Ed Obama's speech to the Muslim world

[Tricky]

Here's an interesting opinion piece from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In the Arab world and Pakistan, Osama bin Laden could gain traction with videotapes that denounced America's "hatred" of Muslims. Radical Islamic Web sites played on the same message. In Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could rally Persian nationalists by claiming that imperialist America wanted to attack their country. Obama's speech undercut those images so valuable to radicals. In fact, a new bin Laden audiotape, broadcast on June 4 condemning Obama, fell flat
***

The reason such words are so important can already be seen in Pakistan. Only weeks ago, Pakistani public opinion was hostile to an open fight against internal militants, terming this "America's war." But in the last month, the Pakistani Taliban's tactics - blowing up mosques and markets - have turned the public there against the militants. Obama's speech captured that sentiment and stressed the common interests of Pakistanis and Americans in countering such barbarity. It created a possibility (no guarantees) the Pakistani public will now support open U.S. cooperation with Pakistan's army against the militants. Obama's speech placed Americans and Pakistanis on the same side.
***
Similarly, Lebanese pundits credit Obama's speech with helping a U.S.-backed coalition prevent an expected victory by a Hezbollah-led coalition in Lebanese elections on June 7. "Lebanon is a telling case," Osama Safa, director of a Lebanese think tank, told the New York Times. "It is no longer relevant for the extremists to use the anti-American card."

I was looking for the article from Newsweek that had one of the prime movers of the "miracle victory" in Lebanon in defeating Hezbollah, but couldn't find it (mostly because I couldn't remember his name) but he essentially said that Obama's speech was one of the most important things in securing that victory.

Yeah, it's just a speech. Long-term effects of the Obama foreign policy will take... um... longer to know. But it is one hell of a start. I haven't heard anyone say "the Great Satan" in quite some time now.

 

[Ziggurat]

I think the effects of Obama's speech are rather overstated by this article. It's just a speech. What evidence does Rubin marshal to support her case? Well, there's the claim that "Lebanese pundits credit Obama's speech with helping a U.S.-backed coalition". She then quotes from a Lebanese think tank director. But the quote doesn't actually credit the change to Obama. So I did some digging. And the only source I could find was this:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DEFD71530F93AA35755C0A96F9C8B63

That's it. The entire quote is in the article. There is nothing more from the New York Times. As far as I can tell, there is NO attribution of any of this to Obama by Safa. And why would there be? As I said, it's just a speech, and even if Rubin wants to see it as more than that, why would anyone else?

Even some of Rubin's statements about the speech itself don't stand up to scrutiny. For example, she says, "However, he [Obama] couched that battle in far different language than the Bush administration. He stressed that we are "not at war with Islam."" Except this is exactly what Bush said. Repeatedly. There may be differences, but this sure as hell isn't one of them.

Furthermore, what's being rather conveniently ignored are relatively recent events which are far more important to Lebanon than anything Obama could ever say: the murder of Hariri, the withdrawl of Syrian troops, the Israel/Hezbollah war, and the UN investigation of Hariri's murder which, rumor has it, is pointing towards Hezbollah's involvement. But these don't even get mentioned. How can Rubin expect us to take her analysis seriously? Why do you expect us to take her analysis seriously? She's cheerleading for Obama: there's no substance to her column beyond that.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I think the effects of Obama's speech are rather overstated by this article. It's just a speech. What evidence does Rubin marshal to support her case? .....

What evidence do the right wing hawks have to support their failed policies?

I have been listening to the same old crap out of the usual suspects, Bush, Cheney, Bolton, McCain and the Fox hawks over the last couple days proclaiming their expertise that Obama should be doing their bidding in response to the Iranian uprising. It disgusts me to hear these failed policies paraded on the news as if they were coming from some accepted experts. Baloney! These are not experts. They are losers. And their expertise is a proven failure.

 

[Oliver]

What evidence do the right wing hawks have to support their failed policies?

I have been listening to the same old crap out of the usual suspects, Bush, Cheney, Bolton, McCain and the Fox hawks over the last couple days proclaiming their expertise that Obama should be doing their bidding in response to the Iranian uprising. It disgusts me to hear these failed policies paraded on the news as if they were coming from some accepted experts. Baloney! These are not experts. They are losers. And their expertise is a proven failure.

Since you mentioned that annoying prick: What does Bolton [and for that matter, Joe Lieberman] do nowadays?

 

[Ziggurat]

I have been listening to the same old crap out of the usual suspects, Bush, Cheney, Bolton, McCain and the Fox hawks over the last couple days proclaiming their expertise that Obama should be doing their bidding in response to the Iranian uprising.

I said nothing about what Obama should do regarding Iran. And in the post you quoted, nothing I said even criticizes Obama's speech in Egypt. My criticism was directed entirely at Rubin. And what's your response? You don't address anything I said in the post you quoted. Hell, you don't even address anything Rubin said. You just rant about your general hatred of all things Bush. It's kind of sad, really.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I said nothing about what Obama should do regarding Iran. And in the post you quoted, nothing I said even criticizes Obama's speech in Egypt. My criticism was directed entirely at Rubin. And what's your response? You don't address anything I said in the post you quoted. Hell, you don't even address anything Rubin said. You just rant about your general hatred of all things Bush. It's kind of sad, really.

The link now goes to a different page. I was responding to the article. But I don't want to look for it right now. I'll have to get back to you here.

 

[Dr Adequate]

I haven't heard anyone say "the Great Satan" in quite some time now.

Haven't you heard? You've been bumped from the top spot.