Thread: Obama and Indonesia

Jimbo: Ditto!!!!

Markit...a “functioning memory?” Now that is funny!

I’m not about to respond to your litany of foibles and gross errors that are attributable to each of America’s past Presidents that you list. A lot of what you wrote, I would personally agree. But, let’s get real, and be a big boy by admitting that ever since Winston Churchill, every PM of Great Britain has been greatly allied to the American President then in office.

We could start with your most recent PM, Tony Blair, who clearly lost his office for just that reason...his alliance and misdirected trust in our current President, George Walker Bush, Jr. That was a shame, and it should be an embarrassment for all Americans.

I don’t blame you, nor will I criticize you for you cynical opinions of many past American Presidents. You views are shared by many, including many Americans.

Given our current choices for President of the United States, Barak Obama, in the opinion of an increasing majority of Americans, offers the best chances for some real change not only in the US, but in the world at large.

You wrote:

“I'm all for any American president that will inspire all those American expats to go back to "God's Country" and leave the rest of the world to those of us that have a functioning memory.”

Are you suggesting that I should leave Bali, and return to the US? Are you suggesting that you, someone who has already stated has never been to Bali, (coming this April for the first time), would somehow be a better expat living here in Bali? I don’t know what you meant by that phrase, but I will tell you something that you clearly do not know, and that is that American expats here in Bali are without question, among the best diplomats of our country, understanding the fundamentals of our government, and its ideology, yet adapting to life in Bali with mutual and pro-active exchange...culturally, morally, spiritually, family, commercially...you name it. And! I can say the same thing for most other expats who hail from other countries as well.

You have a great deal to learn Markit, but as a father and teacher of our three boys we are raising within the Balinese culture, I have learned to be patient, and I’m still willing to assist the beginner in essential studies. On the other hand, you might understandably prefer the lessons of my consummate Guru, and my wife, Ni Nyoman Eri. But, be forewarned, she has far less patience than I, and she dismisses fools with a graceful backward wave of her right hand.

It will be interesting to read what you have to write once you have been in Bali this coming April. I imagine that one bad habit you might abandon is poking at expats who live here, and live here in complete harmony, with longevity. But, we will see eventually, and it might be that you only add more bricks to your current reputation.

ROY posted:"Mr. Obama has had Secret Service agents surrounding him since May 3, the earliest a candidate has ever been provided protection".....................................

Dear Roy
Most gov. officials have the secret service as protection. I saw Maria (Arnold Zwartzenegger's wife) at a local "flea market" looking through junk/antiques with a few secret service men following her and the kids.Arnold is only the govenor of CALIFORNIA.
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Yes lets hope the tide will turn,the bad reputation the USA has because of its" leaders" in office.It makes it unsave to travel this planet with a USA passport. That i why I kep my Dutch citizenship/passport,and only speak bahasa and Dutch when I am In Bali.

Yes Gina, I did post that, but I didn’t write it. Those words came from the New York Times journalist Jeff Zeleny who wrote the article I presented above.

However, and just for clarification, the US Secret Service, which used to be an arm of the Department of the Treasury, (now under the US Department of Homeland Security), does NOT provide security personnel for ANY state government officials unless they are hosting the President, or being hosted by the President, or running for office of President of the US. State governors are “commanders and chief” of their own state’s national guard, as well as their state police. Security for state governors, other state officials and their immediate family members is provided by one or both of those units, and not by the federal government.

Even though Maria Zwartzenegger, ne Shriver, is a member of the Kennedy family (by marriage of her father to Eunice Kennedy), she is not entitled to Secret Service protection either.