Obama visiting South Africa; "I don't need 'photo op' with Mandela" - Polidicks

[url]http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/28/19184215-obama-i-dont-need-photo-op-with-mandela?lite[/url] [QUOTE] Speaking on Air Force One as he flew to South Africa from Senegal, Obama said that “we’ll see what the situation is when we land.” “I don't need photo op," he said. "The last thing I want to do is be intrusive at a time when the family is concerned” with Mandela’s condition. He said the main message he wanted to deliver was “profound gratitude” for Mandela’s leadership and to say that “the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with him, his family and his country.” This message could be delivered to his family and not directly to Mandela, the president said. Ahead of his arrival in Johannesburg on Friday, an anti-Obama protest was held not far from the hospital where Mandela is being treated with one demonstrator claiming the U.S. president had been a “disappointment.” "We had expectations of America's first black president. Knowing Africa's history, we expected more,” Khomotso Makola, a 19-year-old law student, told Reuters. He said Obama was a “disappointment, I think Mandela too would be disappointed and feel let down.” [IMG]http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/130628-obama-protest-8a.380;380;7;70;0.jpg[/IMG] However, Nigerian painter Sanusi Olatunji, 31, had brought portraits of both Mandela and Obama to add to a growing number of flowers, tribute notes and gifts outside the hospital. “These are the two great men of my lifetime,” he told Reuters. “To me, Mandela is a prophet who brought peace and opportunity. He made it possible for a black man like me to live in a country that was only for whites.” [/QUOTE]

Fun fact, Mandela was on the US' terrorist watch list until 2008

[QUOTE]"We had expectations of America's first black president. Knowing Africa's history, we expected more."[/QUOTE] Pretty much every US president has been underwhelming in one way or another, so I don't see the issue here.

Disappointing, but not really that surprising given the relationship between the US government and Nelson Mandela. [B]EDIT: [/B]AFAIK the US government considered Nelson Mandela a terrorist up until a few years ago, something along those lines at least.

[QUOTE=Aphtonites;41231065]Pretty much every US president has been underwhelming in one way or another, so I don't see the issue here.[/QUOTE] well obama is especially disappointing for many people because they had pretty high expectations to begin with. they thought maybe obama wouldn't be "business as usual". it should have become pretty clear for africans that obama wasn't going to really do much good when he said that african poverty was "their responsibility" and not caused by any colonialism/neo-colonialism.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;41231201]wwhen he said that african poverty was "their responsibility" and not caused by any colonialism/neo-colonialism.[/QUOTE] I guess it's off-topic but I really don't think us getting heavily involved in Africa is a good idea, considering it was Western interference that destroyed their nations in the first place and we don't exactly have a good track record with the whole nation-building thing.

I doubt he even wants to see your fake ass anyways obama.

[QUOTE=catbarf;41231328]I guess it's off-topic but I really don't think us getting heavily involved in Africa is a good idea, considering it was Western interference that destroyed their nations in the first place and we don't exactly have a good track record with the whole nation-building thing.[/QUOTE] we are already heavily involved in africa. we should make that involvement more positive for the people living there.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;41231362]we are already heavily involved in africa. we should make that involvement more positive for the people living there.[/QUOTE] Example would be changing our foreign policy from something more positive than "send more guns" to something like "build more schools" Everyone would be better off, especially future generations, since they'd be stuck with the consequences.

[QUOTE=Incoming.;41233207] Everyone would be better off, especially future generations, since they'd be stuck with the consequences.[/QUOTE] A stable Africa is not in the interests of the United States. Obviously most people want it but economically its not beneficial. A stable countries resources are much harder to exploit.

[QUOTE=tarkata14;41231100][B]EDIT: [/B]AFAIK the US government considered Nelson Mandela a terrorist up until a few years ago, something along those lines at least.[/QUOTE] Because he was one of the founders of [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umkhonto_we_Sizwe]Spear of the Nation[/url] and helped to organize its first guerrilla campaign.

I was a supporter of Obama and I even worked on his campaign and I'm disappointed with what he's done. He promised transparency and supported the actions of whistle blowers but now we're going after Snowden and Assange like there's no tomorrow. When I voted Obama in for a second term I was thinking "maybe he was just being a softie to get reelected for the next term considering he focused on campaigning for 2 years straight which only left him 2 years to get much of anything done". I'm glad people are speaking out against him and I'm glad people had higher expectations because I did too.

Bet he got a percy one though, you know to stick on the fridge or whatever

I'm sad to say I supported Obama. As a Leftist, I am entirely disappointed with Obama's conservative Administration

[QUOTE=Alex_DeLarge;41234025]I was a supporter of Obama and I even worked on his campaign and I'm disappointed with what he's done. He promised transparency and supported the actions of whistle blowers but now we're going after Snowden and Assange like there's no tomorrow. When I voted Obama in for a second term I was thinking "maybe he was just being a softie to get reelected for the next term considering he focused on campaigning for 2 years straight which only left him 2 years to get much of anything done". I'm glad people are speaking out against him and I'm glad people had higher expectations because I did too.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=prooboo;41234080]I'm sad to say I supported Obama. As a Leftist, I am entirely disappointed with Obama's conservative Administration[/QUOTE] Really? Because by the time the second election rolled around hardly anyone really expected miracles around Obama, they just expected him to not terribly fuck up. And as far as I've concerned, he hasn't lived up to his full promises but he hasn't created any gigantic fuckups either. Would you rather have John McCain or Mitt Romney as president? Because those two were really the only alternatives once the elections rolled around.

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;41233233]A stable countries resources are much harder to exploit.[/QUOTE] Ah yes, hence why a massive portion of our oil comes from Venezuela, not a friend of the US....but wait....we didn't invade them did we? Huh, how come we still get oil then? Oh, maybe this newfangled thing called [I]trade[/I] that's been around for, like, ohh....3000 years or so.

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;41233233]A stable Africa is not in the interests of the United States. Obviously most people want it but economically its not beneficial. A stable countries resources are much harder to exploit.[/QUOTE] Haha, because a country's resources are much easier to exploit when it's full of ass-backwards warlords capping each other than when it has a basic functioning economy

[QUOTE=Alex_DeLarge;41234025]I was a supporter of Obama and I even worked on his campaign and I'm disappointed with what he's done. He promised transparency and supported the actions of whistle blowers but now we're going after Snowden and Assange like there's no tomorrow. When I voted Obama in for a second term I was thinking "maybe he was just being a softie to get reelected for the next term considering he focused on campaigning for 2 years straight which only left him 2 years to get much of anything done". I'm glad people are speaking out against him and I'm glad people had higher expectations because I did too.[/QUOTE] after this I pretty much stopped hoping for a really good President now I just hope for someone like Romany to get it

[QUOTE=theevilldeadII;41234269]after this I pretty much stopped hoping for a really good President now I just hope for someone like Romany to get it[/QUOTE] Romany? Who's that?

[QUOTE=BandClassHAH;41234437]Romany? Who's that?[/QUOTE] Its pronounced Romanoey. P.S You're at 420 posts. [IMG]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/weed.png[/IMG]Smarked x 1

[QUOTE=fishyfish777;41234201]Haha, because a country's resources are much easier to exploit when it's full of ass-backwards warlords capping each other than when it has a basic functioning economy[/QUOTE] Yes, you don't have to deal with workers rights or taxation. Just trade with the warlords who mine with slave labor and bribe officials or hire mercenaries to have your drills/industries protected.

He doesn't need a picture with Mandela because he already has one [IMG]http://media.2oceansvibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/obama-mandela.jpg[/IMG] Taken back in 2005

[QUOTE=Aphtonites;41231065]Pretty much every US president has been underwhelming in one way or another, so I don't see the issue here.[/QUOTE] The issue is people putting in way to high expectations for a leader who can't give everything in 4-8 years. I wouldn't be surprised if afterward he just said he gave up in his later years.

[QUOTE=prooboo;41234080]I'm sad to say I supported Obama. As a Leftist, I am entirely disappointed with Obama's conservative Administration[/QUOTE] Where did you get conservative from? He's pretty much been liberal as it gets.

[QUOTE=HighdefGE;41234890]Where did you get conservative from? He's pretty much been liberal as it gets.[/QUOTE] There's no such thing as 'liberal' or 'leftist' in the American political spectrum. Republicans are far-right, and Obama like most democrats are center-right.

[QUOTE=HighdefGE;41234890]Where did you get conservative from? He's pretty much been liberal as it gets.[/QUOTE] He continues to permit and encourage highly military-industrial patterns of government such as Guantanamo, he fails to push significantly for federal reform of many transgressions in Intelligence and Espionage, and is generally underwhelming on the Social and Economic reforms- with the healthcare plan being a paltry scrap of what even Clinton had proposed- and miles less than what New Deal Democrats passed in the 60s and 70s. Overall for an American politician he might pass for "liberal" but as the term goes worldwide he's basically as conservative as the Republicans pardoning a few social issues.

[QUOTE=Starpluck;41235334]There's no such thing as 'liberal' or 'leftist' in the American political spectrum. Republicans are far-right, and Obama like most democrats are center-right.[/QUOTE] all politicians are the same