President of the United States? Or Earth?

[Timothy Paradox]

I have to write an essay about President Barrack Obama. It's about his power and influence, and how he is trying to expand his influence throughout the world, and is thereby sort of not just the president of the USA, but of all of the world. So, I'd like to ask all of you to think about this, and list examples of this kind of imperialistic behavior. It would also be cool if you could mention a few examples of how Obama himself is being manipulated by those who funded his campaign (the people and companies he can't go without) and forced to change his policies.

[ninja9578]

That's what Bush thought, I'm sure that obama knows that he is only responsible for the USA. As other countries start to trust us again our influence will grow, but we're supposed to let sovereign countries be sovereign.

[Timothy Paradox]

Yea, but I don't just mean invading countries, I also mean the USA's potential to happily ignore whatever the UN says (like when they wanted to invade Iraq) and the USA's overall power in the world. It's a fact that the opinion of the United States is more likely to be heard than the opinion of a "lesser country" like, say; Bulgaria.

[Universal Mind]

That's what Bush thought, I'm sure that obama knows that he is only responsible for the USA. As other countries start to trust us again our influence will grow, but we're supposed to let sovereign countries be sovereign. Obama said he plans to keep U.S. troops in Iraq for another year and a half and is sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. He also talked of plans to invade Pakistan.

[ninja9578]

No, Bill O'riely says that Obama wants to invade Pakistan. Obama wants to form an alliance with the Pakistani military to find terrorists hiding in the mountains on the west coast. He's keeping troops there because he has to clean up Bush's mess, not sweep it under the rug. The war in Afganistan is just and more importantly, legal. There are terrorists there, and they attacked us. The UN isn't international law, it's a confederacy. The Gineva convention laid down international law framework. Obama plans to obey them.

[StonedApe]

Obama suppoerts globalist and socialist ideas, but I don't think he is the pres of the world. If I were you, I'd focus more on the fact the he supports the movement towards more and bigger government. Saying he's the president of the world is too much of a stretch. I've really stopped paying attention to polotics lately, but didn't he support some global carbon tax bullshit? That whole thing might have just been a rumor, I can't remember.

[Alric]

Everyone president for the last 100 years has been similar in that way. Trying to increase the power of the office they hold. Its the reason the president currently gets away with so much, when its clearly illegal.

[Xei]

I think Obama has more perspective than Bush at least. I remember having a strong impression of that when I heard his acceptance speech; he put plenty of emphasis on the fact that he rejected the old 'USA is king' philosophy, and that he would have to work with the world, not above it. That's what I took from it anyway.

[plg6067]

Hahaha, you think presidents actually have power? They are just figure heads controlled by others... Just like KRS said, the president is just like a manager of burger king, but the franchise owner is the only one with real power. I really doesnt matter which person is president, that doesnt change much.

[stasik50]

Yeah, there are people controlling the president. So wichever president we're still under the power of whoever is controlling the president himself.

[StonedApe]

I agree with the last 2 post to an extent, but don't you think he agrees with these people? It's not like the manchurian candidate or he's brainwashed somehow. There may or may not be people who tell him what to do, but he still supports globalism and socialism. He still is a represtentitive of what these people stand for.

[Timothy Paradox]

And how is that a bad thing? Haven't seen socialism ruin my country yet.

[Universal Mind]

No, Bill O'riely says that Obama wants to invade Pakistan. Obama wants to form an alliance with the Pakistani military to find terrorists hiding in the mountains on the west coast. He's keeping troops there because he has to clean up Bush's mess, not sweep it under the rug. Bill O'Reilly writes forthe Washington Post (and other news agencies)? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...080101233.html If the war in Iraq is illegal and doing more harm than good, shouldn't it end immediately? But now you want it to continue for another year and a half? The war in Afganistan is just and more importantly, legal. There are terrorists there, and they attacked us. Afghanistan attacked us? Please elaborate. How is Afghanistan not a sovereign nation? There were and are terrorists in Iraq too. The Hussein regime was a terrorist organization, and they at times had and were always working on WMD's that could have gotten into the hands of suicide terrorists. Does that sound like a wise dice game to play around with? The UN isn't international law, it's a confederacy. The Gineva convention laid down international law framework. Obama plans to obey them. If the U.N. does not decide international law, then neither does the Geneva Convention. We have not been violating either any way. We just went to war without the support of the U.N., who should be fighting genocide and state sponsored terrorism everywhere they exist. And how is that a bad thing? Haven't seen socialism ruin my country yet. You have seen it ruin other countries.

[Timothy Paradox]

You have seen it ruin other countries. Like?

[Universal Mind]

Like? Did you see what happened to the Soviet Union?

[Timothy Paradox]

Did you see what happened to the Soviet Union? The soviet union was a commonist nation, so were/are the others you listed. Socialism and Communism (or even worse, Stalinism) are not the same. My country is socialist, but by NO MEANS communist. And we're doing JUST fine, thank you.

[StonedApe]

socialism=less freedom, less personal choice, the government does things for you. Right? I value freedom over health care. But I could really care less where my insurance was coming from as long as I could get decent treatment. My real problem with socialism is that it gives government more power. I think government should be as small as possible. It really doesn't make sense for one man to control another mans life, in any way. Maybe in the case of violence or theft, but that's really about it. I see no reason why I should have to pay a large amount of taxes so that other people can have a false sense of security. Regardless of what the government does, you will always still have problems. Better to learn to deal with these problems on your own than have a government do a hass alfed job of it. The government in america is seriously fucked up. Mainly because it has gotten so big that's nothing that going to make real progress can be done. We are Trillions of dollars in debt so of course, the answer must be spend more tax more, right? I don't know, I don't trust anyone who has wars on concepts. Wars in general are ignorant, and have a war on an idea is even more ignorant. I don't trust these people at all, so I think they should have as little power as possible.

[plg6067]

The Soviet Union doesn't even exist any more. Cuba, North Korea, and North Vietnam are Hell holes that most people would refuse to even visit. Wait... you got to be kidding me... You blame that on socialism? hahaha there is a difference from real socialism and bad dictators. There is also a difference from communism and socialism. Stalin was not a real socialist and neither was lenin. All bad dictators who call themselves communists are actually just fascists "a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism." fascism btw I am not a socialists or a communist, I am an anarchist.

[Universal Mind]

The soviet union was a commonist nation, so were/are the others you listed. Socialism and Communism (or even worse, Stalinism) are not the same. My country is socialist, but by NO MEANS communist. And we're doing JUST fine, thank you. U.S.S.R.: United Soviet Socialist Republic Communism and socialism are more or less the same thing. The difference is that with (pure) communism, the government distributes money that they own (while claiming there is no ownership) and with (pure) socialism, the government distributes money that the people supposedly own when the government decides to give it to them. Realistically, the government owns everything in both cases. If the government tells you how much you can have and when, what you call it is almost entirely a matter of semantics. Communism and socialism are unfair for the same reasons and fail for the same reasons. It gets tricky putting the right label of the two on countries, but the problems are the same either way.

[Timothy Paradox]

Oh well, believe what you want. I'll just sit here, and enjoy this magnificent country where everybody pays 1200 euros for 3 years of university (no grades or previous knowledge needed) and where everybody who gets injured gets proper treatment no matter who you are. I don't hear anyone around here complain. Oh, and USSR is just a name.

[Xei]

U.S.S.R.: United Soviet Socialist Republic And the Nazis were communists.

[plg6067]

It doesnt matter what the government is, with the monetary system you all are slaves.

[Universal Mind]

Oh well, believe what you want. I'll just sit here, and enjoy this magnificent country where everybody pays 1200 euros for 3 years of university (no grades or previous knowledge needed) and where everybody who gets injured gets proper treatment no matter who you are. I don't hear anyone around here complain. And you can keep loving the fruits of our capitalism that enrich your life so much.

[plg6067]

And you can keep loving the fruits of our capitalism that enrich your life so much. Sorry I don't think I could enjoy that while knowing that capitalistic greed is the reason for VVV this wouldn't happen in a resource (not monetary) based economy but you, go ahead, buy that new expensive thing that makes you "happy"

[stasik50]

And the Nazis were communists. Actually, they were fascists.