Embarrassment in Seoul

Wall Street Journal Opinion ^ | November 13,2010

[Hojczyk]

Has there ever been a major economic summit where a U.S. President and his Treasury Secretary were as thoroughly rebuffed as they were at this week's G-20 meeting in Seoul? We can't think of one. President Obama failed to achieve any of his main goals while getting pounded by other world leaders for failing U.S. policies and lagging growth.

The root of this embarrassment is political and intellectual: Rather than leading the world from a position of strength, Mr. Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner came to Seoul blaming the rest of the world for U.S. economic weakness. America's problem, in their view, is the export and exchange rate policies of the Germans, Chinese or Brazilians. And the U.S. solution is to have the Fed print enough money to devalue the dollar so America can grow by stealing demand from the rest of the world.

President Barack Obama walks off the stage with Secretary of Treasury Timonthy Geithner But why should anyone heed this U.S. refrain? The Germans are growing rapidly after having rejected Mr. Geithner's advice in 2009 to join the U.S. stimulus spending blowout. China is also growing smartly having rejected counsel from three U.S. Administrations to abandon its currency discipline. The U.K. and even France are pursuing more fiscal restraint. Only the Obama Administration is determined to keep both the fiscal and monetary spigots wide open, while blaming everyone else for the poor domestic results.

[9YearLurker]

I agree. The overreach of Obama may spark a level of constitutional correction that our ever-expanding government otherwise would have escaped.

[shield]

Smart adults don’t play that blame game that is left up to adolescents....we’ve got an adolescent residing in the WH.

[purplelobster]

I recall Barry traveling to Scandinavia to go on a charm offensive to persuade the Olympic Committee to appoint Chicago as the venue for the winter Olympics only to be shown the door. Barry is now at it again, only this time the stakes are much higher. He's alienated the leaders of the world to such a degree that no one will bargain with us. His incompetence is unprecedented. At least Biden is too dumb to do much damage. Barry actively contributes to the subjugation of the U.S.

[Doe Eyes]

vow that the GOP has learned its fiscal lesson.

We'll see. There's is always a first time.

[Venturer]

So Obama shows up at the G-20 with his tax cheat buddy and makes a fool of himself.

Anything new?

Where were the other 2998 folks he took with him?

[STD]

More like;

Our Embarrassment in Seoul

[Senator_Blutarski]

Then Wendell Goler interpreted what went on in the talks by saying it wasn’t what happened, but what didn’t happen. There was no movement from Obama. Obama pulled the same thing with the Koreans that he pulled with the Republicans.

I negotiate contracts for a living. You can't negotiate if you don't understand the issues and what is at stake for both sides. There are no words to describe how clueless this man is. The rest of the world clearly knows Obama is in over his head. The next two years will be frightening for America.

[JPG]

World leaders certainly talk to each other and a common assessment of Sparky has been formed and agreed to. He's an arrogant, narcissistic, sanctimonious idiot.

[Cannonball Bill]

elections have consequences. We all woke up after nov 2008 and asked ourselves if America knew what it just did. Children are in charge now.

[SunkenCiv]

...at this week's G-20 meeting in Seoul... Obama failed to achieve any of his main goals while getting pounded by other world leaders for failing U.S. policies and lagging growth. The root of this embarrassment is political and intellectual: Rather than leading the world from a position of strength, Mr. Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner came to Seoul blaming the rest of the world for U.S. economic weakness.

Thanks Hojczyk.

• G20: Fractious negotiations between China and the US broke down in "acrimony"
• China's SAIC close to GM IPO stake buy-sources (ChiCom Motors)
• G20 Leaders Urged To Back 'Robin Hood' Tax

[mongo141]

“So Obama shows up at the G-20 with his tax cheat buddy and makes a fool of himself.

Anything new?

Where were the other 2998 folks he took with him?”

In a Cat house?

[TigersEye]

Mr. Community Agonizer is too slow to see that you can’t use the victim card on a world full of socialist and communist countries. That’s their shtick.

[Hojczyk]

BOR tried like hell to get Bush to say something about QBAMA

[TigersEye]

Far from distancing himself from this Federal Reserve policy, Mr. Obama defended it more than once. "From everything I can see, this decision was not one designed to have an impact on the currency, on the dollar," Mr. Obama said in Seoul. "It was designed to grow the economy."

Good. Grief.

[Nuc 1.1]

Our destruction took decades. Our fool president is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[colorado tanker]

I negotiate as part of my work and you are exactly right, he is clueless. Zero (like many liberals) thinks “negotiation” is some kind of magic pixie dust that gets another party to cave in to your position.

[TigersEye]

Do you think Republicans take responsibility for the increases in federal spending that occurred while President Bush was in office?

Some conservatives try to point that out but they are immediately mobbed with accusations of having Republican Derangement Syndrome.

[Mobties]

Lookin’ like a fool with his pants on the ground!

I'm surprised we haven't heard Barack or his peeps in the media or wherever use the race card yet. It would seem that's all the administration has. If America was a parliamentary system there would be a deafening call for resignation.

[Sharondownunderinnz]

This about says it all!!!
A picture speaks 1000 words

[Pit1]

He’ll be on his teleprompter next week. Count on that.