Obama inproving America's standing in the world

[The Rabbi]

After improving our standing with Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, Obama is improving it with Germany, a close ally in Europe. He does this by treating them like China and tapping their phones. Way to go! I'm sure all we need to do is explain to those silly Germans that we are keeping them safe from terrorism.
U.S. taps half-billion German phone, internet links in month: report

BERLIN (Reuters) - The United States taps half a billion phone calls, emails and text messages in Germany in a typical month and has classed its biggest European ally as a target similar to China, according to secret U.S. documents quoted by a German newsmagazine.

The revelations of alleged U.S. surveillance programs based on documents taken by fugitive former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have raised a political furor in the United States and abroad over the balance between privacy rights and national security.

Exposing the latest details in a string of reputed spying programs, Der Spiegel quoted from an internal NSA document which it said its reporters had seen.

more at the source.

 

[sealybobo]

After improving our standing with Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, Obama is improving it with Germany, a close ally in Europe. He does this by treating them like China and tapping their phones. Way to go! I'm sure all we need to do is explain to those silly Germans that we are keeping them safe from terrorism.
U.S. taps half-billion German phone, internet links in month: report

BERLIN (Reuters) - The United States taps half a billion phone calls, emails and text messages in Germany in a typical month and has classed its biggest European ally as a target similar to China, according to secret U.S. documents quoted by a German newsmagazine.

The revelations of alleged U.S. surveillance programs based on documents taken by fugitive former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have raised a political furor in the United States and abroad over the balance between privacy rights and national security.

Exposing the latest details in a string of reputed spying programs, Der Spiegel quoted from an internal NSA document which it said its reporters had seen.

more at the source.

Leaders will be closely watching Trump as he addresses global concerns about the U.S. trade battle with China and insecurity over the Persian Gulf as confidence in his strategy falters.

During last year's speech, many of those same leaders appeared to laugh when Trump boasted that his administration "has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country."

John Feeley, who served as U.S. ambassador to Panama until last year, called it a painful moment that reflected America's decline from the "undisputed top dog" on the world stage.

"What it means is that the United States is not perceived as being led by somebody who they take completely seriously,"

A 25-nation survey by the Pew Research Center last year found a median of just 27% of people outside the United States had confidence Trump would "do the right thing in world affairs."

And a new survey of 50 former U.S. ambassadors and senior national security officials by the Global Situation Room public relations firm finds that top diplomats from Republican and Democratic administrations almost unanimously feel U.S. influence has declined under Trump.

Ninety-two percent of those surveyed said U.S. adversaries have grown stronger.