THE TELEGRAPH: The President Barack Obama's popularity has even stretched to Tehran, where Ahmadinejad's appeal is waning fast, says David Blair
Hard on the heels of President Barack Obama's soaring rhetoric comes the cold reality. On his first full day in the Oval office, he takes the helm of an America whose global reputation has sunk lower than at any time since the dismal era of Watergate and Vietnam. Worse, this precipitous decline has taken place at exactly the moment when appealing to the hearts and minds of millions is the indispensable condition for defeating terrorism.
Mr Obama's inaugural address showed that he grasps this only too well. The lengthy passages aimed at an audience beyond America's shores also carried an unspoken theme. "I know that we are losing the battle for world opinion," the new President was subliminally telling us, "and I also know that turning this tide is central to securing the power and safety of the United States."
This is especially so among Muslims, hence Mr Obama declared: "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." >>> By David Blair | Thursday, January 21, 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)
