Echoes of JFK?
Posted by John Wihbey on Friday, June 5, 2009
After we got off the air today, Tom was chatting about a thought-provoking piece by blogger Amy Alexander on President Obama’s historic Cairo speech.
She says that the Cairo speech, with its use of the traditional Arabic greeting, Assalaamu alaykum (”Peace be upon you”), had echoes of President John F. Kennedy’s famous 1963 address in West Berlin, where he said “Ich bin ein Berliner” (”I am a Berliner’):
Its invocation yesterday by President Obama was a big deal, as significant as John F. Kennedy’s busting out in German to demonstrate solidarity with citizens of that nation, as they struggled to rebuild their cities and reputation two decades after World War II…
What do you think? “Assalaamu alaykum” as the new “Ich bin ein Berliner”?
Yes, I agree, it was historic, significant, and it made me tear up. I think there is a real possibility for peace in the middle east during his administration, or, at least the best start yet at getting there.
Posted by Richard, on June 5th, 2009 at 11:27 pm EDTI believe the Germans thought JFK was saying “I am a jelly doughnut,” berliner being that. Obama’s greeting of course made me think first of Shalom Aleichem, which I believe is Hebrew for the same thing as Arabic. Linguistically that is quite a coup; very nice, if so, versus a faux-pas by JFK. The outcome may be in the hands of the “Jewish lobby” and the oil lobby, and etc., more than “just” Obama.
Posted by Ellen Dibble, on June 7th, 2009 at 8:53 pm EDTComparing Obama to President Kennedy is laughable. Kennedy was a war hero who believed in this country and the American values that made this country great. Obama is a hardcore liberal ideologue who believes in his own sense of destiny, consolidating power in Washington, and making every American a ward of the federal goverment.
Posted by Joe B., on June 7th, 2009 at 8:58 pm EDTHi Joe. I did not get the same as you out of the question “What do you think? “Assalaamu alaykum” as the new “Ich bin ein Berliner”?” I do not believe it was a comparison of the two men, rather of two speaches. That aside, I do agree it is laughable to attempt to compare the two. First of all, their race alone brings many differences. Second, Obama has barely been in office 120 days. We have yet to see the impact of his presidency and therefore can’t compare the known presidency of Kennedy with that which we do not yet know. Lastly, I would say if anything, it was Kennedy and the Kennedy family who had a sense of destiny about JFK’s presidency. Whereas Obama, with a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, would be hard pressed to say that being President was a sense of destiny. However if it were, I think in that light, it shows what great character and drive he must have.
Posted by Norm M., on June 8th, 2009 at 8:56 am EDT