World wants Bush out: Kerry

[cal04]

DEMOCRATIC presidential hopeful John Kerry today proclaimed that the world wants President George W. Bush out of the White House and the return of the US "they know and love".In a new swipe at Republican Bush's muscular foreign policy, Mr Kerry renewed his pledge to return the US to the internationalism that marked its foreign policy for the second half of the 20th century.

"The world is waiting for the United States of America they know and love," Mr Kerry told a late-night rally of at least 5000 supporters in the mid-western state of Wisconsin.Mr Kerry saw Mr Bush pounce on his remark in the second presidential debate that US action abroad should satisfy a "global test" of legitimacy, and proclaim a "Kerry doctrine" of foreign states wielding control over US action abroad.

So today, he repeated the line he now inserts into every campaign appearance: "I will never cede the security of this country to any other nation or institution." "But you know the United States of America is most effective ... when we have friends and allies by our side and we move with other nations."

Mr Kerry told the crowd, braving chilly temperatures and sleet, that their judgement on election day, November 2, would be watched around the globe."The world is waiting for what you are going to do. You don't just get to chose the president of the United States, you get to decide the leader of the free world."


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11090202%255E1702,00.html

[Voltaire99]

1. Sorry, Kerry, I disagree

...that we are "decid(ing) the leader of the free world."

That kind of imperial worldview is precisely why you're having such trouble bringing the left on board. It's why we view you as Bush-lite.

If you were to be more honest, you'd acknowledge that America uber alles explains much of the anti-Americanism in the world today. The world isn't asking for a leader. It doesn't want you to lead it any more than it does Bush.

Sustaining this destructive illusion of world leadership at a time when we are nearly universally hated and mired in a pointless war is not any kind of progress. When is this party going to learn?

[specter]

3. Agreed

Who appointed us as the "worlds leader and police". I think we should mind our own business, and stop tryin to infect our idea of freedom on the rest of humanity. They are all grown adults and have been around many many years longer that we have been a country.

[ochazuke]

5. Give the man a break; he's running for president of the...

most arrogant and egotistical country in the world.

[Julien Sorel]

6. Holy Toledo.

Sustaining this destructive illusion of world leadership at a time when we are nearly universally hated and mired in a pointless war is not any kind of progress.

The U.S. has the biggest economy, the most powerful military, and a culture that is spreading around the world. We are the world's only superpower, and we also have a long tradition of international leadership, which has been reinforced with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the (thus far) failure of any competing body to appear.

The U.S., whether you like it or not, is the leading country of the world, and the president ought to be the "leader" of the world, whatever that phrase entails. Or to put it another way, if there is a leader of the world, the president is it. The "hatred" you correctly refer to is specific to Bush, not America. Bush squandered the leadership role, but it's going to be a temporary vacuum, even if Kerry does not win.



When is this party going to learn?

Learn what? To tell the country that it doesn't lead the world any longer? Woooohoo! What an election winner. What an upper. Especially since it's such an obviously false statement. Thank God most of the "left wing" of the party has more sense than this.

[wrate]

18. Please! You mean the American fake culture of plastic and greed?

No one wants that, believe me. You are in fact a super power economically and militarily. But your country is a void when it comes to culture. Why else do you think a chimp can be your leader?

[are_we_united_yet]

21. If it is not your Country as well,

then maybe you don't know it as well as you may think.

[Julien Sorel]

23. Whatever you call it, it has spread throughout the world.

American films, movies, fashion, restaurants, and yes, American values, are everywhere now. Call it greed, and it certainly is plastic, but it is dominant. If no one wants it, why is it everywhere?

As for the Chimperoo, every country has had its share of crappy leaders. What exactly does that have to do with American culture?

England has no culture, because they had Thatcher, or have Blair, or had Anthony Eden, (and what country would empower such a buffoon?). Seldom have I seen such an egregious non-sequitur.

[wrate]

24. Oops! You are right. It's spreading to Iraq now. And we are all really

happy about it.

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. I don't think it's so wrong as all that.

Accepting the definition of 'leader' as one who leads, then the leader of the most influential free nation could be called the leader of the free world. Bush is not interested in being a leader, being someone who guides, cajoles, directs, and persuades. Bush wants to be the ruler, which is why the free world rejects him. Our system of representative democracy is ideal for us to be seen as a (not necessarily 'the') first among equals.

Leader does not always mean 'Fuhrer'.

[saracat]

9. And who is this "we"? I don't know anyone who thinks of

Kerry as "Bush lite". Who are you voting for, that bastard Nader?

[ElectroPrincess]

11. I submit ... please consider restraining censure and working as a team?

We progressives are sometimes our own cause's worst enemies. I believe that Kerry is a thoughtful and non-imperial Democrat. However, campaign strategies demand that you go toward the main streamers terminology as our disgusting "corporate media" continues to define THEIR reality as America's sentiments.

There are many issues that I agree with third parties on. However, I'm honestly taken aback by their lack of patience with what may be "our Country's only hope" to prevent us from being *totally* ruled by the powerful and rich corporations.

I'm not suggesting that we "drink the kool-aid" like the Republicans and march in lock-step by repeating simplistic talking points.

What I am suggesting is that, ESPECIALLY NOW - for this Presidential Election, those of us who know that four more years for * will destroy our jobs and hope for Democratic rule = Please, let's pull together as a team to get John F. Kerry elected, i.e., stop the nit-picking and petty sniping among ourselves.

[GHOSTDANCER]

14. Kerrys gonna take us on a long hard road.

A war or two, Thats right... Listen to his comments about Iran building a Plant......No Protection for You... Never once heard him say anything about Sharon and his Bulldozers? Weening us from Mid East OIL....Prices are gonna go up.......way up!!!!


Hold on to your lamas cause were going for a ride with or with Bushie

[Amigust]

20. If "Kerry's gonna take us on a long hard road,"

then it's going to look like a cakewalk compared to the road AWOL would take us down.

[Rhiannon12866]

15. Kerry didn't vote for preemptive war

His position on this has been very clear. He voted for giving the president the authority to use force against Saddam Hussein, only to give him leverage when he brought his case brought before the U.N., to get weapons inspectors in, and, if necessary, put further sanctions in place. It turns out that all this was unnecessary; the weapons inspectors had done their job. But this is not how this situation was presented to Congress. They were told that Saddam had WMDs and needed to be disarmed and was "an imminent threat." Big surprise, these guys lied.

John Kerry wants to re-establish a relationship with allies that Bush* has rejected. Both Germany and France, as NATO allies, patrolled our shores, with fighter jets, on the days following 9/11. Most people don't know or remember that.

I want Kerry to lead. I've listened to him and have come to respect him and believe in his message. We need regime change at home. George Bush* has made a mess of the economy, sent young Americans to die in Iraq for no reason, and turned the good will engendered by 9/11 into universal scorn and hatred of this country. It won't be easy to undo all this, but John Kerry has a plan, which he has articulated clearly and directly, point by point. He wasn't my first choice, but he's won me over.

Besides, what other choice do we have?:shrug:

[cliss]

16. If one really looks at the facts, we are not the

leader of the world. We don't have the capability. Now before someone gets excited and says, "That's not true!!! We're the world's only superpower. After the USSR cashed in its chips, we were the only ones left".

I would argue that that "Superpower" status is very tenous indeed. The US represents only 3.8% of the world's population. We've got an uphill battle when it comes to fighting terror if we equate that with the Muslim World. Because there are 4 of them to every 1 of us. A little unbalanced.

So we do not have any kind of numbers-superiority. We do have military superiority. But if you consider our deficits and how they're going to cripple our economy in the years to come, that may change. We have bankrupted ourselves in Iraq. $200 billion, and we've accomplished what? Killed thousands (including many of our own) and no nearer to our goal of securing the oil fields, which are still being sabotaged.

Also consider what led to the downfall of the Soviet Union. They spent more and more on military buildup at the expense of social programs. Sound familiar?

Military superiority is really nothing more than a mirage in the desert because it can change so quickly, as we've seen. Stan Goff said that "dollar for dollar, man for man, the US military is the most inefficient in the world". He feels that money does not equal superiority. Besides, I'm not sure why we even talk about "superiority".

I believe that in WW2, we stayed out of the fight until we had no choice but to become involved. We were a "late entrant" so to speak. We were the deciding factor in winning the war, but we never had the attitude of being the "King of the World". Where did this notion come about?

We are not the leader of the world. Since our numbers are so small, it would do us a lot of good to think about co-operation, in particular with Europe.

[are_we_united_yet]

19. "Sorry Voltaire, I disagree"

Or perhaps it is more accurate to say I don't entirely agree (mostly disagree).

If Kerry were to be elected, we would still have some "W policy momentum" leftover from this horrid Congress which will be somewhat in tact. That will shape / force Kerry's hand on many policy fights both domestic and foreign.

1) I don't view Kerry as Bush lite period so don't include me in the we.

2) I think we ARE deciding the leader of the free world and that this is not an Imperialist attitude, rather US decisions are made in concert with (good and bad) and are influenced by our European and Middle East allies.

3) Damage caused by the Bush Administration is heavy. I don't agree the left is wavering only to be swayed to Bush's side (either by direct vote or indirectly) because of a Kerry speech made regarding this matter.

Sorry, I think your post is mostly wrong.

[jumptheshadow]

22. Well, I will say this

I work in the international community in New York. Every non-American I know has made the same remark to me: They wish they could vote in our election. When so many of our country's actions affect so much of the world, there are an awful lot of folks in other countries who wish they had a ballot in November.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. We are deciding the leader of a fallen leader of the free world

who needs to seriously re-examine its role in the world, and beg forgiveness from those whom she bullied.

[JCMach1]

4. I wish he hadn't said this

[saracat]

8. Ooooh, Puhleeze!

Most of the world regards the President of the United States as the Leader of the Free World. And this is written in an Aussie paper which probably doesn't disagree with that statement. This is a perfectly acceptable statement to make.
The problem is that we need to have a Leader who leads by example and we haven't had one for the last four years. Whoever we elect President has a direct effect on the rest of the world. Think of our allies. Think of Iraq. Don't you think they would be in a different position had the SCOTUS not selected Gore?

[4MoreYearsOfHell]

10. No problem with this answer...

We are, and have been...the global leader...so deal with his statements...and quit the very hand-wringing and second guessing that has helped to put us in the situation that we are in now...

Defeat the chimperor...THAT is the mission...

It's OK to have some resolve, you know...

[truthisfreedom]

12. somewhat bizarre, but very interesting statements from Kerry. maybe he's

on to something. think about it... if bush pounces on this, what will he say about it? that he is NOT the leader of the free world?

[pacifictiger]

13. Whether most americans realize it or not

large American corporations today affect people in almost every country around the globe.
And when big corporations "own" the president, such as is currently evident, his decisions do indeed affect the rest of the world.
The icing on the cake is if "american interests" are threatened in a foreign country, real or imagined, the US military is sent to "protect" those interests. And the president is the one who decides to send them.
The truth is ugly no matter how much we wish it were otherwise. No wonder the rest of the world is uneasy.

[George_S]

17. Good. It's true.

Hey, Bush, the rest of the world matters a little bit.

[cal04]

25. Tens of thousands throng London to protest Iraq war

LONDON : Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of central London to protest against the Iraq war as Prime Minister Tony Blair struggled to shake-off fierce criticism of the invasion back home.

Organisers said that between 65,000 and 75,000 protesters had taken to the streets for the peaceful march, which began at Russell Square, close to the British museum. Police put the figure at between 15,000 and 20,000.

Protesters from around the world clutched banners and blew whistles as they marched towards Trafalgar Square, where a mass rally was taking place. "Troops out," screamed one of many placards being waved by protesters. "Blair must go," said another.

Sunday's march was the latest in a series of demonstrations organised by the Stop The War Coalition before and after the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 that was backed by Britain.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/112153/1/.html

[Rhiannon12866]

26. They protested in amazing numbers during the march to war

Millions of people marched, all over the world, most notably in Britain, but also in this country and all over the world. The failure was in the lack of media coverage of this incredible phenomenon. What liberal media?!:shrug:

[donheld]

27. Some of you are sounding like boneheads

:spank: I think Mr Kerry is Spot on!:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Rhiannon12866]

28. In what way? I support John Kerry and understand his position.

He voted to give Bush* the authority to use force against Saddam to take to the U.N. to get the leverage to get the weapons inspectors back in to finish their job. After that, Bush* blew it. John Kerry never voted for preemptive war.:-(