Skip to main content

When is a Bat Just a Bat?

(White House photo)
By now, you may have heard about the diplomatic hub-bub created by this picture of President Obama grasping a baseball bat while on the phone in the Oval Office. Had he been speaking on the phone to a U.S. Senator or a Governor, or even Mrs. Obama, nobody would have given the bat a second thought. But the White House caption on the photo revealed that he was talking to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. And, so, second thoughts have given way to third, fourth, and fifth thoughts. And the White House was forced to issue a statement.
For starters, I dearly wish that the bat symbolized what many in Turkey probably took it to symbolize – that the President was getting tough with Ankara or with Syria. But…c’mon. It’s an election year and the bat was a gift from Hank Aaron to the President. If Hank Aaron gave me a bat, I’d probably never put it down.
But a columnist in the Asia Times saw the picture this way:
Why hold a baseball bat while on statecraft – and then publicize it? The Turks could see any number of reasons: Obama was likely grandstanding as a tough world leader; possibly, threatening Bashar; maybe, impressing Israel and Saudi Arabia – or, Iran and Russia. But they calmly concluded that Obama was conveying a blunt message to Erdogan to speed up the “regime change” in Syria: “Whack Bashar, Erdogan“.
While some have been critical of the Obama Administration for publishing the photo and captioning it as they did (and it’s interesting to see the American press leave this “gaffe” alone in contrast to their treatment of Gov. Romney during his recent trip abroad), I actually see this as indicative of Turkish self-consciousness and weakness. Turkey has long feared that the U.S. does not take them seriously; that the U.S. uses its relationship with Turkey for our own convenience and nothing else. Turkey longs to be – and, perhaps more importantly, to be seen as – a regional power. A country that is secure in its own importance doesn’t get huffy when the leader of the free world has a bat in his hands. Of course, a confident country also doesn’t send flotilla ships to break a legal naval blockade, or use its alliances to settle political scores.
So, Turks…seriously…chill out. It’s just a baseball bat.

Author: Rabbi Jonathan Greenberg | August 8, 2012
Posted in:  Obama, Turkey

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

COMMIT TO

In the face of widespread insecurity, fear, and hopelessness, our nation desperately needs your prayers. Join us in praying for our nation, that God will heal our land.

Pablo reprende a Pedro

Pero cuando Pedro vino a Antioquía, le resistí cara a cara, porque era de condenar. Pues antes que viniesen algunos de parte de Jacobo, comía con los gentiles; pero después que vinieron, se retraía y se apartaba, porque tenía miedo de los de la circuncisión. Y en su simulación participaban también los otros judíos, de tal manera que aun Bernabé fue también arrastrado por la hipocresía de ellos. Pero cuando vi que no andaban rectamente conforme a la verdad del evangelio, dije a Pedro delante de todos: Si tú, siendo judío, vives como los gentiles y no como judío, ¿por qué obligas a los gentiles a judaizar? Nosotros, judíos de nacimiento, y no pecadores de entre los gentiles, sabiendo que el hombre no es justificado por las obras de la ley, sino por la fe de Jesucristo, nosotros también hemos creído en Jesucristo, para ser justificados por la fe de Cristo y no por las obras de la ley, por cuanto por las obras de la ley nadie será justificado. Y si buscando ser justificados en Cristo, tamb...

El quebrantamiento de Pedro

If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view .     Leer | Lucas 22.54-62 11 de noviembre de 2014 El orgullo de Pedro era un obstáculo para los propósitos de Dios. Cristo buscaba a un siervo-líder para que guiara a los creyentes una vez que Él regresara al cielo. El antiguo pescador era un impulsivo sabelotodo, pero el Señor vio su potencial a pesar de su arrogancia. Por eso, el gran Artesano utilizó una filosa herramienta —la humillación— para quebrantarlo. Cuando las palabras del Señor estuvieron en conflicto con la opinión de Pedro, el discípulo reprendió temerariamente a Jesús. El Salvador respondió con una virulenta reprimenda, tanto para silenciar como para enseñar ( Mt 16.21-23 ; Jn 13.5-8 ). Inclusive, Pedro incumplió su promesa de morir por el Señor cuando lo negó tres veces ...