All Obama requires to ensure that US is seen as a great ally by the world is to force US officials to control their urge to humiliate people
And it’s not that the cases of such verbal and behavioural transgressions by US officials is not known. In April this year, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai lashed out at the way he was being treated by American officials and frustratingly announced that he might even join the Taliban if US interference into Afghan affairs didn’t stop – and this when Karzai knows that the reason he is in power is because of the US government’s support.
Not that the US administration has given him any special treatment, they’ve done that with many other nations too. In a weekly column in Forbes magazine in September 2009 titled Humiliating Japan, C. Chang wrote about the various instances when US officials had malevolently belittled Japanese government officials continuously – leading to growing discontent amongst the Japanese population against US, and their elongated presence at Japan’s Okinawa base. This is the very reason that the current Hatoyama government has started giving the US eloquent tit-for-tats, not failing to responde to each and every repartee.
Beside Iraq and Afghanistan, even Japan, Germany and many other countries seem offended with the way American establishment officials behave. Many global conferences are being organized without US involvement now. Latin America hardly pays heed to US remarks and suggestions – and one believes pays them back in the same coin; so does the rambunctious Iran. China’s distaste for American philosophy hardly needs any formal introduction.
With Barack Obama being elected as the first Muslim-black President, there has been a ray of hope for a more approachable and understanding America with a world view. To add to that, Obama is a great orator – perhaps the greatest yet in the line of US Presidents – and one who has the least respect for off-the-cuff verbal assaults (he practices his speeches excruciatingly diligently and never gives a speech without a tele-prompter). In other words, Obama knows the power of speech, the power of communication, and the power of sending the right “friendly” signal.
And he’s realising the follies of his people – in the Karzai case, for example, he sided immediately with the Afghanistan President and blasted his national security team, telling them to treat Karzai with more public respect. In a similar manner, Obama needs to send his team on goodwill visits to countries like North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran, Japan and the likes to promote the power of good faith. If Bill Clinton can get two US journalists freed in North Korea by deciding one day to simply fly in, meet the boss (Kim Jong-il), talk sweetly, and fly out, then why can’t the same be done by Obama’s people? Sadly, as long as dimwit stalwarts like Dick Cheney keep feeling proud of the ‘F’s in their lives, F-theory would stay.
Not that the US administration has given him any special treatment, they’ve done that with many other nations too. In a weekly column in Forbes magazine in September 2009 titled Humiliating Japan, C. Chang wrote about the various instances when US officials had malevolently belittled Japanese government officials continuously – leading to growing discontent amongst the Japanese population against US, and their elongated presence at Japan’s Okinawa base. This is the very reason that the current Hatoyama government has started giving the US eloquent tit-for-tats, not failing to responde to each and every repartee.
Beside Iraq and Afghanistan, even Japan, Germany and many other countries seem offended with the way American establishment officials behave. Many global conferences are being organized without US involvement now. Latin America hardly pays heed to US remarks and suggestions – and one believes pays them back in the same coin; so does the rambunctious Iran. China’s distaste for American philosophy hardly needs any formal introduction.
With Barack Obama being elected as the first Muslim-black President, there has been a ray of hope for a more approachable and understanding America with a world view. To add to that, Obama is a great orator – perhaps the greatest yet in the line of US Presidents – and one who has the least respect for off-the-cuff verbal assaults (he practices his speeches excruciatingly diligently and never gives a speech without a tele-prompter). In other words, Obama knows the power of speech, the power of communication, and the power of sending the right “friendly” signal.
And he’s realising the follies of his people – in the Karzai case, for example, he sided immediately with the Afghanistan President and blasted his national security team, telling them to treat Karzai with more public respect. In a similar manner, Obama needs to send his team on goodwill visits to countries like North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran, Japan and the likes to promote the power of good faith. If Bill Clinton can get two US journalists freed in North Korea by deciding one day to simply fly in, meet the boss (Kim Jong-il), talk sweetly, and fly out, then why can’t the same be done by Obama’s people? Sadly, as long as dimwit stalwarts like Dick Cheney keep feeling proud of the ‘F’s in their lives, F-theory would stay.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine
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IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
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IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM B-School Detail
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine
IIPM Best B School India
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM B-School Detail
