One would think Barack Obama would have learned something about the limits of his personal charm at the G-20 summit in London. Even with the hated George W. Bush back in Texas, the anarchists still rage in the streets, the French and Germans still hate “Anglo-Saxon-style” capitalism, and the nations of the world still won’t take dictation — on the need for a coordinated, global stimulus — from Washington.
But Obama’s faith that his fresh attitude — more flexible and thoughtful — will in itself open new international vistas is unshaken. It’s on that basis that he hit “reset” with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev at the London meeting, in a joint statement touted by the international press as one of the summit’s few accomplishments.
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