Our Philosopher Organizer
The most successful practitioner of community organizing looks around for what he thinks is a problem, chastises both sides and allots absolutely equal blame, gives exalted moral lectures about compromise and understanding, and then waltzes away well paid, praised for his moderation, but having accomplished nothing.
So I wasn’t too surprised to learn that President Obama decided to tackle European-American relations—something that has a pedigree going back to our Revolution, and has been analyzed by the likes of Tocqueville and Henry James to contemporary essayists such as Bruce Bawer, Joseph Joffe, Robert Kagan, and Bruce Thornton. But then who needs to read them, when you have the power of ‘hope and change’?
Had Mr. Obama done his homework, he would have learned that our transatlantic “differences” transcend communication problems, and, yes, even Barack Obama’s charisma.
An Old Sore
Europe—given its Western heritage, its own intellectual roots (reflected in the French Enlightenment, the French Revolution, the canonization of 1848, Marx’s natural landscape, postcolonial guilt, the lingering shame of appeasement and collaboration, postmodern anti-Western philosophy), the legacy of the bloody twentieth century, the conditions of the Cold War, and the American defensive shield—has devolved into a largely secular, if not atheistic society.
That it is now shrinking, facing endemic childlessness, can neither assimilate nor deport Islamic immigrants, becoming increasingly protectionist, and is unarmed and pacifist is all logical rather than aberrant. How we still maintain such friendly relations with our now distant European cousins, given our (prior) capitalism, Christianity, fertility, assimilation practices, classlessness, enormous military power, and international profile is the real mystery. One thing that Europe most definitely does not want is for President Obama to turn the United States into a socialist, protectionist, disarmed, pacifist—Europe II—a clone of itself that won’t protect it, provide an open market for its goods, or stimulate the world economy.
Sorta Capitalist
While capitalism survives there, it does so by the more successful buying insider influence, relying on hereditary wealth and inherited privilege, avoiding as many laws as possible, and praising publicly socialism as you privately get it around it in the real world—sorta like the New York Times lauding Obama’s bailout of GM while it threatens to shut down the Boston Globe unless the print unions shave off millions in wage concessions, or the city officials of Detroit serially alleging racism while they loot what little is left of the city solely for friends and family.
To visit Italy or Greece is to be impressed by the sheer human ingenuity of small entrepreneurs who deal mostly in cash, avoid taxes, arrange barter, skirt regulations (half their restaurants would be shut down for safety violations in the states), hire either family or workers off the books without proper papers, and generally try to have some sort of government job that requires no work but income in down times.
But of course, this European expedition isn’t a POLICY outing, for Obama: it’s a victory lap.
I loved the characterization of Italy and Greece. So true — although the northern Italians would, justly, disagree somewhat. History has given Italy a north-south cultural bifurcation, and today you’ll find orderly, law-abiding, state-capitalist Italians of the north calling their southern brethren “Africans.”
In the south, meanwhile, those not-so-legal entrepreneurs refer to northerners, with a theatrical wave of the hand, as “Germans.” Only occasionally as “fascisti.”
Thanks for thinking VDH.
I think I’ve read this story before, oh yes it was Atlas Shrugged, where Howard Roarke’s family was like Europe, while being supported and protected by Howards inventive genius they constantly denegrated him and worked behind his back and sometimes in front of his face to destroy him while Howard kept trying to appease them not knowing the real reason for his own guilt and why he hated them so much.
Don’t wait for the movie just read the book again.
One day we’ll get over our guilt and tell Europe what it is we really think and feel about their stupid behavior and we’ll stop sending moron appeasers their way to make them feel good about the road to hell they are on. In order to have this appeaser relationship with Europe we have accompanied them on this road to hell and we are almost there.
We’d better wake up soon.
It used to be that the point of being or becoming an American was to NOT be European. After the war, more and more Americans traveled back to Europe and decided old was new.
Whether it’s the President, Sec. Clinton, Alan Colmes, or my relatives…there is still more mileage to be had by beating up GWB. It’s like a car. You think you’ll trade it in at 100,000 miles but when you get there, you see if you can get 120,000.
I think everybody’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. If GM et.al., including parts people and related industries go under with hundreds of thousands newly unemployed, what then? If Israel attacks Iran and Hezbulla strikes here, there, and everywhere, what then? What if ‘the big one’ comes to California? Inflation goes through the roof?
Just look at the President and his wife smile. They’re having the time of their lives. They’re doing exactly what they want to do. There’s no organized opposition. Tea parties are ineffectual and opposed by the media. If -1- means the president is in big trouble and -10- means he’s in great shape…I’d give him an -8-.
Socialism is a type of oligarchy wherein the ruling class retains power by promising benign government. The problem Mr. Obama fails to appreciate is that his brand of American socialism will eventually run at cross purposes with his European partners based on issues of policy. Words cannot mitigate disputes when the vested interests of individual factions become endangered.
You’ve painted a great picture in that it expresses a reality I (and I suspect many others) see very clearly. It’s the early 70′s again!
Can’t wait to see Obama’s balls when a real tought guy bitch slaps his pretty face. Will it be Chicago thug time? Will a hit be ordered?
Or will more words come from all those lawyer educated government people he has hired to carry his quiver, you know, the one filled with words, not arrows.
Ah, for all those Americans who have dreamed these past 30 plus years of a one world, planet Earth, Spaceship Earth in fact…their time has come! Obama will bring us all together, except for a few…who may be really bad people…with serious weapons…who will and intend to use them.
Just how do big wars start? With little sparks or big flames?
We reap what we have sown, no? Yes! Ask any farmer.
The Germans are starting to up the ante. I just heard Claudia Roth (Green) and Guido Westerwelle (FDP) say that the time is right for getting our nuclear weapons out of Germany. Steinmeier praised Obama’s vision, and Merkel was pleased with the “concrete” steps Obama is taking–calling a meeting on disarmament and starting talks with Russia. I’m real impressed by characterizing gab fests as concrete. They have been so helpful in Iran, even since Bush let his oh so sophisticated betters take the lead.
Maybe if our president weren’t so language deficient, he would be aware of the arrogance described by Bawer, Joffe, Thorton and Kagan from reading the foreign press.
One more thing: I hope someone is documenting how much of Europe’s success in tracking down their own terrorists results from info shared by the US. Where is the NYT leak machine when you need it?
I was so ashamed watching Obama’s performance at the G-20. The temerity of the man to put down and blame our country for the world’s malaise. The MSM was an absolute embarrassment to watch and listen to, especially in regards to Michelle Obama. It’s a twisted world when such an extremely talented, driven, accomplished and dynamic politician as Sarah Palin is denigrated and vilified by the press, and a bitter contemptuous woman, hateful of her country until her husband’s election is lionized by the same media. I am starting to fear that the only thing that is going break this Obama express is some foreign policy disaster.
Thanks Doc for spending your Sunday writing another great article for us.
The crowd which listened to Obama’s speech in Prague was huge and adoring. It’s almost scary watching these Hitler like events. What’s next, a visit to Vienna and an oration from the Hofburg Palace balcony to a tide of swooning Austrians?
I don’t expect him to alter his behavior. It must be a rush to his ego for him to lecture these admiring throngs. I wonder how these naive Europeans would behave if Russian tank divisions were assembled on the other side of the Czech or Austrian borders?
Without any serious threats to Western Europe this charade will continue forever. The Messiah will give the Euros everything they want while apologizing to win their favor and elitists back in the States. I’m afraid it will take a real catastrophe for Obama to be undone. The Euros aren’t the slightest bit concerned about a nuclear Iran, so even that eventuality won’t hurt Obama’s popularity here in Europe.
We are living in the MTV generation and everything about our present situation reminds me of the elections we had for class presidents back in high school. The most popular/cool kid always won. Nobody really expected a class president to do anything. It was just a popularity contest. Obama would probably do very well on one of those MTV elimination shows where the winner, or last man standing, gets the porno actress as a girlfriend.
You know, Professor Hanson, I honestly think you have to get deeper in touch with your “feelings” on this issue and quit gilding the lily.
The unseen benefit, the hidden hand, in all this is that we will at last get to quantify what Adam Smith meant when he said, “There’s a lot of ruin in a nation.”
“I’m more interested in looking forward than backward”
A boilerplate Obamism, and a lie. His whole presidency is oriented around looking backward. From stoking BDS to the issue of racism, he can’t get past the post-modern retrospective approach. He’s so busy looking in the rear view mirror he’s gonna drive us right off a cliff.
Oddly enough, Obama invoked this statement to end his rambling discourse on the question of who bears the blame for the financial meltdown. Apparently, as we go forward with spending trillions of dollars to mitigate this mess, he’s not that interested in where and with whom the fault lies. Of course, barring the extinction of humanity, a gazillion economists will be debating that very issue for the next hundred years or so. Again, words matter and you simply cannot believe Obama’s.
Surprise surprise.
Obama finds the same solutions for the world’s problems as for the USA’s problems.
The businessmen and entrepreneurs who built the country and made it stong are very very bad people. It’s shameful. The only solution is to take money from the evil American perpetrators of capitalism and give it to the righteous opressed minorities, be them African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Hamas, Russia, or Europeans.
And along the same line, America has been very very bad about using force to maintain a lawful, but obviously uncivil society. To correct that problem, we must disarm, both internally and externally. Only when the people we used to consider our enemies have power equal to our own will the world be truly safe and “fair”.
If there are a few glitches here and there with Depressions or nuclear mistakes, that’s the price we will have to pay to achieve parity for all of Obama’s children around the world.
Now that Obama has bowed deeply to a Saudi, given rude gifts to the leaders of the United Kingdom, stood next to a sign between his election and inauguration that announced to the world he WAS the President elect, thrown money at economic problems…. sworn his oath with and without a Bible…
Wouldn’t it be interested to read the psychology report papers the enemies of the United States have prepared for moving their agendas forward…. before Obama is out of office. What? They have three and a half years?
Could Obama do anything more weak to make their plans more strong?
So, large-scale trouble will probably manifest in these next time, times and a half (3 1/2 years.)
And then America, what’s left of her, will have a better appetite for wisdom, because by measure of election and media news, the baby presently can only digest pabulum.
And in that end, and toward that end, Obama will have done what no one else in April of 2009 can. He’ll cause America grow up, quick! Despite everything he does to the contrary.
Taking a long view, it cannot be any other way.
Problem is, the short view really is going to be awful. It cannot be any other way.
Let us endeavor to survive, and survive well in thought, word and deed. For the sane who see all this coming, it cannot be any other.
Now is the best time ever to be moral, good of character and able to survive.
“The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out”,
The Fire of the Eternal Blame has been lit and Jeanne Kirkpatrick on August 20, 1984 was one of the first to recognize the altar upon which is has been hung.
On that date, in a speech as a lifelong Democrat to a Republican Convention in Dallas she spoke these words:
The American people know that it’s dangerous to blame ourselves
for terrible problems that we did not cause.
They understand just as the distinguished French writer,
Jean Francois Revel, understands the dangers of endless self- criticism
and self-denigration.
He wrote: “Clearly, a civilization that feels guilty for everything
it is and does will lack the energy and conviction to defend itself.”
She also wrote that “they always blame America first”, when she identified the coming generation of a new type of Democrat, one with which she (and I) could never identify. The “Sellout American”, who revels in the bloodsport of trashing his own country to its sworn enemies.
The “Timeshare American” who does not take full ownership of his American identity, but rather, maintains an identity as a “world citizen” who happens to have a domicile here. America is less “home” than it is the hat hanger of the moment…from which one stares out the front window wistfully toward the South of France.
Where elite, white, European descended Americans practice the groveling, bowing, scraping and sniveling at the feet of leftists abroad, Marxists of any stripe and begin an apoplectic fit of rage and apology if we ever dare to protect ourselves from mass murder attempts from folks who have skin pigmentation a shade more sun-kissed than theirs.
The Fire of Eternal Blame resides in their bellies and cannot and will not be extinguished in this generation. This is a generation that has stolen the information stream and has used it to throw truth upon the pyre of their own outlets. Deadwood media engaged in the sacrifice of self-immolation by first carrying the eternal blame torch, then dousing themselves in lies, half-truths, forgeries, fakery and distortion…and now, the last smoldering embers and ashes of their disgraceful existence are to be swept beneath the throw rugs of a New World Order.
They have served their mission. They kept alit the Fire of Eternal Blame. They sold out America. They always do.
That Europe won’t face up to its problems and foists the blame game for everything onto the big bad wolf America is beyond pathetic and lazy. Last week demonstrated why and where Europe has adopted this governmental P.R. approach: They lazily imported it from Islam; Islam cannot face its problems so it creates the five minutes hate for an abstraction- Satan and mini Satan (read- United States and Israel).
That Europe, a place with no shortage of ideas- until now- downloads the Islamic solution to everything- “America bad, worthy of all resentment” is disingenuous on the part of Europeans. (Islam has its reasons- however cowardly and immoral, (just ask the Saudi cleric who said that Judaism was right and received 90 lashes for his scholarship), but what are Europe’s reasons?)
As Hanson points out, they cannot afford for America to be as they are, for, Who to protect them? Who to sell to?
So when Obama patronizes this (falsely) “European” idea, he knows it is not European in the first place; it came from Islam (blame the U.S. and Israel for everything) and shows where he true loyalties reside.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Obama sees himself as Mahdi: and thats about as much humility as one will get from him. Because end-of-times Mahdis always see themselves humbly as the shrewd, courageous bringers of the divine [whatever the hell that may be...].
Obama gives himself away when he focuses on the word he makes meaningless by his repetition and and misuse.
I am referring, of course, to his misuse of the word “arrogant”: when one is right he is compelled to be arrogant, so its not the right word in the first place. And secondly, Obama is beating about the bush of the true meaning he is looking for, but only describes himself, and John Kerry, and Barney Frank, etc, et al, all to well, and that word is conceit: knowing nothing, unprepared, with secret agenda, petulant, and yet thinking all this is assuaged by some special, magic gift, bestowed on the enlightened, and baptised formally by demogogues such as Jeremiah Wright, John Stroger, and Emil (“Some call it Pork, I call it Steak”) Jones.
He’s running a racket: and he’s trying to run it from Chicago to D.C. just like the Saul Alinsky/Frank Nitty axis did in Chicago during the twenties and thirties, and remains intact today. Obamas mentors.
Well said Dr Hanson
Only an academic can appreciate the vacuousness of the president’s Europe tour. Obama’s tour perfectly models the arrogant emptiness that is postmodern leftism. An arrogance matched only by his ignorance. As a minority academic I am even more keenly aware of the emptiness of another minority academic who naively believed everything he was taught, because it served his ego. What is truly disheartening is how dangerous and deadly serious the world is today. Yet we have a president who cannot be taken seriously by the most dangerous people in the world. Rome fell because of internal cultural decay. We seem to be following the same path.
The Oval Office is now occupied by a man that was raised a Muslim, then as a practitioner of Black Liberation Theology both of which teach their children to hate America, white people and Jews.
Why would anyone now act stunned or surprised when Obama travels the world cursing and damning the United States of America?
As an American who has lived his life overseas and defended my country (mainly verbally) on all but one Continent – I find our President’s aplogise for America first policy to be less than inspirational.
As someone who has spent many years in Latin America and other developing regions where Capital Flight is an art form, I wonder where ours (and theirs) will go when this bad policy tsunami gets going.
Were in not for the likelihood of a Middle East war when Israel attacks Iran, another attack on the USA as our guard is steadily lowered or half a dozen other major negative probables – I would say that we are heading hell bent for election towards going out with a wimper rather than a bang.
If Japan decides to remilitarize in the face of USA defence undependability, the globe could get to be really interesting – in the Chinese sense.
So, in effect, through mere rhetorical bullshit Obama has set the stage for the US to STILL do the heavy lifting, yet under his community organizing stewardship we will now be free to feel the love. But this time around, we will end up further down the (proverbial) toilet.
Hope and change……you gotta hand it to him, he is NOT the genius his followers paint him to be, but he is a master Svengali, the likes of which I have never seen.
“I’m more interested in looking forward than backward”
The reality is that we have to look backward in order to understand the future. Studying history is of nonnegotiable importance. Barack Obama, however, disagrees. He is a postmodern man. We can supposedly ignore the lessons of the past because the world has evolved to the point where our ancestors have little to offer. Indeed, on a gut level this is perhaps the number one reason why our schools fail so miserably in teaching history. It is actually a rational attitude if you believe today’s human beings are distinctly different from those of yesteryear.
Has Obama ever sent $20.00 to his brother in Africa? It would double the poor mans income. Where’s hope and change when needed?
Wonder who VDH voted for BO or McCain? Is VDH a Liberal that has been mugged?
As usual, you have said it all. I can add nothing. I am frustated but have decided that nothing can be done other than prepare our families for some rough times ahead. We can tea party, send messages to congress, vote them out but in reality little can be done as too many of our fellow citizens seem to want this “change”.
What was it Joe Bidden said ?,six months …Terrible to think an old windbag like Joe could be unintentionally prescient.It’s interesting to note that after two rubbish candidates (Gore,Kerry)the Democrats win with an”American Idol” karaoke candidate!. May his teleprompter never fail !.
Foreign policy disaster? You bet, it’s unavoidable. As this sophomoric school boy fumbles around in the dark, blatantly kissing up to depots and regimes of terror, the real work of keeping our country safe is not happening. Potus thinks we can be safe merely by re-playing the same card agaian and again, America is bad, and we promise not to be anymore. From now on we will let foreign governments decide what our foreign policy should be, thus producing world love for the USA, and of course, captain Barry-ego,. This man does not deserve to be called president, much less represent our country in any capacity.
Obama is an embarrassment to the office that he holds. He continues to blame President Bush for anything and everything. How long will the Republicans and the msm allow him to get away with that deceptive tactic. He bows to Muslim Kings and attacks his own country for being mean and arrogant or something, whatever. I’ve stopped listening to him because it’s always the same;America bad, something else..blah blah..good. I suppose when the first reports of a mushroom cloud over an American city come in Obambi will be the first one on tv or radio to blame President Bush for the attack and second to blame America for the attack while at the same time being “cool” and “suave”. What a joke.
Obama has made a speech, declared victory over the hearts and minds of Europe and now goes to Turkey to again work that old magic!
He is going to think they are all behind him and yell ‘charge” when attacking the Taliban and Al quaeda and find out that no one will be behind him…except, of course, the fabulous, courageous US military.
I grew up in small town America where the Memorial day parade was one of our biggest highlights with cookouts in every neighborhood. Houses that never locked their doors, two parent families and Bonanza in color. We have lost our way but the one thing I see happening is that we are slowly going back to understanding those moralities. Of course, we have to battle Obama and his merry band of scialists for the war of ideas. Too many of our people now look to others for their security. Our schools have not taught us to think for ourselves, to see wolves in sheeps clothing. We are relearning it on our own, with a high tuition(taxes) to pay at that!
Emperor Obama has no clothes, and neither do the idiots in congress. America has been great because we were good. Let’s go back to that.
No more something for nothing. We wouldn’t teach our kids that.
No more turning our heads about abortion. It’s plain wrong and I’ll bet 80% of our country, men and women, believe that.
Don’t spend more than we make. Our household made that mistake and all extras are on hold until we are back in a safe financial place. Why can’t our country do that?
i’m no foreign policy expert, but i do remember the words of an iraqi student:”among nations there are no friends or enemies, just interests.” love us or hate us, other countries will always do what is in their best interest.
To the ‘progressive’ mind, America is ‘arrogant’ whenever it does what Europe doesn’t want it to do, or in any way acts in its own interests. This is simply Leftist language abuse.
Euros and Commies love Obama because weak American presidents are easier to roll (See: Carter, Jimmy). This time around though, they won’t openly challenge or humiliate him — they don’t want to have to deal with another Reagan. He’s much more useful to them the longer he stays in office and the suckers back home think the world’s in love with him — suckers who think it’s much more imortant to be well-liked than to do the right thing; generations of school children who’ve been taught that morality emerges from a UN subcommittee consensus or communique.
So despite the passports they waive as demonstrations of ‘global citizen’ bona fides, Obama and his naive supporters are marks being played for suckers.
Elect a celebrity and expect to hear nonsense. That is all I hear from BHO and the rest of his manic Obamaniacs
I’m incensed at Obama’s apology for past US diplomacy. His contempt for his own country and his immature, dangerous approach to international diplomacy are not just embarrassing, but frightening. One has the sense that our narcissist-in-chief’s primary motivation, both domestically and internationally, is his pathological desire to be liked. To sacrifice our national security and that of our allies (whether they realize it or not) on the altar of his own boundless ego redefines arrogance. The tragedy is that such pious, selfish arrogance may very well cost the lives of those he has sworn to protect.
I also was astonished by his statement about his admiration for what the queen stands for. She is many good things–gracious, elegant, decent, and honorable, but she fundamentally “stands for” the monarchy. Seems to me we had some issues with that a couple of hundred years ago. Maybe he should just apologize for the revolution and be done with it.
CHICAGO ON THE POTOMAC
Thugs in the White House.
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2009/04/white-house-chicago-east.html
32. Cathleen,
“Dear Leader” would love to be “KING” so it goes without saying that he admires a monarch.
Philosopher/Organizer or President? Let’s see….Firing CEO’s, taking over banks, threatening businesses with takeovers, doling out money with no regard to recession, disrespecting the US in Europe, bowing to the Saudi’s, wanting to unionize all American business, opening the borders, bringing the terrorists to American soil, ending the Cuban embargo, erasing contracts, creating class warfare….
…sounds like a Dictator to me.
Speeches alone are not leadership. President Obama cannot work the daily EXECUTIVE office of the President since he has no such past experience; therefore, he must campaign & only campaign for this is all he knows: run for office & campaign. Eventually, the non-stop campaigning will get old real quick. The same applies for blaming President Bush for everything bad.
Eventually, Obama will meet entrenched opposition from his own party & they will team-up with the Republicans leaving Obama, Pelosi & Reid naked. Why? 2010 is around the corner. President Obama is willing to let the Congressional Democrats twist in the wind to make the USA into Cuba-lite. I don’t think we will allow this to happen.
Obama’s arrogance may lead to his own impeachment.
I fully expect Obama to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 (just in time for his re-election campaign. Here’s why..
1) Showed restraint when N. Korea fired a missle over Japan.
2) Established a Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital.
3) Showed restraint after Iran nuked Tel Aviv.
4) Showed restraint when Russian troops occupied the eastern half of the Ukraine and Crimea.
5) Showed restraint when China attacked Taiwan.
6) Showed restraint after a new Leftist government backed by Venezuala and Cuba closed the Panama Canal to US warships.
7) showed restraint after several Mexican “militias” raid US border towns.
What a man. What a great humanitarian.
El hefe (#2) Howard Roarke is the subject of Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead”. He was another victim of government. Not as well known as “Atlas Shrugged”, but also a must read.
r.ponce,
i’m no foreign policy expert, but i do remember the words of an iraqi student:”among nations there are no friends or enemies, just interests.” love us or hate us, other countries will always do what is in their best interest.
Just so, and this is as it should be. Military and political alliances exist because they’re in each member’s best interest, not because of the selfless brotherly love of true friendship. I have nothing against brotherly love–as Good Friday approaches, we Christians ponder the unfathmoable depths of such love and our own call to the same. However, this is not the business of international alliances. Asking OTHERS to lay down THEIR lives–either directly by sending them in harm’s way, or indirectly by compromising their safety when it is not in service to their own protection–isn’t brotherly love at all. It’s the height of selfish arrogance and the direct opposite of selflessness and charity.
“Im more interested in looking forward than looking backward”
“The great events produced in the world over many centuries and digested by solid and active minds, will serve to fortify the reason in all important diliberations”. Louis XVI.
World Community Organizer.
You knew that was coming. :-)
“Hope and change……you gotta hand it to him, he is NOT the genius his followers paint him to be, but he is a master Svengali, the likes of which I have never seen.”
Yes to a point. He could not be what he is without the willing useful idiots in the press.
Again, despite our common culture and long shared history, there is bound to be differences. President Obama should read about poor General Pershing’s frustrations with Foch and Petain, the hatred between Wilson and Clemenceau, the tension between de Gaulle and Roosevelt/Truman
umm yet the differences that O passed under the bus, were/are these different interpretations of ingratitude, weither one is living on one side or the other side of the pond.
There isn’t one day that someone doesn’t recall me how we should rever America for having freed our a** in 2 WW. But none of them can recall that it took a century and a half to America to repay to France for her help in the War of Independance, that Mr the venerable Washington put France under the bus and abrogate the alliance treaty, when Louis XVI need badly his support and some of tresories back.
Also, Wilson’s ingerence in WW1, was more motivated by the desir of America to take part in the new geopolitical cuttting arftermaths.
the tensions between de Gaulle and Roosvelt came from the fact that Roosvelt didn’t want to acknoledge de Gaulle as the representant of “France libre” expatriated government.
that Sarkozy is preening about his transnational financial czar; that Merkel wasn’t joking when she boasted that she won’t stimulate a penny;
umm Sarko is the media voice, Angela is the economical ant, but they fronted on the same agendas, though even if some of them are illusions.
But in comercial discussions, you have to push the button a bit further, to get what you want, and Sarko has an experience of a businesses advocate, so he knows how to play the dices.
At first I thought Obama must suffer from cognitive dissonance; the psychological phenomena of stress and confusion caused when reality does not reflect what one carries around in one’s head. Of course, you have to be able to make some fundamental distinctions in order to suffer from cognitive dissonance–like recognizing the difference between reality and fantasy. So when Obama says he fulfills a campaign promise with a straight face–the end of K street revolving door lobbyists gaining official government employment–while waiving the history of lobbying priors for new administrative staff, I think we can safely say it’s fantasy as usual. He does do that a lot. I’ve met many people over the years, Mexicans, Vietnamese, Chinese, etc., but I ‘ve never met Mr. Universal Man and Woman. Maybe they only hang out at Davos?
The president of the democrats has zero gravitas. affirmative action boy has less credibility than brucy baby springsteen. Husein reminds me not of a male rock star, but a female like madonna or britany or paris. POTUS is such an embarasment to the western world. I’m very glad he is not a Republican.
Don’t you love the guy that thinks Howard Rourke was in Atlas Shrugged? Hard to to his penetrating criticism and analysis seriously after he opens with that.
Obama didn’t even have the decency to visit our buried soldiers at Normandy, who gave their lives so he could be President one day. We need serious men and women trying to solve serious problems in Government, not children as what we have in Government now.
#38 William re #2 El hefe:
You are correct, Howard Roarke was the hero in The Fountainhead. He was more of a victim of the culture and the MSM of the time than the government. Indeed, he was ultimately vindicated in court, in an America far more innocent and still clinging to its fundamentals priciples.
The character El hefe describes was Hank Reardon, from Atlas. While ultimately a victim of government, Hank Reardon was the character first victimized by his family, then government (with obvious parallels).
And at least The Fountainhead did become a classic movie (Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal)…
I’ve been waiting decades for Atlas on the screen in some venue…I hope it is very soon…sad to say but Atlas more reflects current reality…Atlas’ book sales are through the roof…but I think a movie or mini-series (hopefully the latter)…would give more widespread and immediate attention to Ayn Rand’s ideas…more need than ever…
VDH (and many others) predicted this outcome many times during the election campaign.
What do you expect when a man with no executive experience, no record of standing up in a conflict, no foreign policy understanding and a political naif with a tin ear and no sense of history except his own takes over?
The only hope is that he will be smart enough to learn something on the job. So far though, he has done nothing to think that will happen.
What else can Obama trade on other than his “Star Power”? We still are hopelessly dependent on the rest of the world for our insatiable thirst for oil. We still are hopelessly dependent on China and the third world to stock the shelves of Walmart with cheap junk made with cheap labor. NAFTA and Ross Perot’s “giant sucking sound” turned into a full employment program for China while we grapple with crime and corruption in Mexico and our own drug addicted citizenry.
Why not leave Afghanistan and the Middle East and let Europe worry about all of it? Let Europe worry about Russia too. Probably because we can’t.
What choices do we have? We either try to get along or go looking for a fight. It wouldn’t seem we are in a very good position to do the later.
Obama walks in. He sees a “new” problem (read Bush’s). And as if he’s trying to resolve a renter group’s anger over bad conditions in a city-owned apartment building, he immediately decides his “cool” can relieve the “tension”.
That’s the man’s style, to a T.
I find it interesting (and disgusting) that Obama did the whole “body language” thing with Bush upon their first meeting at the White House, by placing his hand on Bush’s back, as though directing him. This is a “one-up” gesture, elevating Obama above Bush, who was in reality Obama’s superior. It’s a way of establishing superiority over another, of taking the lead and showing a certain amount if “civil” assertion. In the dog world, it’s the alpha dog baring his teeth and raising his hackles at the beta dog.
And then, in an entirely opposite direction, Obama bows and practically genuflects when greeting the Saudi king. This gesture is one of the beta dog, letting the alpha dog know he’s submitting.
These two gestures are very important indications of the Zero’s character – and intent. You have to ask yourself “Why is he submitting to an Arab king?” A handshake would have put them on equal ground. It would have established their roles as leaders, nullifying one as superior over the other.
Additionally, the Zero didn’t bow to any of the other world leaders.
Then again, none of the other world leaders bowed to him. That must have miffed him a bit. And I’m secretly smiling at that.
The Situation with the Auto companies is most curious. Do the dems fear that GM and Ford are prepared to let their companies fail, ending “unsustainable” contracts w/ unions, only to reorganize outside of the U.S. ?
The dems always go for the twofer: 1) sieze contol of the Auto companies, then hit up the middle class to pay off the unsustainable debt of retirement benefits for retirees. 2) Then force them to build the very product that would have driven them out of business anyway, even without the union retirement overhead in the first place. Something they couldn’t have done without the beneficent, caring, hostile takeover they’re undertaking now; based on the false pretext of saving a company “victimized” by the “worst economy since the great depression” ruse.
Individuals, with their families in tow, have emigrated to America for generations to open small business free of the extortion and protection rackets they left back in old country. 0 does nothing new, its been done in Mexico, Marcos’ Phillipines and other feudal states for centuries.
Companies should be free to escape this cycle and to emigrate out of a once favorable business environment, and away from a now legally sanctioned mafia run out of D. C. that craves P.R. as though it were crack.
They cannot afford to wait for whatever it was tipped the scales in favor of Filipinos and away from Marcos.
“I don’t know what the term is in Austrian…” (Barack Obama at his press conference in Stasbourg, France)
A simple gaffe, or indicative of a profound ignorance of European history? You be the judge.
“Austrian” must be one of those European languages that arrogant Americans are too lazy to learn.
For someone who made his name in Chicago politics, managed to get to the US Senate with a tissue-thin resume, and now elected as President, it is amazing how tone deaf Obama seems to be when it comes to his own short comings.
His inability to feel the growing discomfort with many of his statements and policy positions leads me to believe he’s nothing but a show pony – groomed and managed with utmost care by a loyal army of faithful supporters, but incapable of surviving on his own.
From the odd assortment of gifts he’s chosen to honor other leaders with and his unfortunate desire to blame America for all the worlds ills, it seems to me he needs a new and better informed set of handlers. So far, the group he’s trusted since January 20th, have let him down and made him into a laughingstock for those not blinded by the dazzle of his alleged persona.
So far, he doesn’t seem to understand that winning and then performing the job of President are two entirely separate and distinct issues. He excelled at the former – yet, has so far failed miserably at the latter.
I really think we can overcome Obama’s scary, tele-preacher magnetism if we could only disable his Teleprompter (purposely capitalized as it has taken on a life of it’s own and should have a proper “name”). I’ve noticed that when speaking without one he spends most of the time saying um, er, uh, oh, hm, mm, duh, doh, etc., etc. It would be hard to dismantle the Constitution using only 2 letter filler words right? Er, um, du, uh, …..
Absolutely no one who was able to read or hear anything during the runup to the 2008 election should be surprised at obama’s desire to “community organize” the world.
It is all he knows.
He is playing a role. Except for being a community agitator, he has never done anything except play a role.
The only difference is, now he’s playing a role (for which he hardly knows the lines) on a very big stage, funded by the American taxpayer.
And apparently our brainless congressmen and women are either too stupid, too sold-out or too intimidated to do anything about it.
He’s a destructive and ignorant and arrogant man–with a lot of power. Welcome to our new world.
He’s nothing but an over paid, dumb boy in a mans suit.
President Obama inherited a solo fight with the Taliban, massive federal deficits and debt, failed policies on Iran and North Korea, the neanderthal war, past terrible policies and unrestrained carbon emissions.
Obama’s ‘organizing of the world’ has not yet begun – this trip was simply laying the groundwork and feeling out his fellow leaders to see who is ready to tackle the problems facing the world.
Now Obama has more of the information he needs to formulate a unified strategy to conclude our row with the Taliban, rein in federal deficits, reduce the threat from rogue states, end the neanderthal war and move forward to address climate change and the rule of law. He will be able to lead the world by example and motivation, a nice change from the bravado and hypocrisy of the last administration. This is the change that we need.
Peace.
DS
What I find especially troubling is the kool-aid crowd still clinging to their ‘joke’ of a president who is clearly a nut-job. I worry when people will ‘cover’ for someone at any cost…including our freedom.
Sound familiar?
#’s 54 TLM, #54 A.W. Murphy, #57 Meryl
Excellent points all. I wish we were all wrong and this was nothing more than a nightmare we could all wake up from.
Its a nightmare we keep waking up to
essential vdh
It makes little difference what slights or screw ups BHO makes we are dealing with a done deal– he is president of the US.
Unless something can be found to impeach him he is there for 4 more years.
I would suggest that everyone get their congressional reps. on the line, Dem or Repub. and promise that if they don’t start turning this socialist train around they will not be reelected. Unless they are part of the solution they should be considered unelectable.
Tea parties are nice but the only thing the idiots understand is a straw pole taken that shows they will not be reelected if they continue to support BHO.
If they do get reelected then in means that America’s downward curve will continue until we crash and burn and start over again.
The existing republicans in congress are not worth spit. They have been part of the problem.
Real conservatives are going to have to step forward across the country. It is tough for a conservative to run for politics.
He/she typically will be someone working very hard at making a living and getting “ahead” if that is going to be possible under the current idiot regime.
I for one am not going to continue to “listen” to all of these woes. They only have one cause. Fixing the cause will be the only solution.
All else is self gratification. A spinning of the wheels creating a dust up that soon settles down with no real movement.
I believe President Obama’s so-called charisma is yet another illusion constructed by the MSM; from what I have heard–with & without Obama’s precious teleprompters–the man has zero charisma & quite a bore. I would rather watch a cockroach paint a room than hear Obama speak. BTW, I hate cockroaches.
The “how do they say it in Austrian” ranks up there with the diagnosis, during the campaign, that a key problem in Afghanistan was that “all the Arabic-speaking translators are tied up in Iraq.” Is this fellow’s core cluelessness linguistic or geographic? Or both?
How can one “look forward” when one knows so little of the past? He doesn’t even know which direction to go.
This pathetic, incompetent, arrogant, ignorant boy, needs to borrow somebody’s shoe and pound his forehead with it.
It looks like too many people, here, have been drinking green tea, eating petit fours, and sneaking off to the rest room to smoke some weed, before they come back to make comments to their favorite (puke) blog.
Does anyone in America have any fortitude anymore?
Christ! What a herd of sheep.
What the hell are you afraid of, people?
Since World War I the “proper” role of the United States has been to provide the brawn for Europe’s brain. We shirked our “duty” to stabilize Europe in the 20s and 30s. But we did our part from lend-lease to the Suez crisis. However for half a century since 1956 we have been acting like the bouncer who thinks he is the manager. (Come to think of it, sort of like Richard Blaine, proprietor of “Rick’s Cafe Americain” in “Casablanca” who, in truth, only operates at the pleasure of the sophisticated Capt. Renault). Although the Europeans have always been upset when the bouncer thinks for himself, they will really go wobbly when he decides it is better to be a philosopher-poet.
David S:
“Now Obama has more of the information he needs…”
Our “genius” president apparently needs more information on the basic political and linguistic makeup of modern Europe. Referring to the language of Austria as “Austrian” is a rather dumb error to make. Sounds like the uneducated guess of some airhead high school sophomore taking a geography quiz. Obama’s minders may want to inform him that German is the national language of Austria, that German is the most common mother tongue spoken in the EU, and that German was, for example, the language spoken by Austrian-born Adolph Hitler (he of Bushitler fame). Maybe that way Obama won’t further embarrass our country while on his crusade to change the world. Oh, and while they’re at it, they should tell him to refrain from berating our kids for being linguistically ignorant, lest he sound hypocritical.
re: Post 59, David S. Astounding. Keep drinking the kool-aid, boy. This guy doesn’t have a clue other than what he’s fed from the teleprompter. He’s a witless, poorly educated liar and dissembler. His claims to transparency belie the lack of transparency consistently represented by his administration. The incredibly clumsy way he’s launched his presidency, his continuing diatribe against our country and classless attacks on our former president demonstrate what a low-life he really is. I’ve been around for more than a few presidents, and I’d bet you a six pack of kool-aid that the negative consequences of the policies and actions of this administration will cause profound, long-lasting if not irreparable damage to this great country.
59. David S writes:
“President Obama inherited a solo fight with the Taliban, massive federal deficits and debt, failed policies on Iran and North Korea, the neanderthal war, past terrible policies and unrestrained carbon emissions..He will be able to lead the world by example and motivation, a nice change from the bravado and hypocrisy of the last administration. This is the change that we need.”
He did not inherit squat that wasn’t made for him by those t*rds in congress led by Democrats Pe-lousy, Dingy Harry, and Barney Frankfurter or ginned up by the Islamic terrorists before/during/after 9-11. Besides, he knew what was going on when he auditioned for the job. In stead of working like an executive he is in full campaign mode flying around the world with a massive staff and 12 (count ‘em, twelve) teleprompters. Man, he must be afraid of having those puppies break down.
Also, so far, he has demonstrated that he and his administration are wholly incapable of dealing with the economic problems we are experiencing and he is incapable of putting a team in place that was not vetted properly. (We’re talking tax scandals, here.) So far, Geithner has been a disaster and Boobus Obammus cannot get people to sign on to the treasury department.
Hypocrisy? Try this on for size.
Oh, and as far as gathering data to “reign in rogue states”, grand job on that bilateral do-nothing pronouncements with the president of South Korea. Yessir, those two were really going to stare down old Pajama Boy when he launched that missile, weren’t they? Last time I looked, he did — appropriately enough — Zero, zip, nada.
Face it, this guy’s a clueless sack who makes feel-good people like yourself..well..feel good. You can rationalize all you want, but we are staring down the barrel of a vicious world populated by folks who would like to take us down — both economically and strategically. He better suck it up and grow a set or we’re all losers.
Oh, and you might check out some of the foreign press as they are getting wise to what a vapid, empty suit and colossal bore this guy really is.
Peace, my ass.
The President lacks just about everything needed for the position to which he has been elected. Nice spunding words will not accomplish anything. Moreover he has allowed himmself to believe the flattery he is receiving without understaning that his flatterers are laughing at his ignorance and naivete. In the meantime he is woefully lacking in fulfilling the oath of office to which he has sworn; i.e., “to support and defend the Constituion of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic.”
67. Cybergeezer
If you don’t know the President’s mentors, you don’t understand his training.
If you don’t understand his training, you don’t understand the direction he’s taking.
If you don’t know the direction, then it is you that is being herded.
Cybergeezer
What are we afraid of? We’re afraid of another Civil War.
Let the little darling prance around another 3 1/2 years. Let’s just vote him out.
‘conclude our row with the Taliban..’
You do realize the Southside of Chicago, specifically Obama’s district, had more homicides than American forces killed in Iraq last year, right? Oh wait, the ‘Neanderthal War’.
Teleprompter guy was unable to tame the reins of a CNN reporter asking a difficult question! His 1st response is to give him dagger eyes. What a putz..
The Taliban will NEVER make peace with the West. Are history books not available in your area?
‘rein in federal deficits..’
That is the most ridiculous statement of this piece’s comments. Again, do you not see what this sociopath is doing with ‘reining in the deficit’?
‘unrestrained carbon emissions…’
David S – WTH are you talking about?
Have you researched the quality of fuel improving through the years/decades?
You speak as if we mere beings are Gods and able to dictate, control the weather!
Indulge and touch on the ‘reining’ in of carbon emissions ’tilting’ the scales? Don’t copy and paste others take, but a little detail how the atmosphere, teleprompter guy plans to part the evil carbons and the end result.
Ignorant group-think for the aforementioned is truly dangerous.
I believe I see another customer ordering a caramel macchiato – back to the ‘salt mine’ with you.
The result of earning a degree in sociology.. oy!
# 37–Pops,
Maybe Obama will get 2 Nobels in one year. He just won the British Books Award for biography for Dreams of My Father.
OBAMA IS A POLL DRIVEN FOLLOWER:
LEADING BY POLL IS NOT LEADERSHIP
Great Presidents are often not popular while in office.
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2009/04/lincoln-did-not-lead-by-polling.html
Neither philosopher,nor president;merely a gotten up marxoid thug hired to enforce the agenda of the left wing plutocracy and Hollywood.He really wants to become the US’own Hugo Chavez,sans cojones,but with a teleprompter to compensate for his inferior mental skills.We need to smash this creep, and smash his puppet masters.
Knee@46
You are snarky and pompous! He mis-remembered Howard Roarke for Hank Reardon. So? Similar names for the hero protagonists in two different novels about gov’t repression by the same author. His point was made for anyone who’s read Atlas Shrugged; or hasn’t.
#59Davis S: Obama organizing the world;how naively stupid can you get?Do you really think that Putin, the Chinese, and even the Euros have any respect for this clown?Let alone participate in his crackpot one wold -marxoid cretinism?OBAMA IS THE PRINCESS DIANA of modern American presidents:a well-dressed void:mental and otherwise. This is what comes from indulging in an exclusive diet of Obama-lickspittle propaganda,served up by our intellectually corruppt”mainstream”media.
Howard Roark’s defense in the Fountainhead should be required reading for every Freshman in every university and collage.
Thanks Dr. Hanson, and I always like to read you.
I know without a doubt that everything that happens is meant to happen, because it is written.
He says he is Christian, but he has the name of Jesus vetted out of his public prayers. This is so peculiar to me since a Muslim would do that, not a Christian.
He has turned his back on Jesus for what reason? Did he do it for fame? Did he do it for the Muslims?
Who knows the truth, but I know everything that happens is written, and it is meant to happen.
I *think* a leader will come along some day that will be far worse, and it seems he could be setting the stage for pure evil.
To prevent long term damage to his character, Obama must raise the expectations of his administration every time he apologizes for or criticizes ‘errors’ of previous administrations. By simply berating the other’s policies, Obama is displaying his narcisism.
Obama hopes out loud that he can arbitrate any difference of opinion. This requires a belief that anyone is capable of change. He will eventually have to apply this logic to himself, but that would seem to be difficult for a narcisist.
VDH:
Allow me to paraphrase what The Fellow Who Claims To Have Been Born in Hawaii, as our elected Chief Executive speaking on our behalf, said to the Euros at G-20 in a more…”down-home and folksy” way:
“Thank you suhs, fo’ lettin’ me wash ‘n’ wax yo’ bee-yoo-tee-full Mercedes aw-toe-mo-beels!
I sho’ be sorry I’se tooks so long t’git the job done.
Me and my kind’s is always been a l’il …leisurely.”
Hear that, my lazy and shiftless fellow ‘Merkins?
73. Ron Kean:
My God, you are so adept with the pen; Touche! En garde; Take that!
Coming back for more?
Mr. Hanson, I never miss a column and have to admit, cut and paste for my children and their futures, in a notepad journal I started when it was apparent our Country was embarking on this interesting journey. Your words will continue on in my family, thank you Sir. A former resident of the Fresno area and frequent visitor, what a joy it would be to run into you.
And 14. Robert Winkler Burke
Eloquent and echoes my sentiments almost completely. Well said.
Lastly, I saw Teleprompter guy arrive in Iraq. Rather than return the salute to the General welcoming him he shook his hand instead.
The guy is truly a disservice to any man, woman who wore, wears a uniform.
Respect’s a 2 way street, ‘Sir Teleprompter’. (He has been knighted by now right?)
@69. TLM:
Or a joke that fell flat.
@70. Slippery Foot:
You claim the President has launched his presidency in a clumsy way, while in fact he has had few serious mis-steps as he puts his agenda into motion. His diatribe against his predecessor provides the foil for his criticism of other governments – and is entirely in sympathy with the people of this country and all others, who recognize the disaster that Bush was for the world.
I expect that your idea of profound, long-lasting damage to our great country might be different from mine. I think Obama is the one doing his best to prevent damage to the USA – and he has my support.
@71. Войска ПВО:
I guess if the GOP are “Islamic terrorists”, and you ignore the fact that the GOP held congress for 6 years, that sounds reasonable.
I’m glad that our President is taking action to unite world leaders and prevent economic deterioration from being overly severe. Much better than the previous occupant who would rather be on vacation. The superficial focus on teleprompters is revealing – Reagan and Bush were big fans of the ‘prompter too.
Freefall in prices and markets seems to have abated. Employment is likely to lag a few months, but should recover over the next two years. How exactly has he demonstrated an incapacity for action? I see his recovery bill passed, and action is being taken to get industry moving again. I don’t see “failure” here.
We’ve been looking at the same vicious world since the founding of the nation. The difference is that we’ve just gone way out of our way to inflame some of the folks who would like to take us down, and made ourselves a more attractive target than ever. Obama understands the economic and strategic threats that we face, and his programs address the primary drivers that give these threats leverage. He’s already sucked it up, and is carrying the USA forward. The world respects Obama in a way that Bush never could have been.
Indeed.
Peace.
DS
More green tea and petit fours with cannabis for the masses, please.
Reality is for those whom can’t handle drugs.
69TLMY DAVID THE STALINIST: OBAMA’s Austrian-language gaffe a joke?You mean like your posts,or the Obama presisidency? Your attempts to deny reality are truly corrupt!Keep trying though,Scum like you increase and justify hatred for lying ,totalitarians providing energy for the conservative reistance.
Didn’t we come over here to escape excess taxes? I know we need some taxes but they are WAY out of hand.
As Glenn Beck stated about the forming of our bill of Rights: Ben Franklin was asked as he got up from his chair and walked out, “Mr. Franklin, Do we have an Anarchy, or a Republic”? he replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it”!
Read Dr Chas. Krouthammers latest report on what he sees is in store for America, with Mr Obama at the helm..
Please Mr Obama, don’t apologize for us to the rest of the world, stand up for us, at least ’til 2012 when you won’t have to any more!