26 thoughts on “The Speech”

  3. Haven’t heard the speech but saw on one of those TV news scrolls while eating lunch at a deli that 200,000 showed up in Berlin for the speech.
    That’s hard to believe — 200,000!

  4. I just come from the speech. I think he played it safe and said nothing that could be (reasonably) construed as controversial. He didn’t even take the risk of directly saying: You (Germans) should send more troops to Afghanistan, although it was clearly implied.
    Talented speaker meets friendly audience resulting in no real surprises.
    In order not to be mistaken: I do not regret having gone there. Interesting experience.
    —
    Too few metal detectors. The last 50 meters took me an hour and there was still room for more people directly in front of the podium.

  5. “What’d you think?”
    I thought the words and ideas had great meaning. I think it reads very well, and I agree with it.

    […] But in the darkest hours, the people of Berlin kept the flame of hope burning. The people of Berlin refused to give up. And on one fall day, hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here, to the Tiergarten, and heard the city’s mayor implore the world not to give up on freedom. “There is only one possibility,” he said. “For us to stand together united until this battle is won…The people of Berlin have spoken. We have done our duty, and we will keep on doing our duty. People of the world: now do your duty…People of the world, look at Berlin!”
    People of the world – look at Berlin!
    Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work together and trust each other less than three years after facing each other on the field of battle.
    Look at Berlin, where the determination of a people met the generosity of the Marshall Plan and created a German miracle; where a victory over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever formed to defend our common security.
    Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never forget our common humanity.
    People of the world – look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one.
    […]
    The terrorists of September 11th plotted in Hamburg and trained in Kandahar and Karachi before killing thousands from all over the globe on American soil.
    As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya.
    Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan become the heroin in Berlin. The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all.
    In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster than our efforts to contain them. That is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape responsibility in meeting them. Yet, in the absence of Soviet tanks and a terrible wall, it has become easy to forget this truth. And if we’re honest with each other, we know that sometimes, on both sides of the Atlantic, we have drifted apart, and forgotten our shared destiny.
    In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world, rather than a force to help make it right, has become all too common. In America, there are voices that deride and deny the importance of Europe’s role in our security and our future. Both views miss the truth – that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and taking more responsibility in critical parts of the world; and that just as American bases built in the last century still help to defend the security of this continent, so does our country still sacrifice greatly for freedom around the globe.
    In this new century, Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more – not less. Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the one way, the only way, to protect our common security and advance our common humanity.
    That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another.
    The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down.
    […]
    That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It was this spirit that led airlift planes to appear in the sky above our heads, and people to assemble where we stand today. And this is the moment when our nations – and all nations – must summon that spirit anew.
    This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink from our responsibility to combat it. If we could create NATO to face down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and Amman; in London and Bali; in Washington and New York. If we could win a battle of ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope.
    This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to rout the terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan, and the traffickers who sell drugs on your streets. No one welcomes war. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO’s first mission beyond Europe’s borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them rebuild their nation. We have too much at stake to turn back now.
    This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The two superpowers that faced each other across the wall of this city came too close too often to destroying all we have built and all that we love. With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom. It is time to secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons.
    […]
    This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions. We must support the Lebanese who have marched and bled for democracy, and the Israelis and Palestinians who seek a secure and lasting peace. And despite past differences, this is the moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government and finally bring this war to a close.
    […]
    Now the world will watch and remember what we do here – what we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity; by security and justice? Will we lift the child in Bangladesh from poverty, shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish the scourge of AIDS in our time?
    Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the words “never again” in Darfur?
    Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun discrimination against those who don’t look like us or worship like we do, and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our people?
    People of Berlin – people of the world – this is our moment. This is our time.
    […]
    But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived – at great cost and great sacrifice – to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or kingdom – indeed, every language is spoken in our country; every culture has left its imprint on ours; every point of view is expressed in our public squares. What has always united us – what has always driven our people; what drew my father to America’s shores – is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can live free from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please.
    […]
    We are a people of improbable hope. With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again.

    I’m for all that.
    Y’all?

  6. “He didn’t even take the risk of directly saying: You (Germans) should send more troops to Afghanistan, although it was clearly implied.”
    Speech:

    But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO’s first mission beyond Europe’s borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them rebuild their nation. We have too much at stake to turn back now.

    You may have missed the entirely explicit “and your troops.”
    It’s in the CNN transcript, as well.

    The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them rebuild their nation.

  7. May have happened when I tried to get an even better view and walked into the superposition zone of the loudspeakers. I only remember “support” or something in that area but not specific “troops”.

  8. I agree with Hartmut: nothing controversial but well-scripted.
    Best line of the speech:
    “If we could win a battle of ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope.”
    With the seventh anniversary of 9-11 approaching, I can’t recall President Bush saying anything as hopeful and coherent as that.
    Pretty cool that you were there, Hartmut. Was it a mostly young crowd?

  11. Actually, my favorite bit is his inserting the following question, after asking whether we’re willing to stand up for the human rights of various people around the world:
    “Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law?”
    Now, this shouldn’t be controversial, but for the U.S. today, it may be, and it needs to be said.

  13. “I agree with Hartmut: nothing controversial but well-scripted.”
    Version soon to appear as translated on various rightwing sites: “We must surrender to Al Qaeda as soon as possible; I call on you all to become dhimmis — as soon as my civilian national security force of illegal Mexican immigrants is ready to impose this on you, along with mandatory homosexuality, and 300% taxes; now, join me, and my Vice-Presidential running mate, Osama bin Laden Marx, in denouncing my honkie grandmother, you Nazis.”

  14. Re: “Disciples”
    Obama went overseas and was critical of the United States of America. That is a no no. Obama will not reflect on criticism directed towards him though. It is not in his nature. He will just get angry and have his JNM.
    But the reporters will reflect on the criticism directed towards the reporters. The three anchors on the plane vs. one camera at the airport will stick. They will continue to be mocked by the right and will react by trying to prove that they are objective. Stable college graduates go into the world and strive to do something.
    College graduates who strive to report on the actions of others while having their face on TV are not stable. Their flaw is that they need positive feedback on a regular basis. Lawyers are similar, but their condition is generally not as advanced. Politicians’ conditions are generally more advanced. Obama is a record-breaker.*
    The arrogance and thin skin of reporters will trump their ideology. And they will begin to be critical of Obama. Which will accelerate his JNM. See his dad’s life story.
    *In accordance with the posting rules, no disrespect is intended towards reporters, lawyers, politicians, or Obama supporters.

  15. Adolf Osama bin Laden Marx . . .
    Scary indeed how right-wing blogs, and Fox Noise, will interpret the speech.
    Obama’s poor grandmom . . .

  16. As ridiculous as I find the notion that a nine day touch-and-go style trip of several countries somehow enhances one’s Commander-in-Chief credentials, I cannot help but feel that this trip, and today’s speech, have really helped.
    The quality of being “Presidential” is elusive, but there was no doubt about it today- Obama looked like a World Leader.
    The speech reminded me just how good he really is, and how excited I am about his candidacy.

  17. “Re: ‘Disciples'”
    Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion. Assertion.
    Very convincing.
    From cite: “Obama is not used to being criticized.”
    Nonsensical lie. But people who find the argument by assertion convincing think it will convince others.
    Wait, do you need me to support that claim somehow?
    Unsurprisingly, the horrors of a polity not being just WASPs.

  18. “Obama went overseas and criticized the United States of America.”
    Ding-ding-ding!
    BOB, you win the prize for pointing that out first.
    Surely, you can’t be serious.

  19. Y’all?
    Mistake to do it IMO.
    People of Berlin – people of the world – this is our moment. This is our time.
    Expect to see that in an RNC ad. Developing meme is that he’s acting like he’s running for president of the world. I don’t think it will play well in the heartland.
    McCain was smart IMO to run ads in the three US cities named Berlin today, doing it in all US cities named Paris tomorrow.
    Beyond the speech:
    Getting a bit ahead of himself I think.
    Snubbing the military is usually not a great idea.
    Meanwhile, as he gets bashed here and many other places over Iraq, McCain is closing the gap in battleground states over Iraq of all things.

  21. John Jay was not a WASP Gary. He was from France. The Federalist Papers are pretty good though, I think even Publius has read them. They, in my opinion, represent what is probably the high point of Western Civilization.
    We all know that Barack Obama is a Constitutional Law Professor at the University of Chicago. But when he goes overseas and calls himself a Citizen of the World, I’m kind of skeptical that Obama has read the Federalist Papers. Either that or he does not agree with them. Maybe there is a comprehension issue.

  22. OCSteve: they do recognize that ‘people of the world’ was a riff off the line from the speech he quoted by the mayor of Berlin? And that he didn’t think it was respectful to go to the military base on a trip paid for by the campaign, as opposed to the CODEL part in Kuwait/Afghanistan/Iraq, where he did visit the military?
    Sigh…
    On the other hand, if the best the RNC can do is note that he addressed people outside the US, I don’t know that we have that much to worry about. Though I personally plan to act as though we’re 30 points behind when I’m out registering voters, etc.

  23. OCSteve, you may be right. ButI give the good folks in the heartland more credit than that.
    Why would they take it as a bad thing that the rest of the world likes our president?
    Then again, as you note, the polls seem awfully close for what should be a Democratic year.

  24. BOB, I’ve only been to England and Russia in my 45 years on the planet but I would take it as a compliment if someone called me a “citizen of the world.”
    Maybe it’s because we’ve had eight years of President Bush and have now listened to Bush Lite for the past year on the campaign trail but when giving a speech isn’t the speaker allowed some poetic license or a good turn of phrase.

  25. OCSteve, I assume you also thought that McCain’s decision to go to a German restaurant was also a good contrast. 🙂 I mean, is he attempting to try and lamely copy Obama?
    The only thing missing from the McCain campaign during Obama’s trip was McCain going to a synagogue while Obama was in Israel and going to a US military base while Obama was in Iraq.
    I’d also add that I thought the attempt to go out to the oil rig only to have it cancelled by the weather and the oil spill was a nice touch.

  26. Here’s what McCain thinks, as he sticks his foot in his mouth again:

    “I would rather speak at a rally or a political gathering any place outside of the country after I am president of the United States, but that’s a judgment that Sen. Obama and the American people will make.”

    As the post points out, is Canada not another country? Is he so senile that he can’t remember that he did just that only a month ago?
    Full post can be found here.

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