10 Reasons Asean Prefers Obama As President

[metisdead]

A post containing profanity has been removed.

[khaowong1]

Since Romney has promised to charge China with currency manipulation on his very first day in office I doubt he would be particularly popular in this region.

If I was running China and Mitt did that. I'd say ok. Now we want the money you owe us.

The fly in the ointment there is, the US is the largest recipient of Chinese goods in the world. If they shut us down, we shut them down. A no-win situation all the way around. It will never happen. Besides the fact, the US can always tell China to piss off. What are they going to do then?

[SunSeek01]

If people knew how things at the top are really run, both Govt. and major Corps. they would never believe it. I have been in many Fortune 500 executive suites (fixing their computers, yep they get a Sr. Integrator to fix their email...) and Command group offices and seen with my own eyes how inept they can be. Then you have the No Adults in the Room mentality of Obama who thinks if there are still checks in the checkbook there must still be money there. I pains me to admit but America is bankrupt. Most Fed tax dollars are wasted in some form. Oh the things I've seen... The best thing would be to cut taxes 40% and spending 60%. Yes the Mil would suffer the brunt of it but should be made to make due also. Maybe they get a slight concession. Post Office, Depts. of Education, Energy, FEMA, HUD, Agriculture, DHS, AMTrak, GM, and about a dozen other "agencies"? GONE !

[mamypoko]

As a political junkie and an historian, I think that Asean should have some major worries if Obama gets back in. Remember the open mike to the Russian Prez. "After the election, he'll be free to do what he wants." His political path has been from the book for Radicals by Saul Alinsky. He was raised and nurtured by Marxists. His higher education was spent fraternizing with Marxists. With no restraints, this man, who already has run slipshod on the US Constitution, will openly pursue his ideology.

While there are so many potential negatives to ASEAN of O's reelection, including economic calamity, the one that is most worrysome is his planned decimation of the US military. Think of this possibility: with a weak US Navy, for example. China goads N Korea into an excursion to the South. While America sends what is left of it's Asia based military to Korea, China moves on Taiwan. When Taiwan is then swallowed, and China is not challenged by any Democratic nation (Japan would be powerless), then the fate of Tibet would await the ASEAN nations. Forget about learning English, my dear Thai friends, learn Mandarin.

Maybe a far fetched scenario, and most will see me as another "redneck". But in 1933, who worried about Tojo, Hitler and Stalin?

FOX?

[HerbalEd]

What a crock of crap. Stupid article and hardly worthwhile. There are way more reason not to have Obama as president that affect ASEAN than this drivel written here.

Just because you don't want Obama to win, doesn't mean you are correct about him being better for ASEAN than Romney.

[HerbalEd]

Even if Obama loses the election he will still be in office until January. Thus he will be able to attend the ASEAN conference as president of the USA.

[HerbalEd]

thais are rascist, so, i think most of them don't like the ...

ask around

Thai's are racists?? Do you mean each and every Thai person? Please tell which counties are not racist.

[HerbalEd]

If people knew how things at the top are really run, both Govt. and major Corps. they would never believe it. I have been in many Fortune 500 executive suites (fixing their computers, yep they get a Sr. Integrator to fix their email...) and Command group offices and seen with my own eyes how inept they can be. Then you have the No Adults in the Room mentality of Obama who thinks if there are still checks in the checkbook there must still be money there. I pains me to admit but America is bankrupt. Most Fed tax dollars are wasted in some form. Oh the things I've seen... The best thing would be to cut taxes 40% and spending 60%. Yes the Mil would suffer the brunt of it but should be made to make due also. Maybe they get a slight concession. Post Office, Depts. of Education, Energy, FEMA, HUD, Agriculture, DHS, AMTrak, GM, and about a dozen other "agencies"? GONE !

Wow ... I didn't realize it is so simple and easy to fix America's problems. If we only had you for US President, sounds like you'd have everything fixed quickly.

[SunSeek01]

I'd have voted for Ron Paul but I did not want to waste my vote and from a financial point of view Romney is the lesser of two evils. A lot of people don't understand how the State Dept. and the Pentagon are almost always at odds, and the State Dept. is full of liberal arts grads with no experience but eager to spend tax dollars. , and their main contractors are guys with machine guns overseas and $ 500 an hour lawyers in the US. Yep, the Mil is no slouch when it comes to wasting money also, I must admit.

I genuinely feel that over 50% of every Fed tax dollar is wasted, based on what I've seen on Fed contracts in the last 20 years, both Mil and non-Mil. The way they (almost the entire Fed) lets contracts is crazy, meaning they waste far more dollars than they don't waste. I just read that everyone over 18 in the US owes $ 218,000 dollars on the debt. What could possibly be worth that? Once our reserve currency status goes away, we are in for trouble, and that is already in the process as more and more oil is being traded for gold, eliminating the middle man USD.

[NowImEasy]

As a political junkie and an historian, I think that Asean should have some major worries if Obama gets back in. Remember the open mike to the Russian Prez. "After the election, he'll be free to do what he wants." His political path has been from the book for Radicals by Saul Alinsky. He was raised and nurtured by Marxists. His higher education was spent fraternizing with Marxists. With no restraints, this man, who already has run slipshod on the US Constitution, will openly pursue his ideology.

While there are so many potential negatives to ASEAN of O's reelection, including economic calamity, the one that is most worrysome is his planned decimation of the US military. Think of this possibility: with a weak US Navy, for example. China goads N Korea into an excursion to the South. While America sends what is left of it's Asia based military to Korea, China moves on Taiwan. When Taiwan is then swallowed, and China is not challenged by any Democratic nation (Japan would be powerless), then the fate of Tibet would await the ASEAN nations. Forget about learning English, my dear Thai friends, learn Mandarin.

Maybe a far fetched scenario, and most will see me as another "redneck". But in 1933, who worried about Tojo, Hitler and Stalin?

FOX?

I assume that you imply that I get my only news from FoxNews. Wrong. You can call me the Elephant instead. I'm retired and have time to read history and to think for myself. Most US news TV that I see in Thailand is CNN and BBC. An elephant never forgets.

[toenail]

The ten reasons for preferring Obama is an interesting perspective. As an American I can understand how an American would be tempted to vote for Romney since the economy in the USA is still aching from the financial downfall (which was under George Bush ); however, if one looks around, all...most countries have not fully recovered. The fear about Romney is that once again he would favor "big business, big banks" as George Bush did. Next, Romney's outlook on foreign policy is as if he has been sleeping that past 40 years and is still in the 1960's era (thinking the USA should be the "savior" of the world; that we should look at China and Russian with a negative perspective as if we are in the Cold War. Obama is certainly more worldly about how to do things diplomatically than a Republican puppet. -- Yes, not only do the Asians think Obama would be a safer choice, so would Europe.

[KuhnPaen]

For me, one of the reasons I like leaving the USA for Thailand is to get away from the politics. The right and left are foaming at the mouth, while the only news you see 90% of the time is related to celebrities. IMHO, it doesn't matter who gets put into office--you have 4-8 years of good cop/bad cop either way. Bush got to be a war monger, while Obama does it covertly or with drones. In the end--big business runs the country and always will. The president is a puppet and nothing more. In Thailand I am away from it all...and I prefer to live in a place where I have to speak a difficult language, have NO rights, and I cannot own a home. All just so I can sit in my little shack in Isaan with my girl and watch the world go mad on TV. On the other hand, after a long time away from home, I totally appreciate the rights and privileges I have from being a US citizen. Maybe we need 2 presidents like in Cambodia, or in the later Roman Empire before Constantine brought the sword.

[Markaew]

If Mitt is a moron then you have something in common.

Mitt is a successful bizman...Obama hasn't run a candy store for all I know.

As to his foreign policy prowess.. Zbigniew Brezinski is his go-to man for all foreign issues.

If I ever want to open a candy store, I'll know which man to call then because he will be ... available.

I do think he has more experience in hair cutting though.

It's always easy to spot the looney left. They are very emotional, they love to sling mud, and base none of their statements in fact.

[Thai at Heart]

If Mitt is a moron then you have something in common.

Mitt is a successful bizman...Obama hasn't run a candy store for all I know.

As to his foreign policy prowess.. Zbigniew Brezinski is his go-to man for all foreign issues.

If I ever want to open a candy store, I'll know which man to call then because he will be ... available.

I do think he has more experience in hair cutting though.

It's always easy to spot the looney left. They are very emotional, they love to sling mud, and base none of their statements in fact.

Hahaha.

Facts like wmd in Iraq, and such small truths like that. Or, perhaps, that deficits don't matter?

[hhfarang]

if Obama gets re-elected, he's going to inherit a big mess! I guess he'll have his predecessor to blame... oh hang on a second, that will be himself this time!

[Meisgq]

I will vote for the man with a man's name. Barack.

Mitt? Seriously? If he wins, we'll be the laughing stock of the world... Just like Donald.

[Jingthing]

I will vote for the man with a man's name. Barack.

Mitt? Seriously? If he wins, we'll be the laughing stock of the world... Just like Donald.

And he's hiding his REAL name: Willard

[SteeleJoe]

I will vote for the man with a man's name. Barack.

Mitt? Seriously? If he wins, we'll be the laughing stock of the world... Just like Donald.

And he's hiding his REAL name: Willard

Now, now...you know full well a middle name is no less "real". (I would have pointed that out in any case, but it so happens that both I and my son don't typically use our first names -- but we're not hiding them)

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[Jingthing]

It is customary in the United States to refer to people with their first and last names.

So Romney would be Willard Romney.

Sometimes the middle name is added: Willard Mitt Romney

Leaving out the first name is an abnormal usage. It was obviously done in Willard's case because the name is embarrassing to him. That's OK. Just people should know his real name if they don't already.

Of course in a few hours, nobody is going to care about his real name or even his tax returns (except the IRS).

Edited November 6, 2012 by Jingthing

[SteeleJoe]

It is customary in the United States to refer to people with their first and last names.

So Romney would be Willard Romney.

Sometimes the middle name is added: Willard Mitt Romney

Leaving out the first name is an abnormal usage. It was obviously done in Willard's case because the name is embarrassing to him. That's OK. Just people should know his real name if they don't already.

Of course in a few hours, nobody is going to care about his real name or even his tax returns (except the IRS).

My son and I are American. Moreover I'm not an idiot and don't need to be condescended to -- I'm aware that middle names are sometimes used as part of a full name. I don't believe it's especially unusual to go by middle names and I know others that do.

Did you think it important that people were aware that Pres. Clinton's "real name" was William?

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[Jingthing]

It is customary in the United States to refer to people with their first and last names.

So Romney would be Willard Romney.

Sometimes the middle name is added: Willard Mitt Romney

Leaving out the first name is an abnormal usage. It was obviously done in Willard's case because the name is embarrassing to him. That's OK. Just people should know his real name if they don't already.

Of course in a few hours, nobody is going to care about his real name or even his tax returns (except the IRS).

My son and I are American. Moreover I'm not an idiot and don't need to be condescended to -- I'm aware that middle names are sometimes used as part of a full name. I don't believe it's especially unusual to go by middle names and I know others that do.

Did you think it important that people were aware that Pres. Clinton's "real name" was William?

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

American's know that Bill and William are interchangeable so they already knew. Don't assume I post only for you. I post to the reading public who are not all Americans. Cheers.

Obviously the Willard thing is not a big thing. But it is a real thing nonetheless.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Jingthing

[SteeleJoe]

In the United States, the middle initial or a religious initial can be used to replace a middle name even if the name is not printed on a birth certificate. It is sometimes used in place of the middle name on identity documents, passports, driver licenses, social security cards, university diplomas, and other official documents. Examples of this form include George W. Bush and John D. Rockefeller. The abbreviation "NMN" (no middle name) or "NMI" (no middle initial) is sometimes used in formal documents where a middle initial or name is expected when the person does not have one. It is also common for people to use their middle name as the first name.

Wikipedia

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[angsta]

The politics if this paper are utterly bizarre. We have Obama being slammed by the right wing for his obama care and other social programs, and yet domestically the paper is stanch Thai democrat.

I know this is a regional piece but they could equally have written 10 reasons why not.

Can you think of 10 reasons why anyone would want Mitt the Moron to win apart from possibly these 4:

1) I believe everything Fox News tells me.

2) I am a racist redneck who thinks even though I am a 350 lb inbred I am better than all black people because I am white.

3) I am a millionaire.

4) I am Rupert Murdoch

I can't think of 10 so I doubt The Nation could.

Sorry my bad:

5) I am an arms manufacturer with close links to the Republican party.

6) I am an Israeli Prime Minister.

7) I am a white supremacist.

8) I am a moron.

8 down, 2 to go.

Don't ever underestimate the stupidity of the American public at a time like this.

[bunuel]

Some commentators here are confusing ASEAN with Thailand. Gentlemen, Thailand is a member of ASEAN, which is the community of Southeast Asian Nations. Now, regarding which presidential candidate might be better for ASEAN. these same commentators should bear in mind that the ASEAN countries have to protect their own self-interest, and THE NATION clearly thinks ASEAN would benefit from an Obama presidency. What anyone thinks of Obama is totally irrelevant in this context, gentlemen. However, i have to wonder how the so-callled Thai Think Tank that stated that it didn't make any difference who was president did their research. Perhaps they could have called THE NATION for some help????

[animatic]

Romney would be a train wreck for Asean, starting with China, but also because of the huge muslim population and because his policies would have no time or inclination to deal with the are more than cursorily till year 2 at best. By then he will have set America on a crash course anyway. Icabod Crain looking for it's head in 3 years, of approaching terror.

Ok a bit of hyperbol here, but certainly ASEAN has every reason to prefer Obama short and long term.

[rubl]

Just for the fun of it. A poll for all non-Americans

SPOILER ALERT: don't read the last line if you value your peace of mind :-)

"Be part of a world-wide experiment.

You are NOT living in America, yet America shapes the world. Would it not be interesting if you could vote for the most powerful man in the world, even if you live outside the US?

Now is your chance. This website will allow *everyone-except-Americans* to vote for the next US-president. See who is the most popular candidate in the world. See which countries are Obama countries, and which countries are Romney countries.

How does it work? It is simple. Click on the vote button below Obama or Romney. After that ask at least two of your friends to vote as well. Then feel free to publish the link to this website to all your friends and relatives, and tell them to do the same. At the bottom of the website are some buttons to make this easier for you."

http://www.votevotevote.net/

01:10 AM: out of 3859 votes 91.8% Obama

[mamypoko]

if Obama gets re-elected, he's going to inherit a big mess! I guess he'll have his predecessor to blame... oh hang on a second, that will be himself this time!

Read slowly: his predecessor was Bush Jr.