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Intellect

By John Batchelor on December 3, 2009 at 10:30 AM in Current Affairs

Afghanistan the Argument.

Victor Davis Hanson told me Tuesday (December 1st) that POTUS remarks about his Afghanistan decision lacked heart, that he spoke from the intellect, that his speech was less than effective.  ”Underwhelmed” is the word that VDH used.

 Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of the Nation, also commented on POTUS tone.  She regarded the last quarter of the speech as the most effective part when he spoke of the missions to accomplish other than Afghanistan.

She regarded the first three-quarters of the speech, speaking the details of the Afghan decision, as mechanical and not convincing.

Two professional speakers and writers, from widely divergent political positions, both pointing to the lack of heart, energy, committment, or passion in the POTUS words about Afghanistan.

  • Diana L. C.

    Not surprising, coming from a man with no heart.

    • Portia Elizabeth

      Diana — you summed it up succinctly and brilliantly. No heart.

      • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTmLKUT817Y Eldear Jhane

        Spock as commander in chief.

        There’s a reason that Kirk was captain.

        • Silence Dogood

          “Retard” here Eldear Jhane. (you called me that in case you forgot.)

          That’s an insult to Spock. Spock was logical. Obama would not know logic if it was a brick and fell from the sky and hit him in the noggin.

          • felizarte
            That’s an insult to Spock. Spock was logical. Obama would not know logic if it was a brick and fell from the sky and hit him in the noggin.

            Imbuing Obama with high intellect which is not so, is at the root of the problems. Take Jarrett, Axelrod and Emmanuel from behind him and he’ll be bleating baa! baa!

            • Silence Dogood

              Eldear Jhane is wrong in another regard: Spock was a Commander, and second in command; fully trained and qualified to take command if Kirk was disabled or off the ship. And that happened fairly often. And I’m the “retard?” :D

    • Silence Dogood

      Not surprising, coming from a man with no heart.

      Good analogy. I like this one as well: he has a very troubled spirit!

      • Portia Elizabeth

        If you’re implying he has a soul, I tend to question that.

        And I still have seen no concrete proof of a supposed superior intellect. Every time he’s gone off script we’ve seen prose worthy of the likes of Beavis and Butthead.

        • QueenofHearts

          I agree about the ‘superior intellect.’ No proof. Anywhere.

          Obama acts like the classic grade-grabber to me. Think about how much was made over his nothing ‘accomplishments.’ If Axelrod had had anything to actually work with, we’d have heard about it. If Obama had a great academic record, even a good one, at Occidental, Columbia, or Harvard Law we would surely have seen it plastered across the internet and the airwaves. I think it’s a pretty safe bet that we haven’t because it doesn’t exist, hence the Cone of Silence. Just like the Law Review article every other Harvard Law Review editor publishes – but that’s okay, Obama’s selection as editor was so historic and all.

          To me, the way the true Democratic nominee wiped the intellectual floor with him in the debates should have put an end to the he’s-oh-so-much-smarter-than-any-of-us meme a long time ago. The fact that it still persists despite the mounting evidence to the contrary now that he’s ‘in charge’ is stunning, and indicative of the successful dumbing down of America over the last few decades.

          • Onofre’s arm

            Even IF Obama got superlative grades in college (and that’s a big “IF”), I think there are other reasons why they don’t release the records. I believe it is very possible that Obama registered as a foreign student at one or all of his colleges in order to receive financial aid and preferential admission. It is also very likely that he enhanced his admission chances by heavily focusing on his ethnicity and affirmative action. Until he actually releases his records, it is just as plausible to claim that he was a mediocre student, rather than an exceptional one, and that if he were white, he would never have advanced academically as far as he did. There is no doubt in my mind that his ethnicity was the primary factor in selecting him as President of the Harvard Law Review, because I have no evidence that he earned that position through accomplishments. His post college life is a clear indication that he seemingly has no problems advancing without any notable achievements, and he has done so purely on his ethnicity and connections, and a slick way of presenting his brand.

            He’s not just the first President of his particular ethnicity, he’s also the first to become President because of it.

            • FLDemFem

              This is why I want to see his records..

              I believe it is very possible that Obama registered as a foreign student at one or all of his colleges in order to receive financial aid and preferential admission.

              If he did that, then he had to sign an affidavit to the effect that he was NOT an American citizen. So he either committed perjury, fraud and grand theft by applying for and accepting the expensive scholarships, or he isn’t an American citizen. I personally think he is an American citizen by virtue of being born in Hawaii, and even if he wasn’t, by virtue of his American mother. I also think that he concealed his school records so the voters wouldn’t find out that their “hope and change” candidate was a felon.

  • Docelder

    Yep, he had to do something he didn’t want to do. Part of the job he inherited spent two years campaigning for and a billion in advertising for. It’s not all Air Force One and Nobel Prizes, no matter how much he wants it to be.

    • Onofre’s arm

      For Obama, the job is an endless procession of tedious and irritating jobs and responsibilities, and it seems as though he has spent the greater measure of his efforts avoiding those odious chores. When he lamely listed all of his efforts to show his phony concern for our troops, from visiting bereaved families and signing letters of condolence (rubber stamped I’m sure), to photo ops at Dover, I just about puked. The shiftless little fraud has spent far more of his energies sightseeing, giving needless and self serving speeches, vacationing, partying, and playing golf, than he has in dealing with the necessities of his job. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing, because when he actually attempts to address the duties of his office, he’s always a miserable failure.

  • Silence Dogood

    Good ol’ Koolaid Kat! I bet she feels sold out, but will never admit she put the cup to her mouth and guzzled. I have zero respect for her integrity. She sold out the actual “nation” for sure as opposed to that toilet paper rag “The Nation.” “The Nation of Idjits” is more like it.

    Yeah, I do get the author’s point: Baby Opampers speech sucked. Big surprise. He’s probably on tranq’s for all the stress and never means what he says anyway. The dude’s real inner-self is so twisted he can’t contain it. It shows outwardly.

    Can I order a DVD of this latest historic speech? Oh what a buffoon.

    • http://! stodgie

      silence dogood, you do have a way with words. smile

      • Silence Dogood

        :D

  • I’m a Linda too

    Intellect = Hustler

    Across Europe they are saying the same thing.

    • Silence Dogood

      Didn’t take Europe long to turn on his historic affirmative action experiment disaster ass! :D

      • babawankenobe
        • Silence Dogood

          Thanks! This is a snippet from your link:

          Obama’s Magic No Longer Works

          But in this case, the public was more disturbed than entertained. Indeed, one could see the phenomenon in a number of places in recent weeks: Obama’s magic no longer works. The allure of his words has grown weaker.

          What magic? It was always just sugar coated dogshit. Plenty of us saw this many moons ago.

    • Docelder

      In street talk it’s “player”. He is a lot like the twenty something guys with six kids with six different girlfriends. He knows just what to say before he sticks it in. Yep, a “player”.

      • I’m a Linda too

        Sorry, yes, I gues you’re right, I just don’t think him as that gifted. He does on the job training. But, I actually use that name, one a fellow Chicagoan reporter used in a reply to me, and I guessed they knew best his Chicago way.

        The exact quote this person said was,
        “Yes, Obama is a cynic and a liar. Having spent about an hour alone with the man, I also think he’s very shallow, a rank hustler.”

  • babawankenobe

    All he had to say is; “We will prosecute this battle until complete VICTORY!” But nooooooo! Victory is one of the forbidden words in the Presidents vocabulary along with “Never forget” and the word “Terrorism” when referring to acts committed by Islamic extremists. All verboten. Obama; “We will bring this war to a successful conclusion.” WTF does THAT mean??

    • Silence Dogood

      “successful conclusion” is lawyer-speak for bupkis.

      He can spin it later to mean anything he wants, to fit the actual outcome or continued stalemate condition if there is no meaningful outcome.

      This is a variation of the noncommittal “present” habit of his. :D

    • NomNomNom

      successful conclusion = all the money that can be made from a war has been made

      • lark

        I agree

  • Sassy

    I remember all the “chatter” when President Bush’s back showed a square object during a debate with Gore. He supposedly was being fed the correct answers.
    In this instance, maybe TOTUS was “feeling blue periodically”!

  • justme_kc

    what does “victory” in afghanistan mean?

    • Silence Dogood

      Don’t you mean “successful conclusion?” ;)

      Victory is too “military sounding,” especially for an audience of cadets. /snark

      • justme_kc

        no, I’m asking what would a “victory” be? democracy?

        • Silence Dogood

          You missed the comments up thread: Obama was afraid to say “victory” and substituted “successful conclusion.” :D

          • Onofre’s arm

            Don’t you recall that Obama claimed that he didn’t like the word “Victory” because it reminded him of Emperor Hirohito coming down from Mt. Fuji to sign the surrender documents? Of course, none of that actually happened, and his statement reminded me of Bluto’s “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?” remark in “Animal House”. It’s fascinating to witness the history scrubbing and political correctness of our new administration in their transparent efforts to morph our language into “Newspeak”.

            • Silence Dogood

              Speaking of PC: “African-American” is a denigrating term designed to compartmentalize people into groups so their pockets can be picked and brains !@#$ed. Screw that PC felgercarb! And the right wing has its own share of terms used for profit and power over others.

              Wolves / sheep’s clothing axiom apples.

  • Sassy

    The bottom line for me is that Gen. McChrystal asked for more troops.
    The debate now is not how we got there, but that this was an SOS from those who are committed to this mission.
    Our troops need rest and re-enforcements, and the President has a duty to fulfill.
    Bring them home tommorrow, or supply their needs!

  • lark

    I don’t mind that the speech had his customary intellectual undertone. And I don’t mind a few other things like his undermining of the Constitution by liking it to a parchment – although it is a concern. And by now I guess we can expect all those omissions of ‘victory’ and absence of specifics.

    But I do care about his introduction of ‘Pakistan’ in tandem with Afghanistan. Which means to me that he is hiding something and I believe Obama will spill this war into Pakistan and create a serious conflict in the region with Russia and China taking sides with Pakistan.

    I believe if the war spills into Pakistan, NATO will back off completely and we will be left alone to our own fate there.

    • andrew

      The war is already in Pakistan, being fought there by Pakistan. Our presence in Afghanistan is part of the effort. Afghanistan is only relevant to the United States in relationship to that. We’re guarding the back door.

      • andrew

        Let’s put it another way: Pakistani government forces are going to be the hammer in Pakistan. US forces across the border in Afghanistan are going to be the anvil. The enemy is between.

        It’s a simple and potentially highly effective strategy, once you see it for what it is.

    • Docelder

      Yes Lark, it is disingenuous to say we are beefing up troops in Afghanistan knowing good and well we will be driving the fight into Pakistan… knowing we will then likely have to take control of their nukes… knowing they and India aren’t stable. Knowing Russia, China and NATO are going to be unsettled by what “happens”. If we can be so naive to say that things will just “happen”. I don’t believe in serendipity.. not anymore.

  • andrew

    When did decision making that relies more on intellectual analysis and less on emotional response become a bad thing?

    Have we really become a nation of people who suspect they’re being tricked whenever confronted by a reasoned, carefully spoken argument, instead of patriotic slogans and flag waving?

    Bush II led us into a second invasion of Iraq by repeating simple, non-factual assertions, by stirring up primal emotions, and by waving the flag and pointing. Rational discussion about the actual facts, the long-term costs, and how any of it directly related to the very real problem before us went unheeded. Suggesting that the whole Iraq endeavor made little real sense was characterized as a lack of patriotism, or worse.

    Are those the sort of speeches and is that the sort of leadership we prefer?

    Obama told us why Afghanistan matters. Is he wrong? Don’t we see that the people who previously attacked us are making a play for the control of nuclear weapons? And what about his mention of economic realities in the same speech? With a trillion dollars previously spent on a misguided approach to a danger still unresolved, and with the country struggling with mounting debt and deep recession, are those realities not something we should be thinking about?

    • Silence Dogood

      Your “Bush bad, Obama good” spin and dance routine is very entertaining, if not comical. The sooner you realize they are both two sides of the same tarnished coin, you will begin to get a clue. I used to be like you, a partisan ideologue. Never again. I grew up.

      • andrew

        I think the partisan view is far too simplistic, whichever side of it one takes. You only see a partisan ideologue. What I am is a pragmatist, ideologically conservative on some issues and progressive on others. To me, blanket condemnation suggests rigidity of thinking.

        • Silence Dogood

          You can’t build utopia with wood from the devil’s lumberyard!

          When you grow up you will understand.

          • andrew

            I’m old enough to have clear memories of President Eisenhower and to have seen one long-past war up close and personal. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that nothing is simple.

            • Silence Dogood

              Age does bot necessarily equate to wisdom, as proven by your presence here.

              • andrew

                I don’t believe a continuing presence here necessarily equates with stupidity, but I suppose opinions vary.

                • Silence Dogood

                  You forgot fruitless, pointless, spinning your wheels, etc. :D

              • momule

                ‘nothing is simple’ – Exactly. Which is why, if Pakistan and its present government are the hammer, I would expect less smashing victory and more smashed thumbs on the anvil side.

  • DBB

    Ah yes, Victor Davis Hanson, the Thucydides or is it Socrates?, of Cal State Fresno now retired from that august university so he can devote himself fulltime to the wingnut welfare gravy train of NRO, the Hoover Institute and all the others. VDH’s pet thesis is that we, the US, are to Iraq and Afghanistan what ancient Athens was to Syracuse and Sparta during the Peloponnesian War and we should feel real good about that because that puts us in company with Plato, Aristophanes, Sophocles, Euripides, Demosthenes and all the rest. What he doesn’t mention is that in the view of every historian and, really, any layman who reads an encyclopedia account is that this 30 year war utterly destroyed ancient Athens which is to say everything we admire about classical Greece. And looking across the Aegean Sea in Asia Minor where they had already conquered all Greek outposts and cackling with delight was ancient Persia, the forerunners of modern day Iraq. Hanson’s “A War Like No Other,” his retelling of Thucydides great history of the war was likened by one critic to Penny Marshall remaking the movie Raging Bull.

    Hanson is also in his fanatical support of the Iraq War a lifelong civilian USDA certified chickenhawk who declined to serve in the late stages of Vietnam and has two adult children who will not be deploying to Helmand and Kandahar Province anytime soon. When called out by critics who point out that he spent 4 years in cool pine scented UC Santa Cruz, quite a radical experimental school in the early 70’s instead of say, the Mekong Delta, Hanson insists he took no 2S student deferment and would have sprinted to the induction center if called up. He doesn’t mention that he drew a draft lottery number of 346 out of 365 guaranteeing he would never be called up.

    Finally, who do you suppose Hanson was referring to by this: “And as a narcissist and egomaniac, he inevitably talks ad nauseam about himself. He is a distraction since he is prone both to untruth … and hyperbole … Mark my words: …. he will say something inaccurate, self-serving, or gratuitously mean.”? Obama? Sorry, it was our 42nd President. I’m sure you Pumas will also delight in his comparison of Hillary to Alabama Governor George Wallace’s wife Lurleen who he installed when he was term limited out in the ‘60’s

  • elizabethrc

    It’s a mistake to get hung up on intellect. A wise old man, some thirty years ago told me that intellect alone means nothing. He cited the fact that the lowest IQ on Hitler’s cabinet was around 140, and he said that there was no heart, no empathy, no compassion, no understanding, no allowance for the mistakes humans make. He said that without the combination, you have an individual who is capable of great harm.
    So right he was!

    • Silence Dogood

      That’s one way of putting it. I tend to think there are different kinds of intellect. The things we attribute to the heart for example: love, compassion, understanding, kindness — just another form of intellect, since the heart is just a muscle.