Most of us recall the ridiculously cheesy diplomatic gifts that Obama gave to the Queen of England and to the Prime Minister. England gave some deeply historic and meaningful gifts. Obama gave the Queen some movie DVD's which don't work on European TV's. We saw this as Obama's incompetence.
Obama bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia (guardian of the two most holy sites in Islam) but did not bow to the Queen of England. Obama's explanation that the bow was 'protocol' fails to explain why the protocol applies only to Muslim Kings, not to the English Queen. (Of course, the President of the U.S. should not bow to anyone.)
But could it have been an intentional insult? Commentators in England are arguign that Obama's slights and insults to Obama are part of Obama's Kenyan roots. Kenya was an English colony. Some Kenyans, especially the radical Left, may view England engatively from England's administration of Kenya.
One English commentator is proposing a BOYCOTT of the USA over Obama. He points to Obama's change of US policy over England's claim to the Falkland Islands as a completely unnecessary, gratuitious slap at England.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/alexsingleton/100029555/why-barack-obama-has-made-me-boycott-america/
As another commentator added:
http://inthisdimension.com/2010/06/04/london-daily-telegraph-on-obama/
One of the most poorly kept secrets in Washington is President Obama’s animosity toward Great Britain, presumably because of what he regards as its sins while ruling Kenya (1895-1963).
One of Barack Hussein Obama’s first acts as president was to return to Britain a bust of Winston Churchill that had graced the Oval Office since 9/11. He followed this up by denying Prime Minister Gordon Brown, on his first state visit, the usual joint press conference with flags.
The president was “too tired” to grant the leader of America’s closest ally a proper welcome, his aides told British journalists.
Mr. Obama followed this up with cheesy gifts for Mr. Brown and the Queen. Columnist Ian Martin described his behavior as “rudeness personified.” There was more rudeness in store for Mr. Brown at the opening session of the United Nations in September. “The prime minister was forced to dash through the kitchens of the UN in New York to secure five minutes of face time with President Obama after five requests for a sit down meeting were rejected by the White House,” said London Telegraph columnist David Hughes. Mr. Obama’s “churlishness is unforgivable,” Mr. Hughes said.
The administration went beyond snubs and slights last week when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsed the demand of Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, a Hugo Chavez ally, for mediation of Argentina’s specious claim to the Falkland Islands, a British dependency since 1833. The people who live in the Falklands, who speak English, want nothing to do with Argentina. When, in 1982, an earlier Argentine dictatorship tried to seize the Falklands by force, the British — with strong support from President Ronald Reagan — expelled them.
“It is truly shocking that Barack Obama has decided to disregard our shared history,” wrote Telegraph columnist Toby Young. “Does Britain’s friendship really mean so little to him?” One could ask, does the friendship of anyone in the entire world mean anything to him?
“I recently asked several senior administration officials, separately, to name a foreign leader with whom Barack Obama has forged a strong personal relationship during his first year in office,” wrote Jackson Diehl, deputy editorial page editor of the Washington Post, on Monday. “A lot of hemming and hawing ensued.” One official named French President Nicolas Sarkozy, but his contempt for Mr. Obama is an open secret. Another named German Chancellor Angela Merkel. But, said Mr. Diehl, “Merkel too has been conspicuously cool toward Obama.”
Friday, June 11, 2010
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