That's Arabic for "Bush isn't good, Obama (is) good." It's also what just about every cab driver who picks us up says when the conversation turns to where we are from.
"Ana Amareekee", I say. They usually say they are from Pakistan or Yemen. Not too long after that, the conversation turns to politics. And not too long after that, the cab driver usually tells us that George Bush is a piece of sh!t and Barack Obama is the complete opposite.
On a side note: One cab driver nicknamed me "Bobby Obama" and laughed. I made another laugh when I said I lived in Washington, D.C. and was Obama's "neighbor." Another professed his love for Obama, "I love you Obama!", before professing his love for all Americans by saying "I love you American!" directed toward my wife and I. He even refused to take my cash for our cab ride. He was Yemeni. Yup, the same Yemeni we were told to avoid because he hates Americans.
Joking aside, it isn't just here in Saudi Arabia that people feel this way. When I was in China in 2011, just about every discussion regarding American Presidents ended with the same conclusion. And in Portugal in 2006, although it was a comparison between George Bush and Bill Clinton, the democrat almost always came out on top. These are just a few examples of the many conversations I've had while traveling and working abroad that made me regret we elected George Bush and glad we elected Barack Obama.
I'm writing about this because I don't think it's a trend that should be ignored. As Americans, we choose our president based on the effects he will have on our country and our lives directly. What we too often neglect to prioritize is the world beyond our borders - and how we fit into it matters.
How our presidents are viewed by the rest of the world is just one of many ways to compare and contrast them, but is nonetheless an important measurement to take. It depends on who you ask, but if the rest of the world likes our president, I think it's safe to say he's doing something right, at the very least in terms of foreign policy.
Through these encounters (in addition to other things I've learned about him), I've realized that Obama is doing more of the right things for the world, and not just for the United States. Obama recognizes that you can be a patriot while at the same time recognizing that we're all people, with the same wants and needs. I don't even think "nationalism" is in his vocabulary. He has also applied a very valuable historical lesson in his foreign policy: that using force far too often makes things worse.
People like people who understand them, and Obama understands the world a hell of a lot better than George Bush did. That's at the heart of why Obama is so popular abroad. But mostly, people like people who don't invade countries under false pretenses and cause the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
One thing is for sure, I feel safer traveling abroad when our Commander-in-Chief is well-liked around the globe. Keep it up Obama. Then help Hilary get elected, so I can continue feeling safe and proud while venturing out into our world.
On a side note: One cab driver nicknamed me "Bobby Obama" and laughed. I made another laugh when I said I lived in Washington, D.C. and was Obama's "neighbor." Another professed his love for Obama, "I love you Obama!", before professing his love for all Americans by saying "I love you American!" directed toward my wife and I. He even refused to take my cash for our cab ride. He was Yemeni. Yup, the same Yemeni we were told to avoid because he hates Americans.
Joking aside, it isn't just here in Saudi Arabia that people feel this way. When I was in China in 2011, just about every discussion regarding American Presidents ended with the same conclusion. And in Portugal in 2006, although it was a comparison between George Bush and Bill Clinton, the democrat almost always came out on top. These are just a few examples of the many conversations I've had while traveling and working abroad that made me regret we elected George Bush and glad we elected Barack Obama.
I'm writing about this because I don't think it's a trend that should be ignored. As Americans, we choose our president based on the effects he will have on our country and our lives directly. What we too often neglect to prioritize is the world beyond our borders - and how we fit into it matters.
How our presidents are viewed by the rest of the world is just one of many ways to compare and contrast them, but is nonetheless an important measurement to take. It depends on who you ask, but if the rest of the world likes our president, I think it's safe to say he's doing something right, at the very least in terms of foreign policy.
Through these encounters (in addition to other things I've learned about him), I've realized that Obama is doing more of the right things for the world, and not just for the United States. Obama recognizes that you can be a patriot while at the same time recognizing that we're all people, with the same wants and needs. I don't even think "nationalism" is in his vocabulary. He has also applied a very valuable historical lesson in his foreign policy: that using force far too often makes things worse.
People like people who understand them, and Obama understands the world a hell of a lot better than George Bush did. That's at the heart of why Obama is so popular abroad. But mostly, people like people who don't invade countries under false pretenses and cause the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
One thing is for sure, I feel safer traveling abroad when our Commander-in-Chief is well-liked around the globe. Keep it up Obama. Then help Hilary get elected, so I can continue feeling safe and proud while venturing out into our world.