I have just been reading what Obama had to say to the Muslim world via his keynote speech in Cairo. I have also been watching some of the Israeli and Palistinian and fundamentalist Christian reactions. You can read the full transcript of Obama’s speech and view some video highlights here. Photos here. I hope it is a new beginning, but somehow I think reconciliation is going to take more than speeches don’t you? I agree violence is not the answer, I just wonder how Obama plans to model that. Overall though, I see this Obama Cairo speech as a constructive step. So I ask, what stood out for you? What bits got you thinking?
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Curious Christian 
It seems a better approach than his predecessors, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, not in the cook making a speech about how he intends to try a new recipe.
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Yes, very early days, and the washing over of the torture thing left a sour taste in my mouth. I remain unconvinced Obama will ever put global interests above American interests, or world peace above national pride. That means we can only trust Obama so far, so far as he can find a win/win solution. But life isn’t always that easy, as the torture incident shows. Nevertheless, prefer Obama to Bush any day.
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Oh yes, a win-win solution is better than a zero-sum game, and if Obama is willing to look for such a thing it’s better thn his predecessor.
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Yeah, but what I mean is, what if America fessing up to war crimes becomes essential to world peace? Is Obama up to something that big? I am still detecting double standards in his speach. He’s effectively saying you (ie, the non-American world) need to start chilling out and being less violent and being more just (ie, as defined by us/US). If I can hear it I am sure Muslims can too. He may be a more benevolent world dictator than Bush but he’s still a world dictator. But, as said before, better him.
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