States of Union

Presidential addresses like the recently delivered State of the Union address have two audiences: domestic and global.

 Christian Science Monitor did a very interesting article on how the international press reacted to the speech. The full article is available here: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2012/0125/State-of-the-Union-speech-as-heard-by-China-India-France-Israel. Here are some highlights :
Israel saw President Obama reaffirm the United States commitment to Israel’s security by declaring that negotiation was still possible with the Ahmadinejad government, while refusing to take any option off the table.

India saw President Obama’s tough words against intellectual piracy as a reflection of their own rivalry with China. Both China and India see themselves as the voice of the worlds impoverished, are growing economically, and are seeking a foothold within Africa.

South Africa sees in the United States a similar political dynamic. Two political parties that hardly talk to each other and instead orate to their own constituencies.

The French saw the address as outlining the case for a second Obama term. He wanted to portray the country as growing stronger, with plans to create an economy built to last.This goes to show that while the American media has their own contextual reasons to view the State of the Union , the international community often has its’ own interests when looking at the State of the Union.