Obama the War President?

President Obama held his second Oval Office speech yesterday at 8 pm EST. It was a speech by an American for Americans. This has changed with the Obama administration. We mind our own business nowadays. Obama mentions the world directly once:

"But this milestone should serve as a reminder to all Americans that the future is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment. It should also serve as a message to the world that the United States of America intends to sustain and strengthen our leadership in this young century."

However, this is what Obama really is talking about:

"Throughout our history, America has been willing to bear the burden of promoting liberty and human dignity overseas, understanding its link to our own liberty and security. But we have also understood that our nation’s strength and influence abroad must be firmly anchored in our prosperity at home. And the bedrock of that prosperity must be a growing middle class."

Obama says, let us forget these wars and get on with our own economy. It seems, Robert Gates, the Republican Minister of Defense, can take care of Afghanistan. For now it is on rails and can be concluded soon. Gates is a little more careful. It is all about how America projects itself in the world and they don't bite enough right now, according to Obama.

After the financial crisis there was a moment where I judged the situation economically so severe that cutting and running in Afghanistan would be the only viable option given the progress reported in the press. I thought that leaving Afghanistan and spending all money on Iraq would be the best solution. It is of course better to be able to more responsibly fold Afghanistan.

What is a very inexpensive deal in dollars, however, is to negotiate between the Israelis and the Palestinians. So Obama will do that. After all, it is the civil society that needs to furbish new jobs. Lady Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of EU will not attend, she went to China instead. The exclusive speech makes me think about our situation in Europe instead. We are just back from the vacation month of August.