[Peace-discuss] Obama's prevarication on the war

[Karen Medina]

MKB asked: How the audience and  beyond respond. Did they understand? 

Mort,

You can watch here as well as reading the full-text:
<http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/07/full_text_of_oba
ma.php>.

My impression is that the audience was responding immediately (no waiting for 
a translator). From the video I saw, the audience was mostly young enough to 
have been required to learn English in grade school. And there is a chance that 
Berlin is more likely a globalized city that would speak English. I still would be 
interested in finding out what type of people were in the audience. 

Many waved American flags. 

They were pretty vocal at some points. Quiet at others. 

They applauded when he spoke of common humanity, trusting each other, and 
tearing down the walls that divide people (like the line "The walls between races 
and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot 
stand.")

The Berlin audience was silent when he spoke about globalization, defeating 
terrorism, NATO, needing your troops in Afghanistan (though there was some 
applause at "we have too much at stake to turn back now.")

They applauded hope. They applauded the reduction of nuclear weapons. 

They applauded the line about Iran ("My country must stand with yours and with 
Europe in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear 
ambitions.")

They applauded AND chanted when Obama mentioned the end of the Iraq war.

Applause:
* Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? 
* Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun discrimination 
against those who don't look like us or worship like we do, and keep the 
promise of equality and opportunity

Mutterings;
* I know my country has not perfected itself. 

Applause:
*  every point of view is expressed in our public squares.
* It is because of these aspirations that all free people - everywhere - became 
citizens of Berlin. 

My impression is that the audience was silent every time terror or terrorists 
were mentioned.

-karen medina