On Kerry & World Leaders: Is The Bush Administration Admired and Respected Around the World?

April 21, 2004 | ComtedeMaistre

[ComtedeMaistre]

John Kerry may have been lying, when he said that he talked to world leaders, whom he claimed wanted him to defeat Bush in the November election.

But we have to be realistic. The Bush administration does not have many friends around the world. I think I can count them on the fingers of one hand. Ariel Sharon is one leader who may prefer Bush over Kerry, because Bush is more hawkish on Israel. John Howard of Australia is another, who is the leader of the Australian conservatives.

With Blair - I am not too sure. He had a very close personal friendship with Clinton. While he backed Bush in the war, the vast majority of the British people hate Bush, and the largest anti-war demonstration took place in London, where they toppled a statue of Bush. During his visit to London, Bush was unable to meet and greet the public.

Aznar, the Spanish conservative, was rejected by the Spanish people for being too close to the Bush administation.

Most European governments, as well as the vast majority of the European public, oppose the Bush administation, according to recent polls. Many in Latin America feel the same way, and it is not just the socialist leaders in Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil and Cuba. Even the situation in Asia is bad. The South Koreans gave a leftist party a majority in parliament, which favor dialogue with North Korea. In nations like China and Indonesia, the Bush administration is not trusted. Mubakak and King Hussein recently made it clear that the Bush administration is disliked in the Arab world. Leftists gvernments in Africa, such as that of Thabo Mbeki in South Africa, do not trust the Bush administration. I think that just about covers the whole world.

John Kerry may have been lying about talking to world leaders. But the lie had some basis in truth. If the polls taken around the world are to be believed, then the vast majority of the world's people and their leaders, will rejoice if John Kerry defeats Bush.

[ComtedeMaistre]

I am also not too sure about our President's bossom buddy, Vicente Fox. Anything that Bush can offer with regard to Mexican illegals, the Democrats can sweeten the offer even further. It would not surprise me, if Kerry laid out a massive 2000 mile red carpet on the Mexican border, with signs infront of the carpet, reading, "Welcome Amigo!".

The reality of the world is not as we would wish it to be. We have to deal with the world as it exists.

[Warren_Piece]

Let me paraphrase Tim Allen:

Yeah, I know America has no friends...too bad we OWN everything!

Face it, we run the world. Everybody else has to deal with US!

[Pukin Dog]

It is better to be feared.

[Eva]

Look, any foreign leader who feels threatened by the power of the US is going to favor Kerry, the weak, supercillious, pris, to the strong, macho Bush. Kerry turned tail and ran from Vietnam after three months and then stepped on his fellow Veterans in order to start his own political career.

Too bad, though, these foreign leaders aren't even going to get a chance to line up behind Kerry. He won't be the Democrat nominee. Hillary is just waiting in the wings until the full plan of attack on Bush does it's job. She knows that she couldn't withstand a long campaign and that her husband's weakness on terror would finish her, so she's got Gorelick and Ben Veniste on that 9/11 commission trying to clean up his image.

[crz]

Thia president was not elected for a love fest. He was elected to serve us. And the American people dont much give a rats a$$ what the rest of the world thinks. The only ones who do, are those in the Demoncrat camp who want a "NEW WORLD ORDER" much like Hitler wanted.

[Gorjus]

Your question deals with 'admired and respected,' which is not the same as 'liked.' I don't doubt that the rest of the world would like to see Bush defeated. That's analogous to baseball fans - for any team but the Yankees - hoping that A-Rod falls flat on his face. It's not at all inconsistent with respecting the Yankees - and even admiring them.

As yourself this question: Does Osama respect Bush more than Clinton? Does Saddam? They hate Bush and would love to see him defeated . . . but I'll bet a buck that they respect him more than they respect Kerry.

And I wouldn't be surprised if they admire him as well. After all, he beat them. He proved them wrong (at least so far) and took away their support. I'll bet they'd love to have his power. Add all that up and it probably serves as a practical definition of 'admire.'

If the fanatics feel that way, then how much more so for all those others you mentioned?

[Tribune7]

We know that North Korea prefers Kerry. And China has contributed to Dems in the past.

But hey, these guys only care about what's best, right?

[Puppage]

The Bush administration does not have many friends around the world

What was it Reagan said..."we're not here to make friends, but to be respected". Or, somthing along those lines. Allowing someone, or country to kill your people DOES NOT garner respect.

[masadaman]

"No man is a hero to his debtors" Wm. Shakespeare

[backhoe]

While it would be nice if we were Admired and Respected- even liked- we need to put our own interests first.

Frankly, given "the world's" sorry record of dealing with dictators, thugs, and madmen, I'm not very interested in its opinion of us.

[dead]

the vast majority of the British people hate Bush

I have not seen any poll that backs this statement.

And as large as the anti-war protests in England were, the truly vast majority of British people did not participate.

[watchin]

We don't elect presidents based on their acceptance by petty dictators or the sissies who run from them.

It's not so much that no one believed Kerry, it's just that his claim works AGAINST him rather than for him.

[Bon mots]

[optimistically_conservative]

Really, don't care. Really. I lived in Europe during Reagan's second term and GHW Bush's. "Everyone" hated Reagan and didn't trust Bush.

Didn't care then, don't care now.

It really just doesn't matter unless they come to the table with something to offer. Until they do, I just don't care if they "like" us or not. International politics/diplomacy and economics is not a popularity contest - period.

[cksharks]

And just who the hell are you? I could give a rats ass how many french pigs like the USA

[Jaysun]

Most European governments, as well as the vast majority of the European public, oppose the Bush administation, according to recent polls. Many in Latin America feel the same way, and it is not just the socialist leaders in Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil and Cuba. Even the situation in Asia is bad. The South Koreans gave a leftist party a majority in parliament, which favor dialogue with North Korea. In nations like China and Indonesia, the Bush administration is not trusted. Mubakak and King Hussein recently made it clear that the Bush administration is disliked in the Arab world. Leftists gvernments in Africa, such as that of Thabo Mbeki in South Africa, do not trust the Bush administration. I think that just about covers the whole world.

They hate President Bush because they love Socialism. The question isn't "who likes Bush", the question is "who in the hell cares?"

[Cicero]

Clinton was very popular in a lot of countries because he was an NWO socialist, supported abortion, supported gay rights, and was willing to compromise America's national interests in order to please others.

If you cast your mind back to Bush's first visit to Europe you will recall that he got a very unfriendly reception because he was perceived as a conservative and an ignorant, parochial cowboy.

There's no particular shame in being disliked by socialists, communists, Islamists, and decadents.

As for respect, nobody respected clinton. Nobody. People along the Nile and in Tibetan villages joked about Monica.

Admire falls into the middle between liking and respect. I'm not sure that your typical Arab or Euroswine admires either of these American presidents. But if they have a sneaking admiration for either of them, it would have to be Bush. There's nothing admirable about clinton, who is nothing but a toady and a scum.