?

        • demi says:

          Wouldn’t it be fun if we could do that? Hello? We don’t like you, go away. I thought our government was based on theirs? Okay, okay, I’m stupid.

        • newtonusr says:

          Remember that their mission statement is:
          When you have your opponents shocked and furious at your intransigence and antipathy, it’s time to step it up.
          When your opponents believe you couldn’t be more shameless, step it up.
          When you have cheated and plundered your nation and the planet quakes at your seeming inability to perceive your own ugly countenance, step it up.

        • Petrocelli says:

          Heard in the Translator’s studio: Ummm … how to say “Yo” in Arabic, then explain why Idiot MonkeyBoy calls his Poodle in such a casual manner ?

        • Petrocelli says:

          Only when you address someone named Gert … Yo Gert !

          Thenk ya, thenk ya, I’m here all week … try the Veal !

  16. Leen says:

    Have heard the term “concrete steps” quite a few times today in regard to Obama’s speech
    ———————————-

    JUAN COLE: Well, I think it is a historic speech, and I think it’s comparable to the kind of speech that Roosevelt gave in the ’30s, when he changed around US relationship to Latin America and adopted a good neighbor policy. And I think historians will look back upon it as a turning point.

    It is true that, you know, it is a little bit generalized, but he had so many important highlights with regard to the US relationship with the Muslim world. He emphasized the importance of the Muslim American community. And he did address some specifics that are important. I mean, opinion polls show that what the Arab world, in particular, cares about most is the US getting out of Iraq. And Obama was very forthright on that issue. They say they care about, you know, not being humiliated by Western dominance. He made pledges in that regard.

    And, of course, they care very much about the plight of the Palestinians, and Obama went further in talking about displacement, the situation of refugees, the lack of a state, than I can’t think—I can’t think of any other president that’s gone that far in empathizing with the Palestinian situation.

    JUAN COLE: Well, despite Obama’s pledge to speak very frankly and forthrightly, he did tiptoe around a little bit. He—really, it’s the first time, I think, he’s talked about the humiliation and the economic problems of Palestinians who are under essentially Israeli blockade in Gaza and these checkpoints in the West Bank and so forth. But, you know, a recent study has found that ten percent of Gazan children are actually stunted by lack of nutrition. I mean, the Israelis—you know, one Israeli official said they were going to put the Palestinians on a diet. They really are not letting in enough food for the Gazans. So, this is an intolerable situation. You know, it’s something that goes beyond the polite words that Obama used. But he really has gone further in this regard, I think, than any other American president.
    http://www.democracynow.org/20…..le_and_the

  17. esseff44 says:

    The speech was impressive and I expect it to resonate across the globe. I was paying attention the applause points. It seemed that he also expected some applause at points where he didn’t get it. There were expectant silent pauses in a few spots. The audience applauded all the points that the wingers will attack such as the times when he quoted the Quran.

    The one and only big surprise was the acknowledgement of the US role in the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Iran. That was the first time I have heard any official come close to that and it has been one of Iran’s big choking points. I don’t believe that most Americans have any idea what he was referring to, but everyone in the ME would. The same for the colonial references. He would do well to educate people here on those points of history.

    It was a mighty fine speech. The trouble is that the next thing I turned to in the news was the fact that the Senate has passed a bill suppressing all photographic records of detainees by the military which was sponsored by Graham and Lieberman and supported by the White House. Transparancy? Respect for Rule of Law? Respect for Human Rights? Back to reality and out of the pink clouds and lofty visions of peace and good-will.

    • bmaz says:

      Aw jeebus, now you had to go and piss me off about Obama again. And after had gone out of my way to be all nice and positive for the day!

      • freepatriot says:

        never fuck with a streak, dude

        sides, that’s kinda our job

        eternal vigilance, an all …

        it gets a bit boring, but what ya gonna do

        it’s always something …

  18. STTPinOhio says:

    Ron Christie is an embarrassment to my race.

    Right up there with Clarence Thomas.

    Just shameful GOP lackeys.

    • Petrocelli says:

      Whatever happened to that Preacher Dude who used to lambast BO during the Election race ?

        • Petrocelli says:

          I believe he was a Preacher from a suspect Congregation in Philly …

          Who’re you betting on tonight ?

        • demi says:

          Hello???? This is FiredogLAKE, not firedogmag.
          Got it?
          Oh, yeah, I need to go get a beer for later. Barbequing hangabers for sup.

        • STTPinOhio says:

          Who’re you betting on tonight ?

          I don’t know what you’re talking about there either!

          But seriously folks…

          As you know my hearts not in it, but the Lakers should win tonight & in 6-7 games, primarily because of 4 games at home.

        • STTPinOhio says:

          No sweetie, he used to appear on CNN and totally knock every point of Obama …

          I know who you’re referencing … Joe Watkins, Watson whatever.

        • STTPinOhio says:

          He still pops up from time to time, but has outlived most of his usefulness with the election over and Obama doing so well.

          In addition, I’ll bet he’s been taking it in the shorts at the collection plate given Obama’s approval ratings among African Americans.

          Another reason to tone down the nonsense.

        • Petrocelli says:

          Thanks dude ! I figured that Sharpton must’ve told him to STFU or be smacked around on Live TeeVee.

          Wouldn’t that be an overmatch … Sharpton V Watkins

      • STTPinOhio says:

        But, his new “glasses” distract from his eye thing.
        I know, not relevant. Sorry.

        I try with all my might not to ‘go there’

        Thanks for doing it for me.

        Goofy looking *&^*((%$!

  19. DrZen says:

    God, you people are easily fooled. Fine words butter no parsnips, and there’s nothing concrete in there. Bush also demanded an end to settlements and did nothing, and Obama’s actions towards the Muslim world, you know, what actually counts, have been to extend the war on Islam in Afghanistan, to extend the policy of arbitrarily detaining Muslims without charge and to continue to talk a good game on Israel but keep sending the money for the bullets that kill Muslims whenever its proxy feels like it.

  20. ART45 says:

    There is a polluted river.

    Everyone here is willing to do what I did at age 14: build a raft out of available materials and sail down the river, to islands, and maybe beyond.

    Obama knows the river is polluted.

    So do you.

      • ART45 says:

        I’d accept the nickel anytime.

        I collect coins, especially wheat pennies.

        In 1955, in Aurora, Illinois, I found a 1913 nickel. Not worth much today.

        But a true reward.

    • esseff44 says:

      Here’s another link to Iranian news that previews the speech and asks the tough questions about the Roadmap and the hurdles to be overcome. They have no expectations he is going to be able to get Netenyahu to make any concessions on the settlements.

      http://www.iran-daily.com/1388/3415/html/

      I would say that is the key to Obama being taken seriously in the Arab and Muslim world.

      I want to keep checking to see if and when they say something about 1953 involvement in overthrow. They did react positively to his recognizing their nuclear energy position.

  21. STTPinOhio says:

    And I can’t leave this thread without offering up props to bmaz for this excellent post.

    The opening paragraph nails it for me; he (Obama) often frustrates me, but I too, often feel like (oh heck, I’ll just let bmaz say it again):

    there are similarly a great many areas in which he is so many light years ahead of where we have been moribund for the last eight years that it is hard to remember we are still in the same galaxy.

    • Petrocelli says:

      Bmaz’s words were stellar. Obama’s words will work against him to a degree … it places high expectations of him.

      I truly believe that, in about 7 & 1/2 years, many of us will look back and marvel at what he accomplished.

      • STTPinOhio says:

        Obama talks the talk
        Mr. President walk the walk.

        Your comment suggests a lack of accomplishments in his first 120+ days.

        I’d heartily beg to differ.

  22. Leen says:

    So much about Obama’s speech that was such an inspiration. But when he says things like “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” and “people of the world can live in peace”

    and then tells the Iraqi people that they are better off without Saddam. I just keep thinking about the hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqi people in Iraq due to our invasion, the Drones that the U.S. is sending over Afghanistan and Pakistan killing innocent people. Tough to buy Obama’s rap…especially if half or all of your family has been murdered by U.s. forces

    Drone attacks?Only 14 Terrorist killed and more than 700 civilians killed?2% terrorist and 98% civilian?
    http://answers.yahoo.com/quest…..717AAStLoy
    http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_…..p?Id=21440

    Afghani people killed by U.S. forces
    http://www.wired.com/dangerroo…..civilians/

    • newtonusr says:

      From the transcript:

      Let me also address the issue of Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible. (Applause.) Indeed, we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said: “I hope that our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us that the less we use our power the greater it will be.”

      So contextualizing the way you did isn’t so much inaccurate as it is beside the point.

      I am no fan of Obama’s, but I do recognize that he is trying something never attempted. Ever. Working without a net, I would give him a bit of room with the language. And we will not know how this played for perhaps months or years.

      • bmaz says:

        This is exactly why I tried to emphasize that this speech was not for or about us here, it was to open a road and build a bridge to Muslims Arabs and the middle east. To reengage on a number of fronts, do so with substance and depth and do so with several disparate peoples over there. That is one hell of a lot to bite off on with one speech, and I think he pretty much succeeded. That is phenomenal.

        • newtonusr says:

          I just finished watching it for the second time, and watched Rachel’s piece describing the third-rail-nature of the speech.

          Impossibly ambitious, and so far beyond what we recognize. Like in Philadelphia, he changed the game completely.

      • Leen says:

        Hey I loved what he had to say. Just not much to back up the theme of his speech. All of these words will not cover up the hundreds of thousands of dead and injured that were completely unnecessary. I am sure if you had lost family members you would not think my points were “beside the point”

        wondering how the folks in Iraq heard Obama’s speech? How may are displaced 5 million? Wondered if they were able to liste? You know since they are so much better off now

        • newtonusr says:

          There are degrees. Obama could stand up and say, like a Republican politician, “I apologize to all of West Asia, the entire Muslim world in fact, if any of you were offended by anything America did.”

          Or he could go door-to-door to every Muslim on the planet, and every affected and anxious resident of a Muslim country and every friend and loved one, and later he could visit future generations, and he could crawl on his knees and beg forgiveness.

          Or he could do what is possible.

          The speech is literally hours old. If it’s action we want, we will have to wait. We didn’t fuck up the joint over night, and we won’t fix it over night. You can call it cold-comfort all you like, but none of us are in a position, at this tender moment, to proclaim bullshit. Not yet.

        • Leen says:

          Or he could have simply apologized for a war based on a “pack of lies” and for the hundreds of thousands of dead, injured and the millions displaced. A simple and sincere apology.

          Instead the OBama administration is sending troops and drones into Afghanistan, drones into Pakistan killing many innocent people.

          Now Obama can tell the Iraqi people they are better off now than when Saddam was alive and in control (which he did). But I would suggest he might want to take into account what they think and have to say. He might start by talking to some of the 5 million displaced Iraqi people. Or he can try to roll over all of the dead bodies and blood in the streets. But the smell of those dead bodies permeates the air.
          ——————————————————–

          Obama should apologise for Iraq war: Tutu

          Feb 19, 2009

          LONDON (AFP) — Archbishop Desmond Tutu warned Thursday that US President Barack Obama risks squandering goodwill from around the world if he fails to take concrete steps such as apologising for the Iraq war.

          Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and retired archbishop of Cape Town, urged Obama to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) and “come down hard” on African dictators.

          The 77-year-old anti-apartheid icon said that when Obama was elected in November last year, “I wanted to jump and dance and shout” as he had done after voting in his homeland for the first time in 1994.
          http://www.google.com/hostedne…..55VofSPAFg

      • randiego says:

        Yeah, uhm a Politico link is pretty much a non-starter, as far as making a coherent point.

        Nice thread. Cheers to you for a positive take. I’m personally thrilled, I really think this was a huge step forward.

      • freepatriot says:

        Thank god we have Roger Freaking Simon to parse it all out for us eh?

        well, if you’re gonna go all “Obamanical” on us, we need somebody else to pop our happy ballon

  23. Leen says:

    this is a message sent from Jewish Voice for Peace

    We’ve asked Prof. Joel Beinin, Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History and Middle East History at Stanford University, to give us his impression on President Obama’s speech in Cairo today. We’re sharing his response with you.
    An articulate and charismatic President of the United States named Barack Hussein Obama giving a speech at Cairo University co-sponsored by al-Azhar, the most eminent institution of Muslim learning – now that’s a new picture. Its enormous symbolic value is President Obama’s biggest asset as he implements policy on the entire range of difficult issues he mentioned. The President stated, “Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail.” This is an excellent basis for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

    The President did not provide details on how the conflict should be resolved beyond general support for “two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security.” But the meaning of this formulation is now contested due to its empty repetition by presidents and prime ministers whose actions and inactions have undermined it. Instead President Obama emphasized U.S. rejection of “the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements,” saying nothing about the future of those settlements already existing and their nearly 500,000 inhabitants. By limiting himself to an apparently pragmatic “first step,” President Obama may have made his task harder. If he does not produce concrete results very soon on this limited, albeit it absolutely necessary, measure, then the potential value of his fine words in Cairo will soon diminish.

    Joel Beinin

    June 4, 2009
    Stanford, CA

  24. Leen says:

    http://english.aljazeera.net/n…..90820.html

    Tears and hard truths in Cairo
    By S Abdallah Schleifer in Cairo
    “One minute into his speech he won nearly every heart and mind in the great hall, announcing his pride to be carrying “the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace Muslim communities use in my country: asalaamu alaikum.”

    ###Could feel the earth move under my feet
    ———————————————————

    Hatred and bigotry towards Obama and speech
    Max Blumenthal: Feeling the Hate In Jerusalem on Eve of Obama’s Cairo Address
    http://www.philipweiss.org/mon…..idc-ctools

    Guarded Response
    http://www.euronews.net/2009/0…..ro-speech/

Comments are closed.