In his State of the Union message, President Barack Obama began by wrapping himself in the flag, patriotism, and love of the armed forces while trying to highlight his foreign policy achievements. Among his points:
“The United States [is] safer and more respected around the world.”
Presumably, a lot of Americans will believe this. The United States may be said to be safer in terms of facing direct terror attacks but that was basically true in 2002. As for “more respected”—a phrase no doubt chosen to seem more statesmanlike than saying “more popular”–that is a joke. If there’s one thing that should be obvious (and this is often revealed even by international public opinion polls) it is that the United States is not more respected at all.
Moreover, while individual Americans may be relatively safe from terrorist attacks in their homes, neighborhoods and workplaces within the territory of the United States—a perception partly reinforced by redefining terrorist attacks as something else—U.S. interests abroad are far less safe.
“For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq.”
True, but the remaining U.S. forces, though designated as a training force, may have to fight to defend themselves. This withdrawal, of course, was planned by Obama’s predecessor and Iraq is not doing so well today.
“For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. Most of al Qaeda’s top lieutenants have been defeated.”
Aside from the lack of grammar here—was Obama trying to avoid saying that these people were killed?—the statement is true. The problem is that Hamas, Hizballah, the Turkish regime, Iran, Syria, and the Muslim Brotherhood add up to a far bigger threat, a problem magnified by Obama refusing to acknowledge they are a threat.
“The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.”
While the latter point about withdrawal is true, the Taliban is still quite strong. It would be quite possible for the Taliban to return to power within five years.
Then Obama rearranges history—quite obviously though no one in the mass media will point this out:
“Ending the Iraq war has allowed us to strike decisive blows against our enemies. From Pakistan to Yemen, the al Qaeda operatives who remain are scrambling, knowing that they can’t escape the reach of the United States of America.”
In fact, of course, the successes against al-Qaeda were obviously achieved before the withdrawal. Are al-Qaeda operatives trembling in fear before the might of America? Of course not. And in both Pakistan and Yemen (one should add Somalia) they are doing quite well. Obama could have done better by referring to the defeat of al-Qaeda as being part of the American “victory” in Iraq.
“From this position of strength, we’ve begun to wind down the war in Afghanistan. Ten thousand of our troops have come home. Twenty-three thousand more will leave by the end of this summer. This transition to Afghan lead will continue, and we will build an enduring partnership with Afghanistan, so that it is never again a source of attacks against America.”
Again, Obama tells an unnecessary lie. The withdrawal from Iraq is a correct move but hardly puts the United States in a position of strength, especially given Obama’s deep cuts on the military. And of course the end of the war in Afghanistan was planned long before any withdrawal in Iraq; indeed it was basically planned during his predecessor’s term.
As for an “enduring partnership with Afghanistan,” that’s the kind of statement bound to come back to haunt Obama. Afghanistan remains unstable, its government is angry with Obama, and the tide may well turn there after a U.S. withdrawal.
Next, Obama turns to the Arab Spring. He refers to his success in Libya:
“A year ago, Qadhafi was one of the world’s longest-serving dictators – a murderer with American blood on his hands. Today, he is gone.”
True, but what will replace him?
“And in Syria, I have no doubt that the Assad regime will soon discover that the forces of change can’t be reversed, and that human dignity can’t be denied.”
In fact, for two and a half years, Obama strongly backed—in contrast to predecessors—that regime which denied “human dignity.” And he’s doing very little to help that transformation now.
My number-one complaint about Obama—not that there aren’t others but this is in first place—is that he never hints at the dangers in the region precisely because he doesn’t recognize that they exist.
America has spent the last 70+ years trying to variously outrun or wish-away the tsunami of government entitlements. Politicians of both parties, always eager to be reelected, have promised the moon and lots of people who should have known better bought what they were selling. Obama is not stupid. He’s here because he loves the tsunami. Obama has embraced its destructive power to destroy what he can then rebuild to his liking. The Republicans are too busy arguing over lists of rules about what we can and can’t do inside our homes to pay much attention to the wall of water which is about to crash down and sweep our homes away.
In this short blog, I explained how the evil 1 percent in Obama’s imagination are archetypally Jews. See http://clarespark.com/2012/01/25/the-state-of-the-union-stinks/. Both Dr. Rubin and Brian Preston did great jobs in dissecting the State of the Union speech, but I yielded to my obsession with protofascism.
President Obama’s State of the Union speech was a soaring , great speech especially for all the simple, but very important, domestic initiatives which have not been done, that he is going to demand from Congress. Of course one has to forget that he has been President for three years, controlled all of Congress for two of those years, and the Senate for all three, yet has never tried to accomplish passing, or even introducing these initiatives during those years.
On the popularity of the U.S., polling has been done in several (8, I think) Muslim countries and favorability is generally lower now than it was at the end of the Bush administration. We snub Canada on oil, Brazil has cut an oil deal with China, and we were shut out of oil contracts in Iraq. Russia laughed at our olive branch to not put anti-missile bases in eastern Europe. North Korea hasn’t changed. Iran has become even more dangerous. Yep, we’re doing so much better.
“My number-one complaint about Obama — not that there aren’t others but this is in first place — is that he never hints at the dangers in the region precisely because he doesn’t recognize that they exist.”
That is so true. He never seems to tell you what the end game is in any of these Muslim “experiments” of his. What will become of Egypt, that now has elected the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists to power? What is to become of Libya, which is now basically in a state of civil war, not unlike Somalia. And what about Syria or Yemen, which we don’t even have a clue as to what will replace the dictators in those countries? And what about all the blood and treasure we’ve invested in Iraq and Afghanistan? Was it all for nothing? I get this feeling in the not too distant future we’re going to see American helicopters taking people out of the American embassies in Iraq and Afghanistan. People then will ask, “Who lost Afghanistan and Iraq?” You won’t have to look far for an answer.
I doubt that respect for the United States (or “fear of….”) were the words that came to the minds of the varied scoundrels across the world who were listening to that lying drivel last night. They probably had all they could do to keep the laughter/scorn volume down low enough so they could still follow what Dear Leader was saying. Despicable.
The laughter/scorn volume wasn’t the only thing I had trouble keeping down. I must say the big 0 has a knack for ruining a good dinner!
Of course, this year’s speech is just a rehash of the previous speeches.
It’s good to see the recycling credentials of the green one’s team.
http://youtu.be/UDDRiGIUYQo
I was not able to watch dear leader espouse his skewed vision of reality. Therefore I still have a flatscreen that does not have a brick sticking out of it.
“Hamas, Hizballah, the Turkish regime, Iran, Syria, and the Muslim Brotherhood” are threats to Israel, not the United States. A less revealing list would’ve included Libya, Afghanistan and Pakistan rather than leaving them to one side. Your slip is showing. Declare a state in the West Bank; you’ll have to do it sooner or later anyway – may as well make it seem like your idea or it’ll be forced on you and you won’t even have that sliver of good will to show to the world. The West Bank will never rise to the level of Israeli demands because they include nebulous ideas like “defensible borders” and recognizing Israel as opposed to recognizing its right to exist. You can’t force people to agree to something they don’t believe.
Yeah, like that worked so well in Gaza. Let me mail you a clue: if somebody is a threat to you and says every day right out loud that he intends to kill you and take your house, it is the height of stupidity to give him the house next door and think that will pacify him.
” Declare a state in the West Bank… You can’t force people to agree to something they don’t believe.”
And if Israelis don’t believe in the Pal. state in Judea and Samaria – what next? As you said, you cannot force people to agree to something they don’t believe.
I guess you believe that you can force the Jews to do what you want, but all bets are off when you are talking about the moslem Arabs. That’s racist…
If it was only the West Bank I might agree and in fact I don’t consider it something for me to agree with or disagree with as no one is asking my permission. But it seems good advice to ask people who lay out lists of enemies but as if they themselves bear no responsibility for tension to make peace with the outside players so one doesn’t have to have a constant stream of propaganda articles that try to convince the U.S that Israel’s enemies are America’s enemies; they’re not.
There are no Americans occupying the West Bank nor do they have anything to say about policy there. You want a partnership for the hardware but otherwise say keep out. I say keep out too. Why should I have to see moronic Palestinian Arabs in America bitching and moaning about overseas nonsense. Israel has it in their power to unilaterally end this all tomorrow. Unless Israel intends to slowly take over the West Bank in small chunks over decades, there is no reason to hold onto it since it is the whirlpool which feeds hate in the middle east. If that’s not true then at least expose the hate for simple hate devoid of the West Bank’s status and lay out your enemies for all the world to see truly.
If all the Muslim Brotherhood has to cry about are small details about a now extant Palestinian State, they not only lose all credibility in the West but among their own people too – what are they going to rabble rouse about, the right of return, neighborhoods in Jerusalem – that doesn’t have the same traction as the word “occupation.” If you want to be at war forever, fine. Leave me out of it and don’t complain about such long lists of people who hate you. Even many Israelis agree with me; how long will you portray them as idiotic traitors who don’t get it and every Muslim as Joseph Goebbels?
Everyone knows Islamic culture is a social backwater but when you can expose and separate anti-Semitism from anti-Zionism in a prominent fashion, that is a victory and not a loss and one no longer has to wonder about people hiding behind anti-Zionism to express pure hate. If Islam is composed of Nazis let it be shown to be true and all this divestment, boycott and such will be relegated to a type of pro-Nazism which is just where you yourselves would like it to be and will knock the pins and credibility right out of such movements. There is an opposite side to anti-Zionism versus anti-Semitism and that is cynically conflating the difference for one’s own ends.
At some point right and wrong will have to give way to the reality of hundreds of millions of Muslims in the area whose hate has been transformed and disconnected by and from real world events into an urban myth that carries on as something that is like a book or movie that is famous simply for being famous. That is institutionalizing hatred.
muslims don’t and will never tolerate the existence of any Jewish polity in their midst, no matter what
Updating your privacy policies and terms of service on Google 1/24/2012 01:30:00 PM In just over a month we will make some changes to our privacy policies and Google Terms of Service. This stuff matters, so we wanted to explain what’s changing, why and what these changes mean for users
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/updating-o…
As usual with this sort of speech, and as we all have had to learn through bitter experience, the issue is not what Obama declaimed in English to the American public, but what he said to his own people in Arabic.
Heh!
One of the main reasons given by all the talking heads pontificating on the Republican presidential nomination process for never giving Ron Paul even the least bit of serious consideration is the seeming naivety of his Libertarian based foreign policy positions ( if we leave the rest of the world alone, they will return the favor). Obama’s worldview is even worse because he starts from the same flawed perspective and then adds in the element of let’s reach out to all our enemies, while simultaneously dumping all over any ally who has ever been of aid to us in the past. If Ron Paul is inconceivable as President because of his foreign policy deficiencies why isn’t another term for the Bamster equally inconceivable based on his even more naive views?
“The United States [is] safer and more respected around the world.”
Put down the hopium pipe fool, I can tell you that pictures of Americans being fondled and “porno scanned” by the Touching Scrotums Agency has made America a laughing stock on the world stage.
Ken C: Obama is either stupid or a liar. Which shall it be?
I could not bring myself to watch the speech but I read it and and have read many comments about it.
Barry, I do not believe that Obama thinks the U.S. relationship with Israel is “perfect right now.” Rather, he believes that it is as good as he wants it to be, which is not very good, at all. And he knows that, and does not want it better, because his heart is with the Islamists. I agree that his statement was carefully crafted, but you give Obama too much credit. The man is a weasel!
When are the majority of politically aware Jews going to see this man without blinkers?
-Charles
Does anyone still actually tune in and watch Little Zero recite the Teleprompter-in-Cheif’s words?
Apparently so. Which leaves the real mystery . . . why?
Apparently the left isn’t happy with his speech either. Ralph Nader is quite angry. I’m curious what others think about this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Rhiq1Gclybo
Sorry, I meant this video of Nader. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bWupFxpU1yQ
Sorry, I meant this video of Ralph Nader http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bWupFxpU1yQ
I meant to include link to Nader but now doesn’t appear to publish. Last try. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bWupFxpU1yQ
BHO: ESDMF
Can Obama be re-elected. well lets look at the specifics 97% of the Blacks who form 13% of all voters voted for him last time (racist much!!!) and will AGAIN in 2012, 20% – 30% of voters are dyed in the wool left wing moonbats who will vote for him come what may. That gives him between 33 and 43% nailed on votes that he does not even have to worry about. Then add to the mix the 14 to 20% of voters who are disinterested or just plain naive, gullible or stupid and its easy to see how he is very likely to gain re-election. All I can say is then God save America because Obama can’t or rather won’t.
This POS. SOB will never back down on his agenda because he would have to admit to being wrong. His ego couldn’t take that.
FUBAR, IMHO. DNC SOP.
Rats. The last comment was meant for Bill Johnson.
Obama’s foreign policy for the next year, as one disaster follows another: “Isn’t that great. I meant for that to happen. In fact, I take credit for this big success.”
Every 8th grade level “this is you on teleprompter” speech because you are not ‘HARVARD material but affirmative action Jackson” is enough to put a cork in my ears. Reading him is worse though because the empty rhetoric and same-old class/race-warfare is like an itch he always has to scratch at [with his middle finger no less].
I find this president parachuting every kindness I ever had towards minorities out the window after I tried to heal up after the “OJ TRIAL”. But, no, this guy wants an all out gutter war and the black youth have heard and reacted with their thug mugging, whitey stomping and white hate.
We are in an era where white people can’t be ‘a white community’ but a populace of anyone BUT ‘white’ CAN be a ‘Negroid community’ or a ‘Hispanic comminuty’ or ‘Asian community’ etc.
Oddly, the more the white populace shrinks and is replaced with other-than-whites, the more our country begins to sink into the Socialist/Commie/Marxist decline into dictatorship, worship of a ‘dear leader’ and feral minority youth creating havoc and mayhem in schools, libraries, movie theatres, malls and every other public venue.
Welcome to the ‘new’ third world via the third world, low i.q. scourge.
Jobs are open for SKILLED people.
Welfare recipients and drop-outs are not going to EVER be considered “SKILLED” for anything but f*ckin’ and fryin’ the cluckin’ chicken.
Truth. All the affirmative action in the WORLD is not going to bring the current president up to par with previous presidents. He’s a dolt and he plays the ‘actor’ to his dolt constituency. A constituency that has been dumbed down with false propaganda, false history and high rates of illiteracy to keep the imbecile voters on the retard plantations barely able to read a food label or a street sign.
YAY DIPSHITcrats!
Delia, Your pessimism is shared by more whites than will say. Our current legislative and federal mandates demanding “celebration” and forced wealth delivery to our least competent, unmotivated, ignorant and anti-social brethren is a recipe for anarchy and serious social discord. Subsidized degeneracy is no solution. In the name of “social justice”, Obama and ilk would have all whites, rich and poor groveling at his alter doing penance for our past evils. This dude has been the WORST thing for race relations in a century!
I concur with your take on Uhbama.
Though what necessarily is a ‘good race relations’ leader and/or person?
‘Race relations’. What a stupid, dated construct. It’s red meat for the melanin-obsessed, intellectually void knuckle draggers.
I suppose you’ve transcended the melanin obsessed, race divide. Good for you. The rest of us slobs will continue to delude ourselves with the false sense that Obama has abandoned raciality. Meanwhile, the real world will see that Obama and ilk are diabolically driven by racial hatred and animosity. Your choice to deny reality is…..
Also, Legarto Rey, ‘race’ is more than a construct, it’s a biological fact.
I think paul’s post was just as frustrated and fed up though but he is wrong-headed about ‘race’ being only a ‘melanin’ thing.
“…feral minority youth creating havoc…”
Yep. Wanna know how they usually survive when they’re not flash-mobbing or thug-thisle-ing or five-finger discounting?
They impregnate any available teenage baby-momma and live off her entitlements, preferable in a section 8 house indiscriminately in a white neighborhood.
It should be a crime in our nation to produce children for which you have no intention or ability to support. Bring back orphanages. Frankly, I’m tired of feeding the bastard children of rutting, partying hedonists.
Thank you for the replies, folks. I’ve been feeling a bit vitriolic about all of the crappola pushing me to the boiling point.
Now, with the fast & furious debacle, I’m convinced that this administration is in full-on MOBSTER style mode.
God help us if we get a ‘real’ election for president.
I do need to apologize for my tone yesterday…counting 10 before firing off an angry post is something I forget to do at times.
My concern is that America is probably done for anyway, no matter who sits in the White House in 2013. Occupiers, government/education unions, legal and illegal immigrants demanding endless accommodation, welfare dependent never-married moms raising most of the next generation of roaming packs of angry teens are the only ones with any rights anymore…
If overburdened and fed up Joe-the-plumber-types, follow the examples already set and take to the streets to march and shout, camp and piss in the parks, litter and scrawl obscenities on public buildings: OH NO!
America will simply *have* to haul out a “civilian army, just as well funded as the *(downsized/demoralized/defunded)*military” to roll into our cities and take charge.
Nasty ol’ bitter clingers, serves ‘em right…(sigh)
The SOTU speech was breathtaking in its mendacity and duplicity. Downright Orwellian. I don’t know what country President Golfpants was referring to, but it most certainly was NOT America, circa 2012.
I didn’t watch the speech but read (unlike Uhbama who hadn’t read his ‘crowning achievement’ mandated health insurance bill OR Gov. Brewer’s book.. his admitting to reading only the excerpt! The guy is far too easy to paint as stupid!) his speech and walked away with this from it:
‘I’m awesome’.
‘OBL, I pulled the trigger. Not really but I ordered SeAL team 6 so ixnay to the.., I did it’.
‘My spilled milk joke killed’!
‘We need unions to rebuild America. Whaa.. private sector construction companies charge far less, accomplish the same job in less time and don’t steal from the private sector taxpayers in the process? That’s not real’.
‘Taxing the s hit out of the eevill rich ‘guarantees’ more cash revenue. Uh, right? As well as providing for us government lackeys to live high on the hog.. I meant ensures more food stamps, err longer unemployment benefits, uh- you know what I mean’.
‘The stimulus totally helped America. Unemployment’s uh.. GM and Chrysler is stronger and more privately owned than eve.. uh.. hey the UAW digs the handout. MOVE move. And the deficit, budget is.. ohhh. Next prompt please’.
‘My policies are conducive for companies to create jobs in America.. right? Uh, right’!
‘The government’s corporate tax rate is low.. well lower than 41%’.
‘How ’bout the government intervention, assistance, yeah that’s it with improving student loans and Race to the Top – great stuff, right’?
‘Subsidies for evil oil companies are bad. Subsidies for boondo.. reusable energy companies is fantastic’.
I don’t care what Mossad, former Joint Chiefs, former SecDef/CIA Director’s say – Iran will feel the wrath if it doesn’t back down’!
“Walk softly and carry a big stick.”
… and when you use the stick, use it to full effect.
36 Obama aides owe $833,000 in back taxes
http://news.investors.com/Article/599002/20120126…
I have a fever, and the only cure is to hear Obama talk about Republicans sippin on slurpees.
You need a head-check and wayyyyyyyyyy more cowbell!
‘My name is Bruce Dickinson. Yes thee Bruce Dickinson’.
This skit is all the more cool for me because it’s an ‘homage’ to ‘Bruce Bruce’ of Iron Maiden/ Samson fame.
http://www.funnyhub.com/videos/pages/snl-more-cowbell.html
LMAO! That kills me every time! Pure genius!
There is one way to cut off the runaway entitlements tsunami. That is for physicians to secede from Medicare and Medicaid, and deal directly with their patients. It would make it much much cheaper to run a physician’s office, patient privacy would be protected, and a doctor could ocus on the patient instead of on government goons.
State of the Union registers at 8th grade reading level
http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/01/state-of-the-union-registers-at-th-grade-reading-level-112236.html
No other comments necessary.
The idea that killing 8 or 10 Al queda leaders would win the war on terror never made sense. The term war on terror never made sense either.The real leaders of the war against western civilization are in the oil rich countries and in mosques all around the world. A bunch of illiterate poverty stricken people could not pose much of a threat outside the borders of their decrepit country with out the support and encouragement from the wealthy muslims many of whom are in our countries. This administration has ordered rules of engagement designed to increase our casualties so we are better off removing the troops from harms way. by the by If my figures are low, it matters not if we got 1000 because there are about a billion muslims in the world and 90% of them believe it is their religious duty to kill us.
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