Today the United Nations (UN) is to start a conference on racism around the world in Europe. The goal, according to the BBC, of the UN Racism conference is to review progress “in fighting racism since a 2001 forum.” The trouble is several key players are boycotting the conference; including the United States.
The BBC reports that many “Western countries see this as a curtailment of free speech” as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to speak. For the past month and a half President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have traveled across the globe in a good will tour apologizing for the actions of United States. President Obama has cloaked the apologies as means of “strengthening our hand” by reaching out to our enemies.
To boycott the UN racism conference is a bad move for a country that fought a war over slavery, saw Civil Rights leaders slain (King), and saw a historic election when Sen. Obama became for the first black President. President Obama said, repeatedly, while running for office that he’d sit down with President Ahmadinejad without preconditions. Then why does he not, or at least send a delegation, attend the UN racism conference?
President Obama continues to make mistake after mistake on foreign policy. While meeting with leaders of Americas, many criticized the President for hand shaking with foreign leaders that have spoken out against America, but President Obama missed an opportunity to re-define Democracy and the important role the United States played during the decades that surrounded World War II.
The United States for decades after World War II has been the leader of the free world, granted the past decade our leaders have failed us, and the President Obama apology tour only weakens the position of the United States by giving hope to those that wish the demise of our great country. President Obama’s administration is missing a big opportunity by boycotting the UN Conference on Racism and is a hypocrite for the reason of not attending.
Reference: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8006852.stm
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Obama has just returned from 2 major conferences where he already met with dozens of leaders from around the globe. He probably has better things to do than listen to Ahmadinejad try to explain away his intolerance. If the forum is going to be used as a platform to increase racial and religious tension (like the 2001 forum), it gives the U.S. (or any nation really) very little incentive to participate.
ReplyDeleteAnd, did our president apologize? If so, can you quote the source(s) please?
In talking to in a speech at Strasbourg, Germany President Obama stated, “In America there’s a failure to appreciate Europe’s leading role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even dersive.”
ReplyDeleteIn a television interview with Al Arabiya television President Obama said, “We sometimes make mistakes. We are not perfect.”
While speaking before Muslim lead Turkey’s Congress President Obama said, “I know there have been difficulties these last few years. I know that the trust that binds us had been strained, and I know that strain is shared in many places where the Muslim faith is practiced. Let me say this as clearly as I can: the United States is not at war with Islam.”
President Obama is intelligent or at least his teleprompter is. The actual phrase “I apologize” does not literally show in the above examples I agree. The tone and the words, carefully, chosen translate to an apology. Pundits on both sides of the aisle are in agreement on the ones above. I have others but they do not have bi-partisan support as these do.
I am not saying that President Obama has to show himself but at least send someone.
You're parsing quotes without taking them in full context, especially the first one. Maybe the confusion comes because this president is very eloquent... with or without a teleprompter.
ReplyDeleteHere is why the U.S. was right to boycott. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8008572.stm
By the way, are you implying the U.S. didn't make mistakes in the war in Iraq? And, I thought we were at war with the actual terrorists, not the almost 2 billion muslims that make up the nation of Islam.
I did watch President Ahmadinejad speech and do not disagree with people walking out in show of protest. The same people that walked out will be returning to hear other speakers and work on the issue of racism.
ReplyDeleteI grew tired during the Presidential race that if I stated aloud that I didn't vote for Sen. Obama it must be because I am a racist. Much like if I view that marriage should be between a man and woman, I am being homophobic and intolerant. Simply not the case.
Parsing or in full context the words are apologetic. The issue is the lack of United States representation at the UN Racism conference. We failed the World. President Obama failed Americans that have fought for society free of racism and intolerance by not sending a delegation at the very least.
As for the Iraq war. Lets be honest and all agree, finally, with Vice President Biden when he said the reason for our involvement in Iraq was for oil and not to remove a tyrant from power. The surged worked too.