TW: Have spoken in past about how Bush leaving and Obama arriving puts increased pressure on our allies. With Bush life was simple, since Bush had little credibility the allies could sit on their hands and claim the U.S. was not promoting valid policies regardless of the circumstances. With Obama the onus shifts to the allies to articulate how they will participate in jointly addressing the plethora of challenges facing the world. This is not to say they should follow the U.S. like lemmings as we will still make mistakes but in these very challenging times there is always the need for leadership and the U.S. remains that entity.
From Joe Klein at Time:
"At this year's U.S.-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Qatar, speaker after Muslim speaker had nothing particularly awful to say about the United States. The Muslims were, in fact, hopeful about, and slightly amazed by, the new American President. Some even wondered aloud what they could do to help him succeed.
...Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian opposition leader [asked]...'will the U.S. find credible partners in the Muslim world? ... How do we expect the President of the United States to solve our problems when we do nothing?'
...The clearest statement of American intent came from Vice President Joe Biden in Munich...'We will listen. We will consult. We will strive to act preventively, not pre-emptively." And "America will act aggressively against climate change." He offered an unclenched fist to Iran and a willingness to push "the reset button" with Russia'
...This clarion statement of international sanity had a curious effect on its audience: stunned silence, as the assembled Europeans and Russians were confronted with a terrifying new reality. They were out of excuses, especially our NATO allies. If the U.S. was done with thoughtless bellicosity, the peaceable Euros might have to respond more substantively to our requests for them to live up to their pledges in Afghanistan. This seemed the underlying tension in Munich — the split between countries whose troops actually fight in Afghanistan and those whose troops do not. It is a breach to watch, one that could cripple the alliance.
...As a result, Obama's foreign policy will move at the speed of diplomacy — slower than a sclerotic donkey — punctuated by the occasional laser whoosh of a Hellfire missile in Waziristan. His policies will be nuanced and will not please anyone overmuch — not the Muslims (nor the Israelis) nor our NATO allies nor those Americans seeking ideological clarity or consistency"
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1880379,00.html
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