Obama Leads the Way
Cowboy diplomacy, the epitome of an oxymoron, is dead. Truth is, cowboy diplomacy’s goal is more in tune with a bull in a china shop than achieving results and respect. It was all about acting and talking tough, and while Bush excelled at the tactic he has nothing to show for his bullying behavior. It also has nothing to do with leadership. You see, leaders lead, they aren’t handled. And for the last eight years – when it came to the global stage – Bush was handled, then hated, and finally ignored.
Enter Obama. Still looking for change? Well, here’s another example.
According to sources inside the room, President Obama just played peacemaker in a spat between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Hu Jintao, President of the People’s Republic of China.
In the finaly plenary session among the G-20 leaders, Sarkozy and Hu were having a heated disagreement about tax havens..
Read the entire article. It’s refreshing.
The exchange between Sarkozy and Hu got so heated, said a source — who is not a member of the Obama administration — it was threatening the unity of the G-20 leaders’ meeting.
But Mr. Obama, according to this account, stepped between the two men, urging them to try to find consensus, and giving them a “pep talk” about the importance of working together.
The senior adminstration official said that Mr. Obama pulled Mr. Sarkozy aside, took him to a corner, “and discussed possible alternatives,” the senior official said.
Once they arrived at one, President Obama “sent a message to the Chinese” that a counter-offer was on the table. The Chinese spent some time considering the offer. But they took a few minutes.
So Mr. Obama, with the assistance of translators, suggested that he and Mr. Hu have a conversation as well. They, too went to the corner to talk. After a few minutes, Mr. Obama called upon Mr. Sarkozy to join them.
“Translators and sherpas in tow, they reached an agreement,” the official said. “There was a multiple shaking of hands.”
This is what leadership looks like. It isn’t about making people walk on eggshells around you – that’s the way one behaves around crazy people. Leadership is about having people want to follow you, not lock you in an attic.
Tags: President Obama
God that makes me so damn proud to be an American.
More so than blowing shit up.
Good story, Pandora!
Kudos to Obama the novice to step forward with a conciliatory effort.
He is not afraid of making a mistake, thus he gets things done instead of sitting in a corner.
And, I feel exactly the same as DD!
Yeah, but he didn’t give them a shoulder massage.
“Truth is, cowboy diplomacy’s goal is more in tune with a bull in a china shop than achieving results and respect.”
No one fucks with Russia. Americans aren’t willing to live with it but if you go hard you will get what you want.
How would you know that? BushCo looking into Putin’s soul and thought he was the cat’s meow. No one really went hard after Russia for the past 8 years and they pretty much did what they wanted. And why shouldn’t they? We certainly did.
“No one really went hard after Russia for the past 8 years”
How is Georgia doing right about now?
And how much BushCo cowboy swagger stopped what happened to Georgia?
tom, shut the hell up. how much did the world love us during Bush? seriously. did you choose to read one line and get all huffed up about it? your decision to try and be the opposition here is worse than the time you endorsed the painful suffering anf ultimate death of children born with tay-sachs (yay i spelled it right)
The idea that Obama TOOK THEM TO THE CORNER to talk, and they actually shook hands at end…. well folks THAT is exactly why i voted (primary AND general) and volunteered for the guy. THAT is what i wanted him in office to do.
“And how much BushCo cowboy swagger stopped what happened to Georgia?”
They knew the West wasn’t willing to fight, we knew they were willing to fight – we let it happen.
“tom, shut the hell up. how much did the world love us during Bush? seriously. ”
How much does the world love China? The world absolutely hates China and we still do what they tell us to.
“did you choose to read one line and get all huffed up about it?”
In that line I see the summation of a tactical shift built on wishful thinking.
“The idea that Obama TOOK THEM TO THE CORNER to talk, and they actually shook hands at end…. well folks THAT is exactly why i voted (primary AND general) and volunteered for the guy. THAT is what i wanted him in office to do.”
When the lights go out, when all those ministers go back home, will they do what we told them to? That is all that matters.
When the lights go out, when all those ministers go back home, will they do what we told them to? That is all that matters.
They will do what they have now publicly agreed to do, or take sole responsibility for breaking an agreement. Obama didn’t tell them what to do, and that’s what Tom can’t seem to comprehend – which is understandable since we haven’t seen real diplomacy in eight years.
‘They knew the West wasn’t willing to fight, we knew they were willing to fight – we let it happen.”
you really think that is the way to conduct yourself? be someone who everyone else is afraid is going to hit them? thats pretty barbaric. I can’t even really argue anymore for fear i might cause you to get excited and hit me with a club than take my hide back to your woman, whom i’m sure is in the cave trying to start a fire.
price……………thank you……….ROFL