The United States government "is" not eavesdropping on German chancellor Angela Merkel's personal cell phone. It "was."
Barack Obama does not do personal diplomacy, or does not do it well if he attempts it. His personal relationship with Merkel is as good as it gets. Right now, it's not good.
Obama did not do well at the G20 meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, perhaps because there were other persons there. Vladimir Putin was "strong" to other foreign leaders; Obama was "weak."
Susan Rice has a bone in her brain; In St. Petersburg she tried to bully the Germans into signing a pledge of support for U.S. military intervention against the Asad regime in Syria. The Germans urged waiting for the UN report and refused.
Obama's pledge to "review" U.S. intelligence activities plays poorly with heads of state who the U.S. is bugging.
Obama and his spokespeople are lying when they say the sweep of their spying is directed at terrorism. Their lies are transparent to foreign leaders whose personal communications are being swept up. The sweep of U.S. spying abroad is directed at money. The U.S. learns trade and negotiation secrets and uses them as leverage in international business deals.
The Snowden revelations of U.S. spying activities have hurt U.S. "interests." To official and quasi-official Washington it is the revelations not the activities that have hurt.
Merkel's comment on the Snowden revelations in July, that “Not everything which is technically doable should be done” was normative. Obama does not do norms, either. Obama, official Washington and quasi-official Washington operate in a moral vacuum on this. When the revelations of foreign spying broke Obama's reaction was pragmatic: the revelations were going to hurt. He approved of the spying until he got caught. His "review" of spy activities is amoral. Changes will be made only if in America's interests. Morality doesn't enter into it.The cat burglar got nabbed and promises to reflect on how he can do better in the future.
Barack Obama is a pragmatic, amoral president. Lawrence Summers said Obama does not seem to have deep feelings about issues. Obama is weak. Senator Lindsey Graham said Obama is a "pathetic leader."
Obama does not lead, he reacts.
Barack Obama does not do personal diplomacy, or does not do it well if he attempts it. His personal relationship with Merkel is as good as it gets. Right now, it's not good.
Obama did not do well at the G20 meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, perhaps because there were other persons there. Vladimir Putin was "strong" to other foreign leaders; Obama was "weak."
Susan Rice has a bone in her brain; In St. Petersburg she tried to bully the Germans into signing a pledge of support for U.S. military intervention against the Asad regime in Syria. The Germans urged waiting for the UN report and refused.
Obama's pledge to "review" U.S. intelligence activities plays poorly with heads of state who the U.S. is bugging.
Obama and his spokespeople are lying when they say the sweep of their spying is directed at terrorism. Their lies are transparent to foreign leaders whose personal communications are being swept up. The sweep of U.S. spying abroad is directed at money. The U.S. learns trade and negotiation secrets and uses them as leverage in international business deals.
The Snowden revelations of U.S. spying activities have hurt U.S. "interests." To official and quasi-official Washington it is the revelations not the activities that have hurt.
Merkel's comment on the Snowden revelations in July, that “Not everything which is technically doable should be done” was normative. Obama does not do norms, either. Obama, official Washington and quasi-official Washington operate in a moral vacuum on this. When the revelations of foreign spying broke Obama's reaction was pragmatic: the revelations were going to hurt. He approved of the spying until he got caught. His "review" of spy activities is amoral. Changes will be made only if in America's interests. Morality doesn't enter into it.The cat burglar got nabbed and promises to reflect on how he can do better in the future.
Barack Obama is a pragmatic, amoral president. Lawrence Summers said Obama does not seem to have deep feelings about issues. Obama is weak. Senator Lindsey Graham said Obama is a "pathetic leader."
Obama does not lead, he reacts.
