Berlin, Obama, Reagan and Choices Old and New
LONDON — 3 p.m. local time
I apologize for note posting more. the travel schedule has been a bit hectic and TV requirements necessarily kept me away from the blog.
So much has been said about Obama’s speech. I wanted to offer a slightly different angle than I’ve heard so far and throw it out for debate.
Obama spoke of the rich and courageous history of Berlin. As he did so, he may have helped educate a generation largely raised without a living memory of the Cold War or, at best, a dim memory of what it was, a sense of how long the struggle lasted and what the victory meant.
It’s an important lesson, one I fear may have been lost on many in a crowd so obviously taken with Obama’s personal charisma and political acumen. By the looks of the crowd and by the analysis of many German reporters who were there, I think it’s fair to say most who came to see Obama would identify themselves as liberals or social progressives. The loud applause for Obama’s line about ridding the world of nuclear weapons seems at least partial confirmation.
A generation ago, I suspect, many of the Europeans we came to see Obama yesterday would have either passionately or at least notionally identified themselves with the massive protest movement against NATO’s decision in 1983 to deploy Pershing II and Cruise missiles in Germany and England. This move, originally contemplated in the late 1970s, was NATO’s response to Soviet deployment of intermediate range SS-20 missiles, nuclear weapons capable of hitting every major capital in Europe.
The debate in Europe spawned anti-nuke protests in the U.S. and in many quarters on the American and European Left the deployments appeared to be both risky and provactive. Those who most aggressively pushed for them Gemrman Chancellor Helmut Kohl, British Prime Minister Magaret Thatcher and President Reagan saw the deployments in exactly the opposite light. The NATO deployments, Reagan, Thatcher and Kohl believed, were an essential signal to the Soviets that the West would not be intimidated and that despite public misgivings, NATO could summon the grit to call the Soviet bluff.
NATO deployed the Pershing II and Cruise missiles to force the Soviets back to the negotiating table on nuclear arms reductions. The strategy worked and in 1987 the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty in 1987.
Reagan’s now famous Brandenburg Gate speech summarizes this struggle and the beginnings of a thaw in Soviet behavior under Mikhail Gorbachev. Viewed now, it seems inconceivable that Reagan could have given the speech and its memorable lines — Mister Gorbachev, open this Gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” — without the NATO deployment of the Pershings and Cruise missiles.
For those interested, here is a link to Reagan’s speech: http://www.reaganlibrary.com/reagan/speeches/wall.asp
I’ve also included a quick bit of history on the “ban-the-bomb” movement: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/the.bomb/opposition/
Here is also a bit of official history of the Pershing Missile:
http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/pershing_missiles.asp
I don’t know what Obama thought about the Pershing and Cruise missile deployments or his overall attitude toward this “hard power” move by NATO to confront the Soviets and increase the risks of nuclear confrontation as a bid to increase the West’s negotiating power in arms-reduction talks.
The RNC is currently fascinated with the subject, peppering reporters’ e-mail boxes with posts about a “missing” Obama thesis on U.S.-Soviet disarmament while at Columbia University. The university and Obama’s campaign say the thesis can’t be found.
The thesis, it seems, is less important than what Obama says here and now. Indeed, one of the reasons parts of Obama’s speech fell flat yesterday was that he confronted his adoring hordes with demands to spend more in terms of money and troops to win the war in Afghanistan, a NATO-led effort the senator said, sounding very much like one who understands “hard power” the alliance can’t afford to lose.
The crowd, and you can detect this from watching the speech, did not rise up in applause. Instead, it sat passively, almost inert. That was also the response to Obama’s call for more aggressive European cooperation in dealing with Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. Europeans adore Obama’s willingness to negotiate directly with Iran. But Obama warned them that should he win the presidency and those negotiations fail, Europe must be willing to impose far tougher economic sanctions than have heretofore been contemplated.
Obama could not be more specific than he was on these two issues because he’s not the president. But he pointed a general direction that left his vast and impressive audience cold, at least on the questions Obama has clearly identified as the most important to the future of the war on terror — how does the West win in Afghanistan and how does it keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of the Iranian regime.
This does not diminish the weight or importance of Obama’s speech. To the contrary, it may make it all the more important. For all the impressive pictures of fawning multitudes at his feet, Obama must confront the possibility, should he be elected, that he could find himself in open conflict with the European Left.
This would make Obama true heir, not just a rhetorical one as he was yesterday, to Reagan’s leadership on the world stage in a time of testing. But unlike Reagan, Obama owes his rise in American politics to the support of liberals who, in the main, opposed Reagan and joined the European Left in opposing his hard-line approach throughout the Cold War.
What Obama’s speech yesterday may have laid the foundation for, then, is a potential clash first with his most ardent supporters as he, if president, mush simultaneously confront the Taliban and Iran. And that may prove an even more formidable political challenge than Reagan faced. A true test of the tinsel strength of the politics of “hope.”
It WILL take more than hope. I am not sure if he has been tested by fire or that he will survive, as well as the rest of humanity.
It’s very obvious that Obama is not qualified to be president of the United States. The German war protesters received him with open arms. This did not reflect the true feelings of most German nationals who are for the war on terror. Germans have been hard hit in there history by terrorists, therefore having hatred for terrorism. If he was loved by other governments he would have been able to go anywhere in Germany and be introduced by the Chancellor to give his canned speech. Lastily not to visit my fellow veterans that have been wounded is a slap in the face by him and his anti american election staff. Veterans are not viewed Democratic nor Republican, but we vote for the president elect that will help us take care of ourselves and or families. And who will keep America strong. Its obvious that the media is trying to elect Obama and would do anything to get the fool elected. Fox look in the mirror. For every minute you talk about Obama you talk about McCain just a few seconds. Lets elect a congress and senate that get things done. The american people have seen that the democratic mandate has done nothing to help the american people other than stem more hatered for our president. Impeach the Congress and the Senate!
Upon reading many of the blogs posted here, I must clarify something.
Most Americans agree with the lofty words and visions for world peace that Obama so eloquently pontificates in his speeches … It’s Obama we don’t trust. those of you who hypnotically fawn over Obama take everything he says as gospel. But, you don’t even know the man. You assume that because his words are worthy, he is trustworthy. People they are just words! Obama, the man who is speaking those words has a horrible track record. He did nothing as a senator. He spent the last 20 years accepting an anti-American racist as his mentor. His associations have been with extremely unsavory people. However, you Obamabots keep trying to characterize the rest of us as disagreeing with what Obama says … when it’s Obama himself we don’t trust … nor should you!
WHY DON’T YOU MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP IN BERLIN CAME FOR THE FREE CONCERT AND THIS WAS ALSO THE CASE IN PORTLAND OR. THIS IS A HOODWINK FROM OBAMA’S CAMP.
MY SON WAS A NURSE IN RANSTINE WHEN THE USS COLE WAS BOMBED AND HE TOLD ME THAT A VISIT FROM ANYONE TO THE PEOPLE HURT WAS LIKE A BLESSING. HIS REASON SHOULD BE TALKED ABOUT MORE.
As a American Citizen. born and raised in Berlin Germany, I am insulted by Obama,he is arrogant and presumptious. He want every child to learn at least 2 languages, but he himself does not speak any other, maybe just mercie bocou. I was in Berlin when President Kennedy spoke the famous words “Ich bin ein Berliner” which he spoke from the Balkony of Rathaus Schoeneberg. I was at that time 20 years old.
Dagmar Marinich
Radcliff, KY
Obama’s Tour in 60 Seconds…
link
I felt very threatened by Obama’s speech to Germany.If he is elected and takes the reign’s of Commander in Chief is his first priority to further reduce our Strategic nuclear weapons arsenal?
At a time when we now and for the foreseeable future need to not lose our edge.
I turned eighteen and voted for Ronald Reagan in the year 1980.As a teen I liked what I saw at first of Jimmy Carter,but after four years knew what harm someone with such a liberal thinking mind can do to our Country.
Obama is not Carter nor is he Bill Clinton.He is even scarier and it shows in his speech that day and the fact that he would be saying it to a crowd of social thinking Germans as if they could actually go vote for him. He is a left of center liberal pretending to be something else to get elected. He is a victim and plays to victims mentality.
God help us, Scott Hornsby
See Freeman Dyson’s work on victims versus warriors!
What an insult to every American. Obama HAS NOT BEEN ELECTED YET!!! Yet the press corps acts like he has. How sad that Americans aren’t outraged by his behavior. I find it disgusting and another great example of why I wouldn’t vote for him even if paid a million dollars.
Gorbachev was responsible for The Wall coming down….not Reagan.
We’re proud of Obama and want to show him to the rest of the world.
I think the American taxpayer should know how much it cost us for his trip. Also who paid for the bands, food, and alcholic beverages in Berlin?
200,000 people showing up to respectfully listen to and embrace our candidate is a vast improvement over 200,000 people showing up to protest against our “president”
Obama all the way … only he can MAKE AMERICA STRONG AGAIN.
In response to S. Roland: I am insulted by Obama and the press portraying him as a president when he is nothing more than a done nothing Senator from IL. Why do these people fawn over him? I have heard the speeches, read transcripts and heard the experts tell the unlistening world what Obama would cost us socially and in dollars and cents – and for the life of me cannot figure out the appeal of the guy. Could he be more arrogant? Could his trip and campaign be more staged? Portland and Berlin were FREE public concerts that he showed up at the end of to ’speak’ to a crowd of hyped up concert goers who were probably promised an encore from the bands after the speech. He is talking down to the world, and for some reason, nobody has noticed that he has said nothing tangible except that our troops are not the reason for SUCCESS in Iraq, and that the US cannot drill for our own oil and is only angry about how QUICKLY gas prices arrived at $4.00, not the fact that it is crippling our economy, and offers no solutions – just more of what we cannot do.
Hope and Change are great words, but would somebody please explain to me what they mean coming out of Obama’s mouth?
Readers miss the point, or simply use every forum as a place to issue anti-Obama messages.
Obama wanted to share his vision, without sharing hsi charisma at Berlin. Obama did what McCain and the RNC goaded him into – he met with officials, peoples, shot a 3 pointer, and was well received. For those Americans who find it distateful to have a world leader that people love, Obama would not be your choice. On the other hand, the RNC offers a man who has reached his Peter Princple leaving his Senate position. His tenure in office may be just that – an alternative comdy at our expense to watching The Office. McCain is no more Presidential material than me. (I’m not running)
McCain, dodging the illusionaire’s trick which is not to mistake decency for competency. McCain has hit his Peter Princple going after the Presidency; Obama is strides ahead in his ability, agility, thinking, and bringing America back; unfortunately for McCain, he must rely on mostly tried and failed policies because he is out of his league when it comes to innovations for our Country. Even armed with what the Republicans can offer, which is torn to shreds at this point, he comes up short.
Obama has leaped seemingly effortlessly through tougher obstacle courses than O’Connery in The Rock; he has taken down the Clinton political machinery; he has made the right calls on Iraq; his judgment is on target in foreign policies as well as with Michigan and his concern for the economy and the environment. Based on the economy alone, the U.S. is on better grounds with Obama as President simply because of his resourcefulness, fiscal conservatism and at this point, let’s face it, Republicans are obviously not in favor of smaller government, as Bush has just expanded the powers of the Government beyond the constitutional parameters; so that is a farce.
Hey someone needs to inforn McCain to throw a free concert and make speech before it. Take all the credit for people showing up have the liberal media omit the concert details. The people say why did the stay to hear Obama right? Well he spoke before the 2 free concerts in Germany,lmao so why would people leave before hearing the concerts? that in the internet is called “misleading” media what what do you expect from Liberal Obamanation news? here are the facts
In Portland we viewed images of thousands attending to see Obama, and the media reported Obama had a “rock star appeal”, which may be true since the rock band: The Decemberists, held a free 45 minute concert before Obama spoke to the crowd.
In Germany reggae artist Patrice and the rock band Reamonn both performed for the large crowd prior to the Obama Speech. Did you hear this reported by the mega media, or did you hear how the German people loved Obama so much they rushed into a mass crowd to see him? people praise how he pronounced Pakistan correctly but he can not pronounce states of the United States right? hear him say Missouri or Michelle say Michigan quite butering of our states name.
I thought ther is one President at a time.
Obama is a joke!!!!!