I just read the full text of President Obama's Cairo speech.
He really sounds genuine. I think he honestly, truthfully wants to make the world a better place.
But to call him naïve would disrespectful to naïveté.
The leader of the free world, in front of billions of viewers, metaphorically sat down, lit up a joint and started singing "Imagine" by John Lennon.
The real kicker was his vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. Marei d'chulei alma! The man sounds like an 18-year-old at a university "Ban The Bomb" protest!
I feel an icy chill when I consider that for the next 4 years at least, we have a guy with the maturity and subtlety of a teenager leading the greatest world power at a time of international crisis.
To put it mildly, the next 4 years are going to be Interesting Times...
7 comments:
I just said to someone that6 he said nothign new. Our very own Shimon Peres has been saying for years already what Obama said today. Basically that we should have a world with no borders, all be one, etc. Kumbaya.
Hey, don't insult "Kumbaya"! Rav Haber has the whole history of the song somewhere - but etymologically it comes from the Hebrew - קום בעיה - "Arise, there is a problem!" It's a call to G-d for help... and we all sang it together at the Rav's Purim party this year... :)
Are you sure it's not קום בא י-ה?
ehhh.... could be... better check with the Rav, huh?
Where's my beaded head-band and my guitar?
I think that Shaul's analysis is truly "on the ball." From skimming the speech, I feel like it was a truly great speech (but, of course, I disagree with his not accepting the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements) and Obama seems sincere; but it truly worries me that he seems to think that by "laying the cards on the table clearly" he can make all of the tyrants and racists of the Middle East reform themselves and start really wanting "peace, justice and the American way." As Shaul says, it will be "interesting times" for the next four years!
Barry Rubin has a nice take on the speech.
rubinreports.blogspot.com
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