The US is standing alone. Others around her love to reap the benefits but no one wants to pay the money, cost in blood, or politically. Obama won't change that.
When people have a freeloading relationship they generally want to keep it that way.
The US can't “force” others to help and when we do try to push or force the issue we inherently threaten or damage institutions like NATO as evidenced in 2003.
So where from here?
Do we keep paying 10 times on defense what Germany does, while their ships go through the Suez/Panama canals, navigate the the Gulf of Sidra, Hormuz, off the coast of Somalia or straight of Malacca as everyone else does for free? Should German business really be allowed to do business today in Iraq and make billions, should they really be allowed to buy their barrel of oil at the same market price as all others do on a free global market? They do little to nothing in the Middle East. The Germans are doing massive trade and are heavily involved today economically in the Balkans and former YU, but who really paid for a war there that set the conditions for what is today?
When people could cheat and get cable TV for free and not pay, what do they often do?
When people can cheat and not pay for music and download it from somewhere, what do they do?
When people can rip copies of movies, what do they often do?
The relationship we have with many allies is one where they like to stay in our shadow and they surely want to benefit from everything we do, but they do not want to pay. That simple.,BR>
Bush said it the way it was, and of course many didn't like that.
Obama simply engages in "Schmeichelei (Flattery)", but he won't change anything either in the moochers we have today. They might throw him a bone, but essentially nothing substantial will come of his visit.