In fact he failed miserably.
*Obama's Campaign Trip To Europe: *Victor David Hanson was not impressed <http://article.nationalreview.com/print/?q=N2RhYmQxNDVmYzY3N2JiMjZmOGYyYTAwZjEwYWZkODQ=>. Given Obama's performance on his recent trip, three developments were quite astounding. First, despite this fresh climate of atonement, there was a complete absence of a single apology from any other foreign leader --- odd for the new shared spirit of multi-polarity and reciprocity. Not a word came from Britain about colonialism. Nothing from Germany on the Holocaust, or its trade with Iran. Not a peep from France about Algeria or Vietnam. Turkey was mum on the Armenian killings and its own tough anti-Kurdish policies. Russia said nothing about the 30 million murdered by Stalin --- or its present assassinations abroad, much less its leveling of Grozny or its destruction of Afghanistan. Nothing came from China about the 70 million who perished under Mao or its present role in subsidizing North Korean nukes --- or its violation of global copyright laws. We won't hear anything in the "New Asian Hemisphere" about Muslim Uighurs or Tibet. Second, there was no other example of "He did it!" about supposedly inept predecessors. Mr. Medvedev said nothing about Putin's brutish rule. Sarkozy and Merkel did not trash the shady Chirac or Gazprom's bought lobbyist Schroeder, and their role in harming the Atlantic alliance. Gordon Brown was quiet about Tony Blair and Iraq. China did not mention a reset button. The new Berlusconi did not trash the old Berlusconi. Third, we saw no concrete evidence of any help --- or hope and change --- from any foreign leader. Zilch. There were expectations of American concessions, but nothing new or helpful from anyone else. So why did Obama make the trip? Not to advance American interests and values. That's obvious. The trip did nothing for the United States (perhaps less than nothing), but it did two things for Obama: He got to put on campaign events with exotic backgrounds, and he got to hear the applause of crowds. Like Hanson, I expect that our enemies will exploit Obama's desire for applause. Our enemies are generally evil, but rarely stupid. - 10:41 AM, 16 April 2009 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
