BF2S Forums Oh I am lovin' the hell outta this! We has an "image" problem

lowing wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/02/obama.trip/index.html


I find it absurd and insulting that Obam thinks that itis the USA that has an image problem regarding Islam. In my mind it is Islam that has the fuckin image problem and perhaps the effort should be made by Muslims to fix it.

I guess sucided vests, car bombs, beheadings, genital mutialtion, stonings, child molestation etc isn't the real image problem. The US is the problem and Obama is now on a Muslim world apology tour. ( again)


God I hate this guy.

CameronPoe wrote:

Ilocano wrote:

Pfft.  The US does not have an image problem.  Plenty of people from all over the world would do almost anything to live here, and that includes moderate Muslims.

That has not much to do with image. That has more to do with being in total shithole impoverished nations and simply wanting a decent standard of living. Plenty of people flock into Europe for the same reasons, irrespective of what they think of Europe's 'image'. Many Algerians must hate France but they flock there all the same. If you think the US does not have a bad image abroad then I suggest to take a trip outside.

lowing wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/02/obama.trip/index.html


I find it absurd and insulting that Obam thinks that itis the USA that has an image problem regarding Islam. In my mind it is Islam that has the fuckin image problem and perhaps the effort should be made by Muslims to fix it.

I guess sucided vests, car bombs, beheadings, genital mutialtion, stonings, child molestation etc isn't the real image problem. The US is the problem and Obama is now on a Muslim world apology tour. ( again)


God I hate this guy.

CameronPoe wrote:

DBBrinson1 wrote:

You and me both Brother.  I'm so sick of the 'apologist attitude'.  I really am dissappointed with America.  I hold the media largely responsible.

DB - America has a problem. The Muslim world has a long had very legitimate grievances with respect to US and general western involvement in their region. He is recognising that and putting his hand up. Hate him for the overspend but not the very much overdue apology and constructive attitude towards international affairs. PR is 9/10 of the battle. Of course the US could continue being antagonistic and non-constructive with these nations upon whose oil resources so much is dictated globally and see where that gets them.

The logical analysis goes like this:

1) Does the US have a poor image in the middle east? Yes.
2) Does the US have interests in the middle east? Yes.
3) Is there a chance that these actions might have a positive effect? Yes, maybe.
4) Does it cost the US anything to attempt to improve their image in the region through dialogue and embrace? No.
5) Has the status quo antagonism and poorly planned strongman attitude yielded results in terms of the US image in this pivotal region? Certainly not. And not just in the middle east but everywhere else too.

Pride can be a very ugly and counter-productive thing. The fact that lowing can't comprehend that the US has a very real image problem pretty much everywhere outside the US (assuming this from his inverted commas on the word image) shows how insular and oblivious he is. He's basically a poster boy for America's poor image globally. Stubborn, proud, ignorant and unconstructive. Of course I know for a fact he doesn't care about the image of the US outside of the US so him posting this article, which pertains to the US image globally, seems rather odd in that context.

Last edited by lowing (2009-06-02 13:39:23)

Ilocano wrote:

I have.  White people are adored all over Asia.  Many of them want to marry white men.  And it does have to do about image.    They want a piece of that American dream and live the American life.  That is the image of America that they see.  Not some super power pushing it's agenda on the world.

Last edited by CameronPoe (2009-06-02 13:45:55)

lowing wrote:

any chance that if our image is so terrible that the world will stop taking our foreign aid?  Why do I doubt it.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= … X%26um%3D1

and Cam, regardless as to what you think of the US, it has helped and continues to help the world in money and blood of our citizens more than any other country now or in history. We are without a doubt the most generous nation in history even woth all of our faults and blackeyes.

Last edited by CameronPoe (2009-06-02 13:44:39)

CameronPoe wrote:

Ilocano wrote:

I have.  White people are adored all over Asia.  Many of them want to marry white men.  And it does have to do about image.    They want a piece of that American dream and live the American life.  That is the image of America that they see.  Not some super power pushing it's agenda on the world.

My own experience in China was one of Chinese pride in their nation and a buzz of developing their own nation, not shipping out to Uncle Sam. They loved their McDonalds alright but if that represents the 'American image' then that would be quite sad. When I was in Moscow I noticed that the Russians were all mad for McDonalds but the media and the people were anything but fond of the US politically speaking. When I was in Jordan, Turkey and Palestine all I heard were complaints about the US. The Israelis loved America incidentally, with Israel-America flags and t-shirts in abundance. Throughout Europe millions of people turned out in the streets to protest against American actions in the middle east. I have encountered lots of US tourists on my travels and in Ireland who are concerned with their nation's image. These days this forms one of the less savoury components of the image of the US in a lot of the world:

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/ … hraib1.jpg

Bradt3hleader wrote:

lowing wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/02/obama.trip/index.html


I find it absurd and insulting that Obam thinks that itis the USA that has an image problem regarding Islam. In my mind it is Islam that has the fuckin image problem and perhaps the effort should be made by Muslims to fix it.

I guess sucided vests, car bombs, beheadings, genital mutialtion, stonings, child molestation etc isn't the real image problem. The US is the problem and Obama is now on a Muslim world apology tour. ( again)


God I hate this guy.

You, me and a lot of other people bud.


Unfortunately most Americans didn't see this coming for some reason...

CameronPoe wrote:

Ilocano wrote:

That's the media and the vocal minority.  If you ask the common person who's first thoughts are putting food on the table, I'm sure you'll hear a different story.  Curious you didn't mention countries that thrived on tourism.

And then all the foreign students we have who pay far more in tuition than locals to go to our Universities.

The common person in most of the developed world's primary concern is not putting food on the table - it's generally banal shit like adding an extension to their home, getting that promotion, buying the latest gadget from Sony or having another child. You speak of people who couldn't care less about politics because they have far more pressing needs i.e., they're very poor. Do you really think people have such little pride in their own home nations that they all want to go to the US? My youngest brother has shipped off to Canada for a few months work - is he 'chasing the Canadian dream'? He was in Australia before that. He just goes because he wants to travel and make a living while doing it.

Turquoise wrote:

From what I can gather, our freedoms attract people, but our interventionism often annoys them.

Last edited by Ilocano (2009-06-02 14:09:45)

Ilocano wrote:

It has nothing to do with little pride about their own country.  Hell, if anything, I see plenty of pride in their own country.  Look at Pacquiao, Yao Ming, and the countless Latin baseball players who succeeded here.  Their countrymen people adore and idolize their heroes and pride of their countries, and then dream that they could hope for the same thing if they can make it to the US.  I know, because I walked and shared meals among them.  Despite the negative things that the US is doing across the world, it hardly affects their desire to live the American life.

As for your brother, well, his circumstances are different.  He isn't chasing the Canadian dream, because he doesn't have to.  BTW, plenty of Chinese and Filipinos are proudly claiming Canadian citizenship.  So much, that native Canadians are considering stricter quotas.

Turquoise wrote:

From what I can gather, our freedoms attract people, but our interventionism often annoys them.

Well said.

Last edited by CameronPoe (2009-06-02 14:23:41)