Cold War Revisited; Urging Obama In Copenhagen; Bending Over For Emperors

If conservatives overplay Reagan's role in hastening or even ending communism, then liberals overestimate the role of FDR's New Deal. I think in both instances psychologically had a larger impact. It really didn't matter if government programs actually worked, it was that FDR was aggressive in tacking the depression especially in relation to his predecessor Herbert Hoover. Same with Reagan. He spoke the right words and tone using effective diplomacy to firmly send the Soviet Union on its way.

His detractors point our, correctly, it was Gorbachev who was the real impetus behind the Russian renaissance. But wasn't that always going to be the case? No foreign leader could seize the Russian Duma and force its hand. The only way was how Reagan did it. Gorbachev knew the USSR's time had come so he didn't really need Reagan to tell him. However, that doesn't undermine Reagan's role. And the same can be said of FDR. Conservatives have come to view the New Deal with suspicion - even though Republicans at the time voted for it.

In any event, sometimes I wonder if the Cold War ever ended. I get the feeling, even through the war on terror (despite shared interests on the matter), Russia and America are still fighting in the background.

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I was listening to a commercial where elementary students of various ages urged President Obama to "do what's right" and "speak for this generation" by going to Copenhagen and save the planet.

It reminded me of my days in junior high school when we had to do projects urging President Reagan to stop nuclear armament and adhere to world peace. Blah, blah, blah.

Nothing will come of Copenhagen. Nothing.

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My thoughts about Obama's Japanese bow. In short, it was just plain weird. One thing I've learned reading up on it and speaking to people who lived in Japan, is that the bow is deep with cultural significance and highly nuanced so I won't profess to even claim to know what I'm talking about on the issue.

However, apparently, once you bow at roughly 45 degrees you're showing deference - and in this case Obama gave this impression, to some Westerners anyway, off to an emperor. The deeper and longer the bow, the more apologetic. It's pretty obvious he went pretty deep in his brief bow.

Here's an article in The Hindu about how the Japanese viewed it. 

Then again:

ABC's Jake Tapper reports that at least one Japanese newspaper is not printing the picture of the president's mortifying bow because the Japanese are embarrassed by his behavior. A scholar of traditional Japan tells Mr. Tapper, "The bow… did not just display weakness in Red State terms, but evoked weakness in Japanese terms… The last thing the Japanese want or need is a weak-looking American president."

If someone wants to take issue with my ignorance here, please by all means...un-ignorize me.

I'm just glad he didn't ask to cook - in a microwave - his sushi...is the day we'll know he's really lost it.