Excellent article by Victor Davis Hanson, as usual, today about the Obama message and how in the world we have arrived at being close to electing a man with “no experience as either an executive or national legislator, replete with ratings and rankings that suggest he will be about the most liberal Presidential candidate since George McGovern.”
There are plenty of reasons, and some fault must be layed upon the feet of the Republicans, but his description of what we can expect from a Obama presidency is dead-on:
At home, there will be an increase in taxes—income, estate, payroll—to fund more government health care, education, and general entitlement programs. The old Reaganesque notion that government subsidies can make one more dependent, angrier, and envious is forgotten, along with the notion that lower taxes stimulate economic growth and encourage risk-taking, innovation, and independence. I worry especially about the lifting of income caps (how far?) on social security taxes inasmuch as they were part of the original covenant justifying the caps on benefits paid out.
NAFTA and other free trade agreements would be repealed; illegal immigration would either not be an issue, or more a problem of finding the right way, with borders still open, to grant amnesties. Appointments would hinge on a belief in bigger government and the theme that the individual is currently suffering due to reactionaries in government and corporations, barely housed, fed, or educated, and deserves more federal dollars appropriated from others who either don’t need all their income or didn’t deserve the compensation they were given.
Abroad, there is a general argument that things are going terribly. Forget that the Taliban and Saddam are gone. Forget that we have not suffered another 9/11 attack. Forget that there is far more democratic promise in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Lebanon than was true in 2001. Forget that the Merkel and Sarkozy governments, along with Eastern European leaders, are more pro-American than their predecessors in 2001.
Instead, we are disliked by everyone, and for good reasons. The fact that Iranian mullahs, the House of Saud cousins, Hugo Chavez’s communists, European mullahs, and the Arab street don’t approve of America says more about us than it does them. The solution is to follow more the dictates of European Union and United Nations, where sophisticated internationalists can guide us through the maze of global power, instructing mostly ignorant Americans how and why we tend to cause so many of the world’s problems. Misunderstanding and our own obtuseness explain global tension, not the agendas of enemies who know exactly what they want and how to get it.
Our military is not so much an offensive force, designed to defeat and kill our enemies, that needs support and constant honing; better to see it as a large social organization that we must look at in terms only of proper rotations, health care, and benefits. We are to support the troops not in the sense of doing everything we can to ensure they win, and gain the proper recognition for their courage and sacrifice, but rather in consideration of their victimhood, offering proper sympathy and remediation for the defeat in Iraq, the unwise use of their skills, and the needless loss of their lives.
I really fear for this country if this man is elected. I was 9 when Jimmy Carter was elected and really have no recollection of that part of history but if this man is put into office those of us too young to remember the late 70’s will have our own vivid history lesson….in real time.
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This whole election has been a progressively worsening nightmare. If it does indeed culminate in Obama’s election, that will be a catstrophe of the type never seen in American history. The country will be led by a man committed to the destruction of the capitalist system. Every grievance, stereotype, and desire of the “social justice” seekers will find a receptive and powerful audience.
Sadly, this country has been flirting with left-wing causes since the sixties. There are many reasons for that, but at the moment they are irrelevant. People en masse don’t seem to be capable of learning the lessons of history learned somewhere else. There is a deathwish to find out what will happen if the left-wing dream becomes a relatiy, and we are likely to find out soon through personal experience why democracies contain the seeds of their own destruction.
Your right Igor! One reason is the take over of our educational systems by the hard left. Generational ignorance ( not being born when most happened) is the main factor that keeps the young on the LEFTEST path, being taught the opposite of reality.
I graduated from college when Jimmuh was in office. No jobs, no hope, dismal. The Jerk wrecked the economy in less than two years. 20%+ interest has a way of putting a damper on all economic activity, and standing in gas lines half a day didn’t leave much time for work. With today’s party hound youth, they may not even notice. Generational ignorance it is, I deal with young people almost daily, and they are well, how should I say it, politely, ah heck, DUMB. Not a clue about science, math, history, the world or life.
I predict if we elect Obama there will be a nuclear exchange between Israel and Iran that will upset a lot of folks.
I had a n experience lately where the subject of global warming came up, the twenty somethings were sure it was happening. When I asked how did they know, no one answered. They didn’t know anything, only the pabulum they were told. Couldn’t analyse the facts, actually had no facts. How about maybe it was that great big sun tan machine in the sky that was causing the heat, and now the cold … Duh.
One on W’s watch was enough, don’t you think?
“There is a deathwish to find out what will happen if the left-wing dream becomes a relatiy,”.
Would word it a little different. I think the American left has had a death wish for America since the Vietnam War. Why else would the American left take an overwhelming defeat for the Viet Cong by the America militarty and turn it into a defeat for America, by nothing but clear Anti American words and deeds? Why are our election choices today from the left lead by a man who wants no defense of America?
Doc Washboard,
9-11 was planned in 1996 and worked on until executed in 2001, 8 months in to the Bush Presidency with Congress not allowing cabinet officials’ confirmations, no transition teams from Clinton to Bush, the Gorillic Wall in place, FBI officials ignoring what their operatives/agents were saying, and the CIA deaf and dumb on where terrorists coming into this country went.
In 1993-2000, we had several major attacks with pathetic responses. Each attack became more gruesome and audacious. Now those attacks have stopped, though “stopped” not because the islamofascists did not try, just that we intercepted them.
Yet your hatred of one man blinds you to this.
I would agree that our foriegn policy is on the right track. Just look at the progress in Africa, for instance no more pictures of starving villagers. Africa isn’t much different than what the U.S. is doing anywhere.
The micro loan concept was invented by a Muslim named Muhammad Yunus from Bangladesh, which has become a major part of the economic aid packages that the U.S. doles out. If the U.S. was so evil, that guy would have been killed off, his concept “stolen” or he would have been discredited.
It was the Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower that warned the U.S. about the dangers of military industrial complex. You can see it in the air force’s budget list where the reason the air force wants twice as many F-22s is because they believe the U.S. may go to war against India (along with China, Iran and Russia). Their new budget requests also include several thousand (over 100,000) rifles and pistols. In the end, the air force’s request is something like $100 billion over Bush’s plan. I’m sure the lobbyists are going to be screaming that if the air force doesn’t get its way that people will be labled doves and preventing the U.S. from being less secure. At some point there has to be the difference between reasonable and unreasonable security demands. I do believe Obama is taking the stick off the table, but that doesn’t man the others will do the same. Al Qaeda isn’t just going to leave, Iran isn’t just going to back down etc. Not only is Obama taking the stick off the table, he is taking the carrots off too. He hates NAFTA and the like treaties.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080224/ap_on_el_pr/obama
Does this mean that Obama is really an isolationist on foreign policy? I believe so. Republicans were isolasionists too. Then the attack on Pearl Harbor and later the Cold War came and reality hit them. I believe isolationism is one of the worst forms of foreign policy and won’t change a thing.
Domestically he isn’t doing much better. He plans to set up a lot of benefits which will just attract a lot of illegal immigration like previous welfare efforts have.
WHACK, WHACK and WHACK! VD Hanson NAILS IT!
So many great paragraphs I’d like to repeat them all just for emphasis. But since Doc alluded to this one above, I’ll repeat it:
Apparently Doc and every other neosocialist has forgotten about the years of appeasement and incompetence that preceded 9/11 and are only too eager to see those mistakes repeated again with perhaps even more devastating consquences.
The next pargraph was choice too… What the hell:
Can anyone point to ONE PROBLEM that the UN has been effective in solving? If they were actually effective, we wouldn’t need to go to all these lengths to form new coalitions of the willing to address problems like Iran or North Korea.
Obama would be another Carter. And as we all know, the Islamist menace we face today was enabled by Carter’s refusal to support the Shah. Just as Obama would undermine our ally Pakistan.
Screw the Obamites! The American people aren’t about to vote for a man just because he has a nice slogan!
“Can anyone point to ONE PROBLEM that the UN has been effective in solving?”
Don’t forget, Sen Obama has some bill he is pushing (I couldn’t find it at http://www.thomas.gov right now) but as I understand it, the bill is designed to take more money away from America and give it to the UN to waste. How that is supposed to help America is a complete left wing mystery.
W. was President when the September 11 attacks happened, and had been for eight months. Nothing changes that fact. It was his watch. Period.
No other major attacks have happened on our shores since that time, but, again, one is enough for any President.
ChrisG wrote
For Doc Washboard.
Yet, you probably wouldn’t want to credit this Administration for that point of fact, would you?
Doc ignores when/why the 911 attacks were set in motion…in December 1998.
http://www.aim.org/aim-report/aim-report-media-reports-connect-saddam-to-9-11-plot-march-a/
Well, we all know WHY he is ignoring it.
Scott ignores when the September 11 attacks took place: eight months into the Bush Administration. And we all know WHY he is ignoring it.
Why is he ignoring it then?
Doc, you’re just propagating the faulty logic that observes that Bush isn’t perfect and therefore we have to chose a Democratic alternative. I do blame Bush for not figuring out that he needed to get rid of every vestige of the Clinton administration with vengeance because these saboteurs continued to endanger the country and wage a shadow war within the government against Bush. I do blame the whole “compassionate conservative” wing of the Republican Party for getting us where we are. But to suggest that the solution is to replace Bush with an America-hating Marxist (yes, Michelle Obama showed us how they REALLY feel because she hasn’t learned to restrain herself like her silver-tongued husband) is patently ridiculous. You don’t fight pneumonia by injecting the patient with rat poison. The cure has to make more sense than the disease.
Doc says: “one [terrorist attack] is enough for any President.
“
So what about a President with MORE than one?
–1993 Feb. 26, New York City: bomb exploded in basement garage of World Trade Center, killing 6 and injuring at least 1,040 others
–1995 Nov. 13, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: car bomb exploded at U.S. military headquarters, killing 5 U.S. military servicemen.
–1996 June 25, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia: truck bomb exploded outside Khobar Towers military complex, killing 19 American servicemen and injuring hundreds of others.
–1998 Aug. 7, Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: truck bombs exploded almost simultaneously near 2 U.S. embassies, killing 224 (213 in Kenya and 11 in Tanzania) and injuring about 4,500.
–2000 Oct. 12, Aden, Yemen: U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole heavily damaged when a small boat loaded with explosives blew up alongside it. 17 sailors killed.
And all during that time you idiotic Democrats were prancing around the world trying to make everyone like us.
And since forgetting seems to be your middle name Doc, perhaps I could help you to recall that President Clinton remained in office another 778 days after receiving the following warning and did NOTHING:
When Obama says he wants “change” what we will get is a return to the days when murderous attacks grew in ferocity leading up to carnage far worse than September 11th.
Wow, you’re right, Mike’s America! Let’s impeach Bill Clinton now!
NO Doc, you just do not get it. Let’s NOT REPEAT the 1990s blindness and stupidity in dealing with islamofascism when it is attacking and killing our people in repeated attacks.
Did you know that today Louis Farakhan praised Obama at the Saviours’ Day event in Chicago? And that he compared him to the founder of the Nation of Islam, Fard Muhammad? Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?
The subject was Obama. Doc attempted to change the subject to Bush, thus inviting a comparison to the Clinton years. And now he’s trying to weasel out of that.
Guess his “A Game” ain’t so good!
D- for Doc and D- for Obama too.
Doc Washboard reminds me of that cousin that comes over at Christmas, drives everyone crazy, cracks stupid jokes, complains about everything, and then he’s gone for another year. The only problem is Doc doesn’t go away, ever.
Pres. Bush did a hell of a job responding to 9/11…can you imagine the anemic response of a Gore Admin?
No worries.
The only reason he’s beating Clinton is because a bunch of Repubicans are crossing over for a day only to vote McCain in November. It’s the biggest hijacking in American political history.
Victor appears to be ignoring the reality of a Republican fifth column operating to subvert the Democratic Party. A Republican stooge like Obama goes up against an actual Republican like McCain–what a lark!
Here is some info about his foreign policy team.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/02/samantha_power_and_obamas_fore_1.html
Samantha Powers:
http://mensnewsdaily.com/2007/08/21/obama-adviser-wants-terrorists-treated-like-regular-criminals/
Yeah, reading the link, she sounds like a lefty. She likes to write about genocides and wrote some award winning opinion piece about a possible civil war in Iraq (which is where the idea of a political solution rather than a military one was required to stop a possible civil war came from).
Zbigniew_Brzezinski:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zbigniew_Brzezinski
Oh the irony when you get to the part about Afganistan and who would want Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy advisors?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301613.html
Robert Malley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Malley
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59930
“d? Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?”
It makes me absolutely ill. I feared for our great nation when I saw that some Americans voted for John Kerry for President, but that Americans are willing to vote for Obama terrifies me.
Okay, then, Obama:
I thought that the current Right-wing memes were that he had no experience and that he had not solid plans–just rhetoric and “Yes, we can!”
If he has no record to run on, and if he has no policy substance, how can you possibly put together a detailed critique of an Obama presidency?
You guys need to get your talking points straight.
Doc: argumentative, and avoids commenting on either the sizzle or the steak.
Which is it Doc, sizzle, steak, and what are your thoughts on them?
Scott: what are your thoughts on the idea that you seem to feel that you know both nothing and everything about Obama? Which is it? Pick a side and then we can talk.
If you know nothing, then you have to stop writing a future history of his potential Administration.
If you know everything, then you have to drop the whole “Obama is an empty suit; he’s a cipher” talking point.
Either you know that he’s going to be bad for the country, or you don’t know that he’s going to be bad for the country, but you can’t, as you seem to wish, have it both ways.
Doc, I’m pretty sure I haven’t said he’d be ‘bad for the country.’
I’m of the empty suit strain, but as a registered Democrat I will be voting for him here in Ohio on 3/4/08.
🙂
Actually,
The more I learn about Obama, the less I would ever support him.
Domestically, his policy proposals are bad for America. His “change” is nothing more that socialism with a motivation speaker in charge.
Internationally, he seems ignorant of history, foreign policy, and the goals of our enemies. His “hope” makes Carter look well versed on foreign policy.
“Can anyone point to ONE PROBLEM that the UN has been effective in solving? ”
Umm, Providing an international platform for America bashing?