Remember how we were told that George W. Bush’s foreign policy was alienating our allies, enraging our enemies, and making America less safe? Remember how we were promised that with the wave of his golden tongue, His Majesty Barack Obama would bring the world together and quell all the enemies Bush riled up for eight years?
Then why do we get stories like these in one weekend?
North Korea tests nuclear weapon ‘as powerful as Hiroshima bomb’
Country risks further international isolation as underground nuclear explosion triggers earthquake
Justin McCurry in Tokyo and Tania Branigan in Beijing
guardian.co.uk, Monday 25 May 2009 11.59 BST
North Korea today risked further international isolation after it claimed to have successfully tested a nuclear weapon as powerful as the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. The test comes less than two months after the North enraged the US and its allies by test firing a long-range ballistic missile. [...]
Iran sends warships to Gulf of Aden – navy
Mon May 25, 2009 5:43pm IST
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran has sent six warships to international waters, including the Gulf of Aden, to show its ability to confront any foreign threats, its naval commander said on Monday.
Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, quoted by the ISNA news agency, made the announcement five days after Iran said it test-fired a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 2,000 km (1,200 miles), putting Israel and U.S. bases in the area within reach. [...]
Netanyahu defies Obama on Israeli settlement freeze
24 May 2009 18:11:36 GMT
By Adam Entous
JERUSALEM, May 24 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rebuffed U.S. calls for a full settlement freeze in the occupied West Bank and vowed not to accept limits on building of Jewish enclaves within Jerusalem.
Netanyahu’s defiant stance set the stage for a possible showdown with U.S. President Barack Obama, who, in talks with the new Israeli prime minister in Washington last week, pressed for a halt to all settlement activity, including natural growth, as called for under a long-stalled peace “road map”. [...]
British banks revolt against Obama tax plan
British banks and stockbrokers may refuse to take on American clients if new international tax proposals outlined by President Obama are passed.
By Louise Armitstead
Last Updated: 12:02AM BST 24 May 2009
The decision, which would make it hard for Americans in London to open bank accounts and trade shares, is being discussed by executives at Britain’s banks and brokers who say it could become too expensive to service American clients. The proposals, which were unveiled as part of the president’s first budget, are designed to clamp-down on American tax evaders abroad. However bank bosses say they are being asked to take on the task of collecting American taxes at a cost and legal liability that are inexpedient.
Andy Thompson of Association of Private Client Investment Managers and Stockbrokers (APCIMS) said: “The cost and administration of the US tax regime is causing UK investment firms to consider disinvesting in US shares on behalf of their clients. This is not right and emphasises that the administration of a tax regime on a global scale without any flexibility damages the very economy it is trying to protect.”
One executive at a top UK bank who didn’t want to be named for fear of angering the IRS [So this is what it’s come down to, people? Unbelievable] said: “It’s just about manageable under the current system - and that’s because we’re big. The danger to us is suddenly being hauled over the coals by the IRS for a client that hasn’t paid proper taxes. The audit costs will soar. We’ll have to pay it but I know plenty of smaller players won’t.” [...]
Hmmm, everything seemingly is spinning out of control. And it sure is hell ain’t Bush’s fault. This is what happens, my Obama-worshiping liberal-Democrat friends, when you threaten your allies and appease your enemies. Idiots. UPDATE: One more! [h/t Sweetness & Light]: TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday rejected a Western proposal for it to “freeze” its nuclear work in return for no new sanctions and ruled out any talks with major powers on the issue. The comments by the conservative president, who is seeking a second term in a June 12 election, are likely to further disappoint the U.S. administration of President Barack Obama, which is seeking to engage Iran diplomatically. […] Whoa whoa whoa. Hold on there. Conservative president? Are they kidding me? You mean conservative like Dick Cheney? Rush Limbaugh? Call me paranoid, but isn’t that the comparison they’re trying to put in readers’ minds. A’jad’s a conservative like Barack Obama is “progressive.” I.e., he ain’t. A’jad’s no “conservative president.” He’s a fricking thug dictator. Just because he’s a radical Islamist doesn’t make him conservative. Next, A’jad’s “seeking a second term”? Like in a U.S.-style election and everything? Who’s the “liberal” he’s running against?
Mon May 25, 2009 1:34pm EDT
By Parisa Hafezi and Zahra Hosseinian
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