April 9, 2012
THE WORDS WITHOUT THE MUSIC:
Obama's lack of passion in supporting freedom (Fred Hiatt, 4/09/12, Washington Post)
Not surprisingly, Obama was eager to separate himself from his predecessor's "Freedom Agenda," which had been oversold and yoked to an unpopular war in Iraq. Obama talked more about "dignity" than "democracy" and warned that self-government couldn't be imposed.But he also portrayed himself as faithful to a tradition of American support for democracy. In a 2007 Foreign Affairs article setting out his worldview, Obama wrote, "Citizens everywhere should be able to choose their leaders in climates free of fear."He has, at times, acted on that tenet. He's met with dissenters such as the Dalai Lama, responded deftly to democratic advances in Burma, praised freedom from a platform in Shanghai.Overall, though, he has shown little passion for the cause.
It's largely a function of only caring about himself. Not only does he not have an interest in liberating others but recognizes that doing so tends to drag down presidencies.
Posted by Orrin Judd at April 9, 2012 6:24 AM
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