Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

President Obama's International Visits from 2009 to 2016

arcgis.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 97 posts

Re: President Obama's International Visits from 2009 to 2016

#21

Post by random_upvoter »

jankotek wrote: post #15

I hope Donald will stay at home. Every presidential visit brings multi-million city to a halt. It has similar effect as an earthquake, major fire or other natural disaster. It is recommended not open windows, there is risk of snipers. International airport is closed for several hours for a single airplane. And main roads are closed everyday while president is traveling. I still remember New Orleans. People could not…

A couple of years back I saw president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran on TV talking to a group of people in Tehran. He just stood on the top of a car with a megaphone and a big crowd of people surrounded him. Sure there were a few bodyguards, but you if you wanted you could pretty much tap him on the shoulder. Now I don't want to overestimate the merits of Iranian democracy, but I was kind of impressed by this.

Compare this with the leaders of the Western world. If there's a summit, the city gets under siege as if it's a Hollywood production. People are not allowed to stand on their balcony. If you get within half a mile of Obama, a sniper will put a bullet through your head. There is just something wrong about this ritual of self-importance. Seriously, aside from personal tragedy, what does it matter if some terrorist kills Obama? We just replace him with the next guy in a suit and tie, and the following day it would be the exact same politics. The system runs itself and no longer depends on the individuality of the persons in the top position. In that sense it reminds me of Europe in 1914 where the diplomatic system overruled the kings and presidents. It may be one of the deeper reasons for Trump's election -- people wanting somebody who can shake the tree.

Re: President Obama's International Visits from 2009 to 2016

#22

Post by cyberferret »

imron wrote: post #9

Here's another nifty visualisation - this time with drone strikes: http://drones.pitchinteractive.com/

That site really drives the tragic results of drone strikes, however from a UX perspective, I wish they would not use a stacked sliding bar for the death count at the top.

Seeing the death of children growing at the start is heart wrenching, but as the other values grow, the 'children' bar actually shrinks, devaluing the impact of the tragic toll.

Perhaps counters like the "Every Atomic explosion since 1945 video"? [0] Might drive home the point a little better?

[0] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7vPanrY

Re: President Obama's International Visits from 2009 to 2016

#23

Post by jankotek »

random_upvoter wrote: post #21
jankotek wrote: post #15

I hope Donald will stay at home. Every presidential visit brings multi-million city to a halt. It has similar effect as an earthquake, major fire or other natural disaster. It is recommended not open windows, there is risk of snipers. International airport is closed for several hours for a single airplane. And main roads are closed everyday while president is traveling. I still remember New Orleans. People could not…

A couple of years back I saw president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran on TV talking to a group of people in Tehran. He just stood on the top of a car with a megaphone and a big crowd of people surrounded him. Sure there were a few bodyguards, but you if you wanted you could pretty much tap him on the shoulder. Now I don't want to overestimate the merits of Iranian democracy, but I was kind of impressed by this. Compare…

Dont be impressed. Nazi officials also traveled with minimal protection in occupied countries. When Reinhard Heydrich was killed, a few villages were leveled in retaliation.

US president should be protected. But it should be protected as other military targets. You would never put a nuclear silo into large metropolitan area.

Re: President Obama's International Visits from 2009 to 2016

#24

Post by thinkloop »

jankotek wrote: post #15

I hope Donald will stay at home. Every presidential visit brings multi-million city to a halt. It has similar effect as an earthquake, major fire or other natural disaster. It is recommended not open windows, there is risk of snipers. International airport is closed for several hours for a single airplane. And main roads are closed everyday while president is traveling. I still remember New Orleans. People could not…

I wonder how D.C. is able to handle it, the president needs to leave the whitehouse at some point.

Re: President Obama's International Visits from 2009 to 2016

#25

Post by jlangenauer »

Angostura wrote: post #12
eps wrote: post #8

Apparently in 2009 Obama visited Moscow and managed to meet both president Putin and president Medvedev. Granted, it is sometimes hard to remember who of these two is a president at any given moment, but a two-president state is a bit pushing it.

Perhaps, as with the US you retain the honorific title 'President' even after leaving office.

Actually, you don't. Former Presidents are just addressed as "Mr Obama".

http://emilypost.com/advice/addressing-a-former-president-of...

Re: President Obama's International Visits from 2009 to 2016

#26

Post by brynx97 »

jankotek wrote: post #15

I hope Donald will stay at home. Every presidential visit brings multi-million city to a halt. It has similar effect as an earthquake, major fire or other natural disaster. It is recommended not open windows, there is risk of snipers. International airport is closed for several hours for a single airplane. And main roads are closed everyday while president is traveling. I still remember New Orleans. People could not…

Foreign leaders need to meet with other foreign leaders. If US president were to never leave the US, requesting that all foreign dignitaries visit him, that'd be great loss for US foreign policy.

Y'all are all overstating the impact of visits on local communities too. It is done the way it is to minimize risk and expediency for both parties...

Re: President Obama's International Visits from 2009 to 2016

#27

Post by paublyrne »

samkone wrote: post #18
k1lly wrote: post #7

President Obama visited Moscow as he met with President Medvedev and President Putin. This is at least innacurate.

Accurate how? At the time Medvedev was President of Russia, and Putin was Prime Minister. Since he was President before that, it's ok for him to be referred as President, like any former President of country.

The convention of referring to an ex president as President is peculiar to United States presidents, AFAIK.

Re: President Obama's International Visits from 2009 to 2016

#28

Post by loxs »

cyberferret wrote: post #22
imron wrote: post #9

Here's another nifty visualisation - this time with drone strikes: http://drones.pitchinteractive.com/

That site really drives the tragic results of drone strikes, however from a UX perspective, I wish they would not use a stacked sliding bar for the death count at the top. Seeing the death of children growing at the start is heart wrenching, but as the other values grow, the 'children' bar actually shrinks, devaluing the impact of the tragic toll. Perhaps counters like the "Every Atomic explosion since 1945 video"? […

They are getting "better" though. The ratio of civilian deaths seems to go down with the years.

Re: President Obama's International Visits from 2009 to 2016

#29

Post by akjainaj »

jankotek wrote: post #23
random_upvoter wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A couple of years back I saw president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran on TV talking to a group of people in Tehran. He just stood on the top of a car with a megaphone and a big crowd of people surrounded him. Sure there were a few bodyguards, but you if you wanted you could pretty much tap him on the shoulder. Now I don't want to overestimate the merits of Iranian democracy, but I was kind of impressed by this. Compare…

Dont be impressed. Nazi officials also traveled with minimal protection in occupied countries. When Reinhard Heydrich was killed, a few villages were leveled in retaliation. US president should be protected. But it should be protected as other military targets. You would never put a nuclear silo into large metropolitan area.

That's a nice Godwin there. Couldn't it be that Mahmoud is simply loved by his people?

And it's not like the hypothetical killer of a US president would simply walk away from court.

Re: President Obama's International Visits from 2009 to 2016

#30

Post by loxs »

paublyrne wrote: post #27
samkone wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Accurate how? At the time Medvedev was President of Russia, and Putin was Prime Minister. Since he was President before that, it's ok for him to be referred as President, like any former President of country.

The convention of referring to an ex president as President is peculiar to United States presidents, AFAIK.

It can also mean that he met with (then) President Medvedev and (now, as of writing) President Putin
Post reply on HN