Comments on: Obama’s Dangerous Rhetoric on Islam and America

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:21:10 +0000

The conflation of events in the Islamic world may make for a particularly inflamatory flashpoint or lightning rod, but the region itself is hardly unique in being a recipient of presidential gift-giving. Obama will bow and scrape and acquiese and appease to satisfy his longing for approval and approbation.

We learned in a bad way this week that he won’t stand up to bullies in any guise where strong leadership is required, whether it be a critical incident with North Korea, nuclear with Iran, or financial with the bailout companies.

As Krauthammer put it so inimitably in the column this morning:

Our president came bearing a basketful of mea culpas. With varying degrees of directness or obliqueness, Obama indicted his own people for arrogance, for dismissiveness and derisiveness, for genocide, for torture, for Hiroshima, for Guantanamo and for insufficient respect for the Muslim world.

And what did he get for this obsessive denigration of his own country? He wanted more NATO combat troops in Afghanistan to match the surge of 17,000 Americans. He was rudely rebuffed.

He wanted more stimulus spending from Europe. He got nothing.

From Russia, he got no help on Iran. From China, he got the blocking of any action on North Korea.

And what did he get for Guantanamo? France, pop. 64 million, will take one prisoner. One! (Sadly, he’ll have to leave his bridge partner behind.) The Austrians said they would take none. As Interior Minister Maria Fekter explained with impeccable Germanic logic, if they’re not dangerous, why not just keep them in America?

When Austria is mocking you, you’re having a bad week.

By: pm317

pm317 — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:25:07 +0000

America is a new country compared to others and we haven’t had time to develop a lot of tradition and culture of our own, but what we do have is important to us.

This is an astute observation.

By: Julia

Julia — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:05:25 +0000

In the last years, yes Islam has shaped US. Unfortunately

By: NoBamaNoWay

NoBamaNoWay — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:36:34 +0000

that’s about the size of it.
Sorry… forgot to say great post – can’t wait to read your next one!

By: NoBamaNoWay

NoBamaNoWay — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:07:12 +0000

that’s about the size of it.

By: NoBamaNoWay

NoBamaNoWay — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:44:58 +0000

exactly. that’s why the expression “women’s rights are human rights” came about. a lot of people think that women’s rights “don’t count;” that it’s some kind of trivial, pet issue or something.

the reality is that if any group of men were treated the way that women throughout the world are routinely treated, it would be considered bona fide grounds for war, no questions asked. but when it’s done to women, we’re supposed to “respect their culture.” F that.

By: NoBamaNoWay

NoBamaNoWay — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:29:13 +0000

correct, AX10.

By: I'mFedUp

I'mFedUp — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 08:32:06 +0000

There is absolutely no excuse, nor any reasoning, for Obama’s behavior anymore. None. The only answer is what we always said…he’s not one of us, he hates us, and he can’t wait for our demise. I’ve said it over and over…it’s every goddamned day that there is some indignity heaped on America, thanks to the Stoner in Chief. There has never been any President in our history that actually went out of their frigging way to denigrate this country to our friends and enemies. He doesn’t speak for me, my family, my dead father, etc. with this apologetic nonsense about what idiots Americans are. I’ve had it. The next person who tells me “it’s Bush’s fault” or “give him time” what the hell ever is going to get punched. If someone is to damned ignorant to get the clue that he is our death knell then they deserve a shiner. Enough of this “giving him a chance” or trying to figure out WTF his deranged actions are motivated by. It’s pretty clear now who and what he is. And it’s nothing more or less than we always knew. He can’t get the hell out of the White House soon enough, and take that scumbag Congress with him. Ughhhh…

By: elise

elise — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:29:12 +0000

I re-read your post pm317 and the mistake was mine. A lot of people are afraid right now, including me, because we feel things are changing just as he promised, but what he is doing is not a change from the last eight years in many ways. America is a new country compared to others and we haven’t had time to develop a lot of tradition and culture of our own, but what we do have is important to us. It seems to me those are the things he wants to change, not the corruption or policies. It’s just so strange about the ties he has with Muslim countries it would be too easy to blame the religion and that’s a “distraction”.

By: TeakwoodKite

TeakwoodKite — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:34:34 +0000

Bravo PM317.

Wells said!

By: Lisabona

Lisabona — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:00:41 +0000

OUT of the subject. I’m so curious, how the reverend Wright,the Catholic priest( I forget his name) and the rest of the people with whom he attended more than 20 years in a Christian church reacted, when he said” We, America is not a christian nation”. Did they realized, how Hypocrtit is he?

By: pm317

pm317 — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:37:42 +0000

elise, it took me a while to see why you were disagreeing. OK, that last sentence in my comment reads kind of funny. I only meant he was appeasing them by saying that we are not at war with their religion when the Muslim world is not giving him much in return (for his appeasement).

By: elise

elise — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:47:42 +0000

pm317 this is an excellent post. There are so many unanswered questions about his man and his behavior. In contrast to his complexity GWB was easy to understand. Putting away his politics and partisanship and looking only at what we know about him as a person, we are left with nothing definitive. He is ready to make decisions which oppose his base knowing they will not leave him and he is either following his own agenda or he is driven only by his own demons and ego. Which is it, I wonder? Apparently most of his prior life is an empty book and even now, he is unable or unwilling to openly take a position and, is instead, slippery, always arranging any situation so that he has an escape route. He said he would unite the two parties in a bipartisan spirit, but like Bush, he divides. His books are filled with religious references and at times sound overly pious and self-righteous yet he was not religious the first part of his life and when he chose. the UTCC he was motivated by personal advancement. He has not chosen a new church in DC and I wonder if that is because he can’t decide if it would advance his purpose more if he went to an all Black church, Biracial or predominately White church. Or is it true he is a Muslim? The more time passes the stronger I feel we must learn the truth about him. Our future depends on knowing. Maybe he is nothing more than a Chicago style pol who hides his past out of calculation and ambition or is there something or someone behind him?

By: lorac

lorac — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:00:25 +0000

I’ve found many times, that people subsume women’s treatment under “cultural mores”. So we stood up against apartheid but we don’t do too much about cultures that oppress, violate, and kill women (often for only trying to go to school).

There have been places/times in Africa, where lighter skinned blacks have made darker skinned blacks into slaves or oppressed them. We would never tolerate that, even if it were “part of their usual culture”. But time and again, women are expendable, and we must respect cultural traditions. I think it’s hogwash. Cultural traditions should never supercede women’s rights.

Racism always trumps sexism. Probably *because* of sexism….

By: lorac

lorac — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:43:05 +0000

“Obama is an man-boy with a high IQ and a degree from Harvard. He lacks critical thinking skills, the ability to reason objectively, and an understanding of cause and effect.”

I think the 2nd sentence contradicts the “high IQ” in the first part. Personally, I don’t think he has a high IQ. I agree with your 2nd sentence, and I would add, he has numerous times exhibited poor judgment. And of course, we’ve never seen any school grades.

He’s corrupt enough to cheat, and he can read someone else’s words well – I think he’s no more than a dishonest actor – not someone with a high IQ.