Barack Obama’s New Best Friend
Zapatero has tried, and failed, for more than four years to get some one-on-one face-time with the American president. Zapatero, who is arguably the most anti-American leader in Europe today, is (unsurprisingly) one of the only such Europeans never to have been invited to the White House.
But in the logic of Spanish politics, that elusive visit to the Oval Office (to see an American president who up until now has been broadly despised by most Spaniards) also happens to be the main litmus test by which Spanish voters will judge whether Zapatero gets promoted from provincial politician to international “statesman” during his second term.
Not surprisingly, Zapatero’s permanent non-relationship with the most powerful leader in the free world has become something of a media obsession in Spain, with the issue generating many miles of ink in newspapers across the country. During the last four years, Bush and Zapatero have exchanged a grand total of 18 words, each of which have been meticulously scrutinized by the Spanish media for possible indications of an impending rapprochement.
But Zapatero now sees light at the end of the tunnel. The Spanish prime minister sent Obama a congratulatory letter on November 5. Four days later, at exactly 11pm local Spanish time (all the details have been carefully analyzed by the Spanish press, who are dubbing the event Spain’s D-Day because Spain now matters in the world), Obama perfunctorily returned Zapatero’s favor and the two had a ten-minute telephone conversation.
Obama is now Zapatero’s new best friend. The two were born the same day, albeit one year apart; the two are parents of two daughters; and their favorite sport is basketball. As far as matters of state are concerned, they discussed how Spain might help solve the international financial crisis (Spain is in an economic free-fall), and ways in which the two countries can cooperate in fighting climate change (Spain is the source of the biggest increase in so-called greenhouse gas emissions in Europe since 1990). Then, before hanging up the phone, Zapatero told Obama: “Hey, just call me José Luis.”
Economic Power ≠ Global Influence
Zapatero says his visit to Washington will guarantee that Spain forms part of the “global elite.” But the events of the past few weeks suggest otherwise. Spaniards have been reminded, painfully, that Zapatero has not been able to translate his country’s economic ranking into increased geopolitical influence. Indeed, Spanish influence, both in Europe and elsewhere, has waned precipitously during the four-and-a-half years that Zapatero has been in power.
Why doesn’t Spain command more respect on the global stage? Analysts inside and outside of Spain have spent a considerable amount of time documenting Zapatero’s foreign policy foibles, which when taken together, leave no doubt as to why Spain has lost clout around the world. But another, far more important factor, is at play.
A big part of Spain’s problem lies with Zapatero’s post-modern worldview, which rejects the concept of the nation state as an outmoded remnant of modernity. The confused logic that underpins such thinking renders moot the idea of a “national interest.” As a result, Zapatero has not been able to define what Spain is and where its interests lie. (A recent survey shows that when most people think about Spain, the first thing that comes to mind is bullfighting.)
Couple this with Zapatero’s naïve fixation with the United Nations as the end-all-to-be-all (for example, Zapatero recently called for NATO to be merged with the United Nations); his dislike of capitalism (in 2006 he rejected the idea that Spain should join the G-7 because of his ideological opposition to neo-liberalism); and his knee-jerk anti-Americanism (which has unnecessarily undermined Spain’s credibility in capitals around the world).
As Mr Zapatero goes to Washington, a healthy dose of good old-fashioned common sense could go a long way towards helping Spain attain the international stature it so much craves. But many Spaniards are asking if their prime minister is up to the task.
Don’t forget that McCain forgot that Zapatero was the Spanish Prime Minister – if memory serves me correctly, he thought Zapatero was from Central America.
http://www.lettersfromatory.com
If you look at the following photo you will know everything you need to know about Zapatero. Obama would be well advised in ignoring him.
“Don’t forget that McCain forgot that Zapatero was the Spanish Prime Minister – if memory serves me correctly, he thought Zapatero was from Central America.”
So what? Zapatero is a persona non grata in the U.S. McCain was probably confusing Zapatero with Emiliano Zapata, the Mexican rebel leader.
Don’t forget that Spaniards cravenly gave into terrorists after the Madrid train bombings by electing Zapatero, who promised to remove Spanish troops from Iraq – this from the country of El Cid and Cervantes (who heroically fought in the Battle of Lepanto)!
Obama meeting with Zapatero will be a marvellous step in sending the right message to Al Qaeda and others: “We are sorry for offending Islam and for our atrocious acts, such as The Reconquista. We love you and want to be your best friends. We promise to behave in the future. “
He has assured Spanish voters that he will be going to Washington to enact “changes in the order of global priorities,” to eradicate “poverty and hunger,” so that “peace and security, the fight against the violent” are the “fruit of a large multilateral concert in which the United Nations will have a central role.”
Impressive. Eradicate world hunger and poverty in a loving multcutural fruity sort of way! Aww….shucks amigo…can I have an effin hug?
And all tied up in a neat bow by the United Nations? I am SO GLAD I haven’t eaten yet…I wouldn’t be able to hold it down with this delusional nonsense.
A match made in heaven. Please see my article in American Thinker:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/10/obamas_foreign_policy_appeasem.html
Hopefully Zapatero brings BHO one of those funny little hats.
http://www.antiquehelper.com/auctionimages/27757t.jpg
Zapatero is the worst president Spain has ever had. A lot of people are losing their jobs in Spain and this useful idiot is has been begging to Sarko for a chair in the Washington meeting, when he doesn’t understand English.
Zapatero ignored in the NATO meeting… look for Merkel looking at him… was he sleeping?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOVlH3oAxgM
RADICAL POLITICIANS WILL DESTROY OBAMA
The far left in Congress is on track to ruin the Obama administration:
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2008/11/radical-politicians-will-destroy-obama.html
Okay, McCain forgot that Zapatero was the Spanish Prime Minister, but, as is apparent from the photo posted by jfm above, Zapatero forgot that too. For telling comment on Zapatero see:
http://thethoughtsoffrit.blogspot.com/2008/08/self-obsessed-lowlife-career-terrorist.html
McCain’s supposed not knowing Zapatero was debunked thoroughly. A few threads were devoted to it.
Apparently some people just don’t read.
Never fear Obama is here.
JFM, I think this Zapatero, ( shoe maker ) is just the kind of man Obama hangs with.
No lapel pin, no hand over the heart, etc. etc.
They can sit next to each other and bash the US.
Never fear Obama is here.
Better relations with traditional allies is simply code for, “You were right, we were wrong” by the knuckle dragging second guessers of those
they demonize.
The likes of Zapatero is a reflection of what was
conquered by the Muslim Hordes, not of what cleared them out of the Iberian Peninsula.
Zapatero is precisely the type of friend that Obama will cultivate, in addition to Hugo Chavez and leaders of Hamas. They can all remind Obama why he chose to enter public service–the great causes of justice, peace, and revolution.
Obama will focus all the resources of the US toward solving the problems of world poverty, hunger, and injustice. To begin the healing, he must choose the proper human sacrifices to appease the gods of social justice. If the first set of sacrifices fails to appease them, another, larger set of sacrificial humans must be chosen. And so on, until the gods of social justice have been appeased–or until no more humans remain to be sacriviced, whichever comes first.
It is a noble task. Obama will need the guidance of men such as Zapatero to see that it is carried out fully, promptly, and in a politically correct manner.
Let Obama do so. The American people will come to detest it.
Conservatives should go out there and debunk this “standing in the world” nonsense.
I hope we can have him out there apologizing for the USA. It will come back on the Democrats big time.
13. Douglas Bogle:
“No lapel pin, no hand over the heart, etc. etc.”
Totally unnecessary symbolism.
What’s next? The Hitlerian or Mussolini salute? The Michael Jackson grab?
You clearly dislike Zapatero, ok. But you clearly dislike Spain, so what are you doing there. Return to wherever you came from, since is so much better
a Spaniard that was born in the land of Don Quijote