President Obama has done a number of noteworthy things, which have also generated hope and excitement all over the world. It is true that the policies of the Bush administration created an atmosphere that highlighted Obama's move to the center away from confrontational issues.
Candidate Obama journeyed to Germany to make a speech that most in America condemned as a publicity stunt, but the world was looking for the next president of the United States to fill a void that had, for far too long, been non-existence. Obama’s speech gave promise of things to come. His message indentified an intense desire for the United States to step up, and save the world as it has done in the pass, though peaceful negotiations.
The missile defense system that President Bush wanted to install in northern Europe infuriated the Russians creating an atmosphere that could have started another Cold War. President Obama defused the issue by substituting deployed ships equipped with Aegis missile platform to protect the ME and Northern Europe. A brilliant move, why, because the Aegis missile system is capable of intercepting the short and medium range missiles of Iran without threatening Russia.
The ME policy of getting consensus views from all parties with the intent of reaching an agreement through consensus is a new concept. His ME policy has yet to yield results, but it is better than ignoring the key members in the dispute, as was the way of the Bush administration.
Obama made campaign promises to release the Guantanamo prisoners. He has not done so, but the fault lies with Congress' disapproval of his plan without introducing an alternative. Korea is at the tables and talking with the Six world powers; Iran, with prodding, is now opening the doors to inspections of its nuclear facilities, and the Free World is working together to solve the economic problems initiating by the bad practices of Wall Street and our Banking industry. Obama immediately repealed the policy of torturing prisoners, under the Bush administration; the torturing of prisoners had disheartened the rest of the world and everyone was elated with Obama’s announcement.
World leaders are again looking to the United States to show the way and that is a feather in the hat of the Obama administration. This President has gained the respect and confidence of Third World countries with visits to our neighbors to the South, and with conferences with Canada and Mexico.
Obama has done plenty to deserve the Noble Peace prize. He has given the world-at-large hope!
