Barack and Michelles European AdventureWord文件下载.docx
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”‘Herewego—VivelaFrance!
’NixonsaidashewalkedtothedoortomeetPresidentdeGaulleatthebottomoftheplane’ssteps.Hesawthathishostwaswearingnocoatinthebittercoldandstrippedhisownovercoatoffbeforehesteppedoutthedoor.”
Thiswasimportant?
Itsurewas,saysRobertB.SempleJr.,nowaPulitzerPrize-winningmemberofTheTimes’seditorialboardbutthenayoungpupintheWhiteHousepresscorps.“JohnKennedywasalwayspoppinguphatlessandwithoutatopcoat,”Sempletoldme.“Nixonalways,likeLyndonJohnson,sufferedfromJ.F.K.envy.Onaforeigntripheknewtheissuesbetterthananybody,buthedidn’thavethepanacheorpersonalflairthataguylikeKennedywouldbringtoit.”
ForgettheG-20andNATO—alltheEuropeanpressandbloggerswantedtotalkaboutwasthepresenceofthefirstcouple.
There’snoneedtodwellonwhatNixon’spersonalityquirks,or“innerdemons”aspunditsaresofondofcallingthem,didtothenation.ButinthesensethattheNixonovercoatstoryfitsintothegreatertheoryofcharacterbeingdestiny,perhapsthemaniaforminutiaethattheBritishandEuropeanpressandbloggersshowedforeveryseeminglyminordetailofBarackandMichelleObama’striptotheOldWorldwillnotseemsotrivialwhenthehistoryofourageiswritten.
Infact,youcouldarguethatthescrutinyofeverybitofsymbolismanddecorumoverthelastfewdayswasfarmorejustifiedthanitwouldhavebeen40yearsago.BarackObamaisarockstarand—especiallyafterherlarger-than-lifeshowinginLondon—Michelle’sprofileisrivalinghis.HispresenceattheG-20andNATOmeetingsmeantfarlesstohimthanitdidtotheembattledheadsofstatewhoscurriedtogetintothepictureframebesidehim.Let’sfaceit,fewandfarbetweenweretheforeignleaderswhowantedtobaskintheglowofRichardNixon.
Bearingallthisinmind,then,let’stakealookathowthepresidentandfirstladywerereceivedbythechatteringclassesacrossthepond,oneverythingfromI.M.F.fundingandtrans-AtlanticdefensetohandshakingbobbiesandroyaliPods.
JonathanFreedlandofTheGuardianfeltthat,inhispressconferencewithPrimeMinisterGordonBrown,thepresidentgotabitshownupbyhishost:
Obamaremainstheglobalsuperstarwithafreshmandate,BrowntheailingprimeministerwithanemicpollnumberswhoselastvictoryinacompetitiveelectionwasforhisKirkcaldyseat.
Andyet,that’snotquitehowitplayedout.Brownwasrelaxedandfluentatthepodium,whileitwasObamawhogavethemorefaltering,sometimeslong-windedperformance.Obamaappearedtobestumpedtwice,firstbyaquestionfromtheBBC’sNickRobinson–whichinvitedthepresidenttowonderwhyFranceandGermanyblametheUSfortherecession–andnextbyadeceptivelysimpleinquiryfromamemberofthetravellingpresscorps:
doesthepresidentadviseordinaryAmericanstospendorsave?
Onebroughtaudiblehesitation;
theotherabitofarambleasObamavisiblytriedtoworkoutwhattosay.
Brown,bycontrast,wasallconfidence.Onthespendorsavequestion,hedeliveredashort,clearanswer:
itwasgovernments’jobtotaketherightstepssothatpeoplecouldconfidentlymakewhateverdecisionwasbestforthem.True,Brownhadhadtimetothinkaboutit,butitwastheanswerObamahadbeengropingfor.
Whatexplainsthedifference?
Onesuperficialsuggestion:
Obamasoundedasthoughhehadacold,hisvoicefoggierandlessclearthanusual.Hehasreportedlybeenfeelingthephysicalstrainofthejob.Oritmightsimplyhavebeenatouchofjetlag.But–acoupleofcharmingasidesaboutBrown’schildren’sinterestindinosaursandabouttheQueenapart–hewasnotathisbest.
AsforBrown,theexplanationisprobablyfairlysimple.Thiswasthemomenthehadbeenwaitingfor,atleastsinceObama’selectionlastNovember.Hehadcravedthischance,tostandalongsidetheworld’smostpopularleader;
indeed,hisstrategyforre-electionappearstobeallbutbuiltonit.So,whenObamapraisedBrown’s“extraordinaryinitiativeandleadership”andthensaidtheworldowedhim“anextraordinarydebtofgratitude”,thePMwasapictureofdelight.Later,justwatchingObamaspeak,apparentlyinnohurryforthepressconferenceevertoend,Brownleanedonhislecternwearinganexpressionthathemayneverbeforehaverevealedinpublic:
simplecontentment.
TheTimes’sPeterRiddell,however,thinksanyboostforBrownwillbeshortlived:
GordonBrownshouldenjoyhismomentontheglobalstage.HehasundoubtedlyhadadiplomaticsuccessinchairingtheG20summit;
however,itisunlikelytolast.
Likemanypreviousprimeministers,hewillsoondiscovertheharshcontrastbetweentheglowofinternationalsummitryandthebrutalrealitiesofdomesticpolitics.Votersareanunforgivinglot.Theyliketoseetheirleadersbeingtakenseriously,butthereisnoevidencethatpastsummitshavemadeanyrealdifferencedomestically.
MrBrownmayseeanimmediateboosttohispollratingsafterallthepublicity,photoopportunitiesandevenpraisethisweek,butIdoubtifitwilllastbeyondEaster.
TheEveningStandard’sPaulWaughfeelsthatitwasObamawhosavedBrown’sbacon:
MuchinkwillbespilledtonightandtomorrowaboutGordonBrownpersonallysecuringvariousvictoriesintheG20Londonsummit.
Buthere’safascinatingcluetotherealpowerbroker.Conductinghimselfassuredlyasifhewereasummitveteranratherthanafirst-timer,BarackObamaappearstohavebeenthecrucialplayerinsecuringaformofwordsonthethornyissueoftaxhavens.
AmericansourceshavenowrevealedthatitwastheUSPresidentwhosteppedintoknockheadstogether(inthenicestpossibleway)togetSarkoandChina’sPresidentHutocometoanagreement.
Inthefinalplenarysessionwithjustminutestogobeforeadealhadtobesigned,SarkozyandHuwerehavingaheateddisagreementabouttaxhavens.Francewantsurgentaction,whileChinafearsacrackdownwouldhurtbankingcentersinMacao,ShanghaiandHongKong.
Astheywentthroughareviseddraft,theexchangebetweenSarkozyandHugotsoheatedthatitwasthreateningtheunityoftheG-20leaders’meeting.
SarkozyspecificallywaspushingforalistfromtheOECDtobeincludedintheG20Leaders’Statement.China,whichisnotapartytotheOECD,opposedanysuchlistbeingincludedinthefinalLeaders’Statement.
ButMr.Obamasteppedbetweenthetwomen,urgingthemtotrytofindconsensus,andgivingthema“peptalk”abouttheimportanceofworkingtogether.
TheGuardian’sAlexanderChancellorfeelsthatevenifObamahadn’tsaidmuchmorethan“Don’tworry,behappy,”he’dstillbeaforceforgood:
Despitetheeconomicgloom,BarackObamaisstickingtohismessageofhope,forecastingbettertimesahead,warningagainstfearanddespondency,andurgingpeoplenotto“short-changethefuture”bytakingdecisionsbasedonpessimism.HehaseventriedtocheerupGordonBrown,bytellinghimattheirjointpressconferenceonWednesdaythatifhewakesupeverymorningtryingtodotherightandnoblething,hemayevenfind,tohissurprise,thatheisn’tfinishedpolitically.
Whateverhappens,Obamaisrighttotrytokeepuppeople’sspirits,forconfidenceamongordinarypeopleisjustasimportantasconfidenceinthefinancialmarketsforpullingusoutofthisslump.Anditisevenmoreimportantforpeople’shealth,energyandwellbeing,asthepresidentappearstorealise.
AsforthesubstanceoftheG20meetings,whilemanyfeelthattheAnglo-AmericansideputonoverontheEuropeans,theSpectator’sFraserNelsongives10reasonsthathefeelsMessrs.ObamaandBrownachievedanemptyvictory.
BritainhasasitsPrimeMinisteramasterofpoliticalillusion.Hemaynotbemuchofanorator,butthereisnoonebetteratdressingupoldmoneyasnew.IftheG20nationswantedtofakeprogress,tospina$1.1trillionfigurewhilecommittingnonewmoneyatall,thenGordonBrownistheirman.“Thisisthedaythattheworldcametogethertofighttheglobalrecession,notwithwordsbutwithaplan,”saidourDearLeader.Well,let’shaveacloserlookatthissupposedplan…
1)“Makingavailableanextra$1trillion”.Ahh,thoseBrownverbaltricks.Whatdoes“makeavailable”mean?
Isitguarantees,promises,statementofintent?
Realspending?
Notapennyofcoldhardcashhasbeenpledgedbyanyone.ThesumisconcoctedbytakingtheIMF’spre-existing$500bntargetforitsbailoutfund(atargetitstillhasn’tmet),addinganother$250bntothetarget.And,then,weadda$250bnfundwhichtheIMFwouldcreatebyprintingitsownspecialmoney…
CliveCrook,theFinancialTimes’smaninWashington,hadsimilarthoughtsexpressedattheNationalJournalblog:
ValuableasentrenchingtheG-20andrevivingtheIMFmaybe,though,themosturgentneedatthissummitwastodealwiththeimmediatedangerofaworseningglobalslump.Designingacoordinatedfiscalstimulustoexpandglobaldemand,keeppeopleatwork,andrelievethepressureforcompetitivedevaluationandnewtraderestrictions—themeansbywhichgovernmentstraditionallytrytoexporttheirunemployment—wastheprizethatmatteredmost.Whyhasreachingagreementonthisprovedsodifficult?
Thechallengeofrunnings