Obama to world: Don't expect America to fix it all

As for iraq why did the US even invade it? Oil prehaps no of course not it just trying to save the world again, just forget how many iraq civilians have died. If the US wanted to save people maybe it could invade Zimbabwe and get rid of Mugabe. But then whats in Zimbabwe that the US wants? Lets not forget all the US installed leaders the US has put into power all over the world and dictatorships funded by the USA.

So true, diqqerdog.

I'm sure glad he said this even though I wasnt' a supporter of him. He does say some good things now and then (nice speech writer). I doubt he will put much resistance on downsizing the US military presence in Japan/Okinawa with this mentality. His attitude is, "Please step up to the plate and take responisibility for your own regions.. enough of hegmony".

aw

I wonder why did America got itself in this mess anyways? For Oil supplies I guess? Good that it came from Obama but I think its too less and too late.

I feel India & US should counter the Threat of business China poses to the whole world today, otherwise it will be too late again if someone has to clean this mess......

Besides, Obama is too busy trying to destroy his country to worry about us helping you in whatever way save yours.

Diplomacy for as much "peace" as you can get is a hard pill to swallow. While it would be nice if the US could just solve the worlds problems on its own, we can't.

I've seen/heard enough of Obama's "International Cooperation": Apologizing for the greatness of America, alienating our allies, bowing to foreign kings and doing more to protect America's enemies than to protect Americans. Gotta wonder whose side he's on.

After more that 950 speeches since taking office, Obama finally says something I agree with.

Time for the Muslim boot-lick europeon nations to let their Islamic masters take care of them.

a great American middle finger up the world's butt.

You still don't get it . . . and probably never will. Not knowing where to put your fingers, or your fist, or your interests.

a great American middle finger up the world's butt.

If Obama is saying the US under his superior leadership will take its fingers out of every pie and in return the world (whose world) won't expect it to 'fix things', we may begin to get somewhere.

Only Europe can save Europe. The prognosis don't look too good. Same for Russia and Great Britain.

America, as soon as we can get a sane majority of leaders up to Congress in 2010, should focus on countries committed to free markets and the values of Western civilization.

Obama is so right on this. Europeans have had more than their fair share of mucking up the world, more precisely that mess they created in the middle east after WWII. Throw in the French missteps in East asia, the whole Bosnia affair, the current chaos in former European controlled nations throughout Africa, Russia in Georgia, Asian countries like Japan, Korea, and China assaulting the US economy with their selfish export driven strategies, India, Pakistan, Iran, North Korea... all nuclear powered powder kegs... easy to see the US is the least of this planets problems. And its about time the US president said so !

http://wais.stanford.edu/USA/us_supportforladictators8303.html

school of americas dictator list http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=840

http://home.iprimus.com.au/korob/fdtcards/SouthAmerica.html

I suppose this is one of the few good things Obama has said. Stop blaming America for everything while reaping all the benefits. It's easy to sit back and point fingers.

By the way, every one is always criticizing America for getting too much into everything. This is the time for them to take control of issues themselves! America said so first.

The Basic framework of what Obama has to say is sound, there does need to be a greater unification between countries taking action. America should not be doing the lion’s share. All that is true & cannot be disputed, but where he does lose the plot is when he does what so many less knowledgeable Americans do & says that the world shouldn’t always ask help of the US. This is a figment of the American cultural imagination. They believe that they are always being asked to go out & help save the world & then cannot understand why they then face resentment. The US government like any good government acts in self-interest, & that means they jump at any & all chances they see of gaining something to their own advantage by becoming involved.

Fine, in itself there is nothing wrong in operating such a policy, what is wrong is that when this policy backfires the American people have to be kept on board with the lie that other counties didn’t join in & support the US. Nobody asked the US to attack either Iraq or Afghanistan, these actions were taken by the US. Were they right or wrong to do so is not the issue, the only people asked about these attacks were the American people & even they needed to be lied to.

Again when we look at humanitarian aid, yes the US is an enormous donor, aid to disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis or whatever. The US is in there fast & effective. These actions cannot in themselves be faulted, but, & yes with the US there does always seem to be a “but”, just what is the motivation behind this aid? Like any of the other countries that are giving aid it is to get a foot in the door. The starving, the homeless, the sick don’t care & I don’t really care either so long as aid does get through to these people. But when the president of the US comes out all saint like about all that the US does for the world, then yes I do care.

Nobody here has hands clean enough to point the finger at the US, (not even Americans), but by the same token Obama is out of order in defending the US in terms he has done. He only takes responsibility for what he knows the American people will accept, that speech was for a home audience.

"How convenient -- cause all manner of chaos, turmoil, suffering and disaster -- and then preach about how people should not point fingers."

Cicada I really would like to take you seriously but its seemed that you believe that events like the earthquakes in Iran, The red dust in Australia, the massacres in Rwanda, and the atrocities in Tiedemann Square were somehow caused by the US. How could any thinking person take what you write seriously. You are exactly who Obama was targeting.

More engagement between the world's countries is a nice thing to shoot for anyway." when I go out, I go solo. I don't need my boys to pump me up. I'm pumped alone and I succeed on my own.

sailwind,

Let's face it. Politicians tow the 'pie in the sky' line as much as possible regardless of country or political party. I like the message though. More engagement between the world's countries is a nice thing to shoot for anyway.

President Obama is actually saying what many in the world claim they have wanted a US president to say. That is that the US will not get involved in every little thing around the world. Now, how do you actually feel about this content?

First real Speech based in REALITY I've heard from the man.......That Hope and Change thing was getting old.

hmm i do read, lots. over half a million people were killed in indonesia at that time, is that local supoport??" My bad on Indonesia... I didn't mean to put it there like that, however, you are wrong on central America. There was a lot of support, there was also a lot against. YOu seem to concentrate only on what was against.

I don't know how many Iranians you know, but I have yet to meet one, and I work with a few here who had jobs and modest ways of living before the shah being thrown over by a backwards regime. The elections that took him out of power were not elections at all.

After that goverment was installed indonesian resources were sliced up between american / britain / japan and other countries. Basicly we installed our government so we could rape the country of all it has, like we do to every country under the guise of trying to save it.

Obama is telling the rest of the world to grow up.

Long overdue message.

Our own government? Really? Sorry if I don't buy this conspiracy theory.

Excuse me if I made it sound as though America was completely innocent in the ordeal, because that is very much not my point at all. I think I've already stated that anyway. But the fact that everyone is pointing to America alone for the world's problems, while the overall important issues are yet again overlooked (i.e., why are we in this mess to begin with)?

...the US economy kept the world afloat during the Asian financial crisis...

i thought china helped alot too? http://www.bu.edu/globalbeat/pubs/ib24.html

The same terrorists, who by the way, came onto American soil and flew planes into our buildings

Under the direction of your own government.

Why is it that you need to point fingers, when your President is exhorting you not to point them?

cause all manner of chaos, turmoil, suffering and disaster

Yes, we totally did that on our own, just to raise the ire of the entire world. Not the terrorists seeking to bomb whatever and whoever they can-- just us, all by our lonesome. The same terrorists, who by the way, came onto American soil and flew planes into our buildings-- no, we started the war because we just wanted to feel like bigshots. And if it had been anyone else, any other world power, it would have been handled perfectly, I'm sure.

What planet do we live on where America is the SOLE CAUSE of everything bad that's happened in the last century?

It's called Earth.

Obama's point, it seems to me, is that people need to stop doing what many of you are doing right now-- pointing fingers.

How convenient -- cause all manner of chaos, turmoil, suffering and disaster -- and then preach about how people should not point fingers.

Well, sorry, Your Excellency, but that's not how it works. "Y O U broke it. Y O U fix it!" (Iraq, Afghanistan, the financial system, the environment, Palestine by proxy etc. etc. etc.) America for the greater part, and against the best advice possible, acted alone. Now America must take responsibility for that. Period.

Wait just a minute here. Way too much overgeneralizing going on here. What planet do we live on where America is the SOLE CAUSE of everything bad that's happened in the last century? Since when? The environment? You cannot tell me that other developed countries have no share in this. Financially speaking? Are you serious? And acted alone? Best advice? When asking for support, no one wanted any part in it, and so America kind of HAD to go it alone. No one else wanted to get their hands dirty. It wasn't handled perfectly, certainly not! America has screwed up, YES, that cannot be denied, but this is ridiculous.

Obama's point, it seems to me, is that people need to stop doing what many of you are doing right now-- pointing fingers. It's way too late in the game, and there needs to be less arguing about that and more people stepping up and going that extra mile to fix things for the better. Maybe even take that plunge that America takes so very often but gets flack for being a nation run by human beings with failings and corruption just like every other country in the world.

"Don't expect America to fix it all"

Exactly, exactly! In fact, don't expect America to lead, or be a superpower any more - now that Obama is president, lol.

Let's reverse these sentences, shall we: “Nothing is easier than blaming others for our troubles and absolving ourselves of responsibility for our choices and our actions. Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges. Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world’s problems alone."

Well, sorry, Your Excellency, but that's not how it works. "Y O U broke it. Y O U fix it!" (Iraq, Afghanistan, the financial system, the environment, Palestine by proxy etc. etc. etc.) America for the greater part, and against the best advice possible, acted alone. Now America must take responsibility for that. Period.

1 - Why "anyone" have to take the "reins"?

2 - If the USA is highly in debt with China, is dificult beliebe that the world owe economic recovery to the USA. The last and maybe the next recovery have more to do with China, India, Russia and Brazil.

3 - The world is not monolitic, not everyone is asking the USA to fix their problems.

4 - The idea that the US try to fix the problems of the world is a delusion, the USA do what is convenient for the USA, just like anybody else.

indonesia Suharto" ? Guatemala Armas, Fuentes, Montt" lots of support for this one too.

hmm i do read, lots. over half a million people were killed in indonesia at that time, is that local supoport??

i suggest you get some books if you think it is.

After that goverment was installed indonesian resources were sliced up between american / britain / japan and other countries. Basicly we installed our government so we could rape the country of all it has, like we do to every country under the guise of trying to save it.

well, I can see there are a lot of people here who have misgivings about America somewhat being the world's point man. My question is if not America, who? Who should take the reins?

Seems like a fair speech. If you talk to a lot of non-Americans on the street they know what US policy is but they oddly don't even know their own country's policy on the same issue. It's time for some other countries to step up and take some leadership instead of criticizing and doing nothing themselves.

And sorry you lost your financial gravy train, but I don't remember too many people thanking us when times were good so I really don't see the need for an apology now. At least we manned up and protected a lot of foreign banks through the AIG bailout, banks that were part of the same greed cycle that some people seem to think only exists within the borders of the US.

I think Obama was right to call out the rest of the world and challenge them in a sense.

America broke it, they should pay to fix it.

Exactly!

At least those who profited from the breaking, should pay dearly to fix it.

"America broke it"

Pfffft! America is what's kept the majority of the world from being subjugated by evil, and acted as the economic engine of the world.

I do believe Obama is saying Europe (UK included) needs to grow up.

IIRC the economic crash originated in the US by people who control financial markets and who are only out to enrich themselves and don't give an f about anything else. And a total lack of oversight from the government. Also I seem to remember that the US has been kept afloat for a long time by Asian money. So what's Obama saying here?

China could shoulder some of the burden but the West is not comfortable with the PRC's human rights stance. Until that perspective changes, Obama shouldn't expect much shouldering from the emerging second largest economy in the world.

Let's not forget that Europe couldn't fix the Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian conflict by themselves and that the US economy kept the world afloat during the Asian financial crisis. Careful those with short memory - they may not get the help when it's their turn (and everybody gets a turn, including America).

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! America unified and homogenous? that is the funniest thing I have heard in a while.

Why not? America broke it, they should pay to fix it.

Interesting how people on this thred like to portray the US as a kind of unified, monolithic entity.

Maybe Obama means what he says, this time. If you look at what the Guardian (UK) is reporting about his administration's relationship with our closest ally there are some big changes afoot

"Gordon Brown lurched from being hailed as a global statesman to intense embarrassment tonight, after it emerged US President Barack Obama had turned down no fewer than five requests from Downing Street to hold a bilateral meeting at the United Nations in New York or at the G20 summit starting in Pittsburgh today."

America is not perfect. America's government is not perfect. The American people know this. But it seems everytime the U.S. starts to settle down and deal with domestic issues, some piece of defecation like Osama Bin Laden decides he's not getting enough press coverage, so let's attack an American ally/landmark/base (choose one). We really DO have the capability to solve these types of attacks, at the expense of then having to deal with the environmental damage after the country they're hiding in has been reduced to radioactive glass. We DON'T do that because we realize most people around the world are just like us... trying to raise their children and give them a better life than we had ourselves.

All these guerrila attacks are tantamount to poking a tiger with a stick, and I'm not sure how long the tiger is going to take it (i.e. actually care whether a large amount of innocents get killed along with the actual combatants). The insurgents don't care who dies as long as SOMEONE dies... That's why they like bombing public places. Do you REALLY want to bring the U.S. to that same state?

No you can't read minds. But you are off topic. < :-)

Bring our troops home from Iraq on schedule or sooner. Bring the troops home from Afghanistan with-in two years. We've wasted enough time and energies there. Cut foreign aid by 30% across the board starting 2011 budget. This would be a good start. Just a start. " And the money saved goes to Acorn. You didn't realize I could read your mind.. did you?

Lets not forget all the US installed leaders the US has put into power all over the world and dictatorships funded by the USA.

Chile Gen. Augusto Pinochet Argentina Gen. Jorge Rafael Videla" There was a lot of support locally for that... get you Spanish up and read more.

Indonesia Suharto" ? Guatemala Armas, Fuentes, Montt" lots of support for this one too.

Iran The Shah of Iran" Again, there was a lot of support for that to happen and at least he gave women rights, and was will to make peace with Israel and he was after all the leader by birth right. Egypt Sadat, Mubarak" Ok, I didn't know that. What was reason given? Iraq Saddam Hussein" I thought you liked him...

Moderator: Back on topic please.

Bring our troops home from Iraq on schedule or sooner.

Bring the troops home from Afghanistan with-in two years. We've wasted enough time and energies there.

Cut foreign aid by 30% across the board starting 2011 budget.

This would be a good start. Just a start. < :-)

oh yeah and you think the US doesnt make money out of its wars, that must be why Haliburton gets paid to rebuild nations then eh.

Sarge predicted Fred Thompson would become President of the USA. Do not take anything he says seriously, no one else does.

Russia is offering now to take a tougher line with Iran. Bush was just written off five minutes after putin met him as an idiot not to be concerned about. Obama is making progress with his better, stronger and more strategic view of world affairs. Failure, while being the policy of the bush people, is no longer an option.

wow america is our savior that must be why they funded the taliban and armed them, then when planes hit the twin towers they thought oh shit, who can we bomb in response? well saudis flew the planes but we cant bomb them as they have so much money invested in the US. But hey we need an oil pipe line in afgan so lets get rid of the taliban that will do even though they had nothing to do with 9-11. Anyway now people have forgotten why we are even in Afganistan its just a prolonged mess that will never ever be sorted out and won. As for iraq why did the US even invade it? Oil prehaps no of course not it just trying to save the world again, just forget how many iraq civilians have died. If the US wanted to save people maybe it could invade Zimbabwe and get rid of Mugabe. But then whats in Zimbabwe that the US wants? Lets not forget all the US installed leaders the US has put into power all over the world and dictatorships funded by the USA.

Chile Gen. Augusto Pinochet Argentina Gen. Jorge Rafael Videla Indonesia Suharto Guatemala Armas, Fuentes, Montt Iran The Shah of Iran Egypt Sadat, Mubarak Iraq Saddam Hussein

These are justa few, so yeah america please stop trying to fix the world because you arent doing a very good job at it. And if the UK could stop kissing their arse that would be good too.

Does "America's mess" include all the billions in foreign aid, toppling the awful Taliban in Afghanistan and a ruthless dictator in Iraq, allowing for free elections in those countries?

Kindred rhetoric that the Japanese Nationalists use about the aftermath of the Pacific Theatre that conveniently ignores the calamity that overhwelming eclipse their justifications. They're quite laughable to read about.

Does "America's mess" include all the billions in foreign aid, toppling the awful Taliban in Afghanistan and a ruthless dictator in Iraq, allowing for free elections in those countries?

Kindred rhetoric that the Japanese Nationalists use about the aftermath of the Pacific Theatre.

America must buy the crap spewed by the rest of the world and take all illegals -only then can they fully indebt themselves. -Of course a few prolonged wars always helps.

The world to Obama: And who told you that we think so? Only arrogants can think that they can fix it all. We are happy enough if the USA: a) dont start wars and b) dont start financial crisis. Anything else is a bonus.

Sarge, I agree with you and also Obama on this. What a strange world we live in.

Next time a massive tsunami strikes Indonesia, I want to see the "Muslim world" mobilize and get the aid that is needed. Some say the US did it becuase we have the military infrastructure to get the supplies there rapidly; well places like Saudi Arabi, Dubai and others have the money to buy transports to get stuff there, so I say let them.

If countries like France, Russia and others want to make millions off doing busniess with places like Iraq and Iran, while the US does the "heavy work" of making it possible for them to do so, I say they need to step up. People hated Bush for acting too fast with Iraq, and at the same time if he was too slow with providing aid to Katrina victims (which when you look at it he wasn't) they say we moved too slow.

Good for Obama to bring this out.

Thank you, USA, for toppling a ruthles dictator in Iraq. Shame what you've replaced it with is so much worse. Thanks also for getting rid of the Taliban (er...).

Per capita, Great Britain is by far the worst culprit for greenhouse gas emissions, not the USA, simply because they've been doing it for longer.

No-one seriously expects the USA to fix any of it - they've hardly been first off the mark on that one.

"Now is the time for the world to clean up after America's mess"

Does "America's mess" include all the billions in foreign aid, toppling the awful Taliban in Afghanistan and a ruthless dictator in Iraq, allowing for free elections in those countries?

Checking...

Yeah, it does!

America's mess? To be honest, America has always been kind of seen as the world's "savior". We're always the ones running (sometimes stupidly) in to fix things while everyone else sits back and criticizes or offers lukewarm support. I agree that America pretty much gave itself a savior-complex all on its own, and while I definitely don't support all of the decisions made, if no one did anything at all and America kept to itself for everything, what would that say about us? If something happened to our major allies and America didn't even give it a second glance, people would criticize us for being heartless because as a world power (and, at one time, one of the richest) we weren't being responsible with that power.

It's always all OUR fault. I guess that's the part I don't understand. And I don't think it's true at all. And you know, if we're going to function as one global community (we don't really have a choice anymore, it's not like we can go back to the days where people didn't know or care about each other's existance), then YES everyone should help to solve the problems of the world, even if everyone claims it's "our mess". So I agree with Obama.

Now is the time for the world to clean up after America's mess. That's how the passage translates.

I like your thinking Rajakumar. If the other well to do member nations in the UN could actually pull up their bootstraps and do more support then great things can realy truely happen. The US obviously can't shoulder the load to all major issues.

America fix it all ,with all friends. Which nation,is free from all woes.

Happiness does not come on its own,nations have to endeavour to get it,with others/USA help.

There is mental trap boxes,which many nations need to get out of.

Nations have to get empowered and think outside the box .

Citizens of world ,need to come out of ignorance and be free from these mentally created trap boxes.

It seems Obama was refering to Japan: "Dont....." because Japan is openly criticizing USA for financial turmoil and waiting for Obama to fix everything for them.