Quote:
Originally Posted by HuskyMan
I'm unsure what, exactly he is talking about. he might be talking about NATO, but then again he might not. since he used the term "America", let's take a look at the dictionary to see what it means.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/America
since "America" is a continent and not a country or nation, it would seem that "America" doesn't carry a stick at all, it is just dirt rock and sand. the "United States" on the other hand, certainly may carry a big stick. of course, the policies of it's political leaders may appear to the outside world differently than the way we natives think of them. |
The United States of
America. Commonly referred to as 'America'. Just because Merriam-Webster doesn't list America as a synonym for the USA, doesn't mean it isn't in the general vernacular. As the biggest country in America, the continent, we get the privilege of using America as our nickname. Sorry 'bout that Canada, (as if you would even want to be called America) we have many more people, so are seen as being bigger, even though we are not.
As for our policies being perceived differently by the rest of the world, isn't that what O is trying to address? Trying to pass along the idea that some of us understand that our dealings with the rest of the world have, at times, been somewhat heavy-handed. Seems like a good way to rebuild some alliances that the previous administration ran rough-shod over. Most of the countries that would see that as a sign of weakness are either already aware of the strength of the US, or are not strong enough for it to matter.