Politics
How the West Was Lost by a Selfie President
I’ve been thinking lately about the gasping Obama presidency–last week rocked by the Veterans Administration scandal, and this week by the Bowe Bergdahl affair where the Administration traded an army deserter for the Taliban Dream Team.
This latest debacle comes after:
- The NSA scandal–collecting the data of American citizens and tapping the lines of world leaders
- The IRS scandal–using the most hated government branch to silence conservative organizations
- The AP scandal–the Justice Department tapping reporters phone records
- The Ben Ghazi scandal–where Americans died, Susan Rice lied, and no rescue took place, and
- Fast Furious–where we supplied thousands of guns to crooks and a border agent was killed.
What in the world is going on?
Here’s an insightful article on how the West was lost by a selfie president.
Last week, my wife and and I watched a moving six-hour History Channel series on The Great Wars that featured portraits of the key leaders of the 20th century. The heroes from WWI and WWII—Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, George Patton and Douglas MacArthur–all learned from their mistakes during WWI and courageously led the Western powers to victory over Nazism and Imperial Japan.
The villains of the Great Wars, including Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini and Hideki Tojo, were molded by the horrors of the first world war but applied their lessons toward destruction–not the blessings of liberty and peace.
Thankfully, the world was saved by wise, courageous Western leaders.
(It’s interesting to note that Roosevelt never lived to see the end of WWII, but that he, Mussolini and Hitler all died within one month of each other and Churchill was voted out of office two months later.)
Now we find ourselves in a possibly more dangerous world where Russia is flexing its muscles, Iran is nearing a nuclear bomb, and communist China is the rising power in the Pacific–while our current Western leaders are taking selfies.
The following article appeared after Nelson Mandela’s December 15, 2013 funeral in South Africa. You will remember the famous selfie picture of Barack Obama, David Cameron and the female Danish Prime Minister.
How times have changed since the era of Roosevelt and Churchill! And how desperately we need to pray for and elect courageous leaders who are not enamored by narcissism and corrupted by scandals.
How the West Was Lost By a Selfie President
Michael Goodwin – NY Post columnist
My bookshelves sag with encyclopedic volumes arguing that America and the West are in decline. But proving that a picture is worth a thousand books, the “selfie” seen ’round the world ends the argument.
It’s official — the government of the United States of Obama consists of boobs and bores and is led by a narcissist. It is no consolation that Great Britain joins us in racing to the bottom.
President Obama’s flirting with Denmark’s prime minister would be shameful on any occasion. That it happened at the memorial for Nelson Mandela only adds to the embarrassment.
But the “selfie” episode also symbolizes the greater global calamity of Western decline. With British prime minister David Cameron playing the role of Obama’s giggling wingman, the “look at me” moment confirms we have unserious leaders in a dangerously serious time.
Iran marches toward nuclear weapons and already there is talk in military circles that a nuclear-armed Iran could mean mushroom clouds in the Mideast within five years.
China is flexing its muscles throughout Asia, its ships brazenly confronting ours on the high seas. Russia is expanding its writ in the Arab lands and in Eastern Europe while making casual threats about bombing America. Syria’s Assad uses chemical weapons and Obama and Cameron rattle little sabers before meekly agreeing to become his partner.
The sign-language interpreter wasn’t the only fake at the Mandela funeral. Obama and Cameron were posing as world leaders.
They will never be confused with FDR and Churchill. The fratboys stand in stark contrast to the days when the “special relationship” meant two great leaders uniting two great countries in the fight for freedom. Those leaders understood the consequences if evil prevailed and were committed to victory.
Churchill coined the term “special relationship” during World War II and used it again in his “Iron Curtain Speech” in 1946 that marked the unofficial start of the Cold War. Fearful the West would disarm again, as it did after World War I, he wanted to combat communism by maintaining the “special relationship between the British Commonwealth and Empire and the United States.”
To him it meant our “kindred systems of society” must grow ever closer to provide mutual security and a framework for global peace. That special bond later cemented the Ronald Reagan-Margaret Thatcher partnership that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Try to imagine any of those four embarrassing their nations by acting like indulgent teenagers while civilization hung in the balance. You can’t because they wouldn’t.
Hitler’s greatest mistake was being born too soon. If he were on the march now, would there be will in Washington and London to stop him? Would there be an arsenal of democracy to save mankind from darkness?
In fact, while Obama and Cameron were yukking it up in South Africa, the White House was denouncing bipartisan efforts in Congress to pass more sanctions against Iran. Doing so, it said, would scuttle the feeble interim deal Obama and Cameron accepted. Incredibly, administration arguments echoed Iran’s position.
Try to imagine FDR and Churchill siding with Hitler against their national legislatures. You can’t because they were the antitheses of the appeasers of their times.
World War II proved that the international order collapses when there is no one to support and enforce it. Obama himself has said that, but apparently believes talk is sufficient.
Cameron also talks a good game, but hollowed out the British military to where it is no longer capable of sustained missions.
Words don’t matter to tyrants and genocidal maniacs. They push until they are convinced there will be consequences if they go further.
Our weakness invites their aggression and makes war more likely, not less. That is the perilous state of the world, as the clown kings of the West party on.
Shutdown Over Obamacare: Be Careful Little Eyes What You See
President Obama was a part of two shutdowns that affected me this week.
First, the government shutdown that affected the nation (especially veterans trying to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C.). And second, a letter I received from our insurance company saying that we had been cancelled because of the Affordable Care Act (dubbed Obamacare).
We were told to go to the “exchange” and try to get new insurance.
It crashed.
So I said goodbye to Tony, our family physician and to the company that has provided health care for us for the past ten years.
Both shutdowns involved the Affordable Health Care Act, and if you believe the mainstream press, it is the “anarchist” Republicans who are at fault. Our local newspaper had a four page spread on ACA – and one page of it was “definitions of terms.”
Here are my “definitions” of what is taking place in America right now.
My first advice is what I learned in Kindergarten: Be careful little eyes what you see.
One of the realities of life is that the same people are events can be viewed from totally different points of view, depending on your facts (or lack of them) and your faith.
Here’s an obvious example.
During the time of the Third Reich in the 1930s and 40s. the German people came to believe that they were a superior race, that Hitler was a charismatic and noble leader, and that conquering Europe and the world might be a good thing for all people.
On the other hand, in other European nations, across the English channel, and in America, people viewed the same events and leader in a totally different light. Because of their different view and faith, they did everything in their power to thwart and obstruct the mad German dictator.
So be careful little eyes what you see.
You may have the sight right on the lens of your eye, but your interpretation of what’s happening may be totally different from reality.
That brings us to the partial government shutdown over the Affordable Care Act.
Let me give my take on the sobering and confusing events of this week. I will do it through the lens of my own definitions–some of which, you may disagree with. That’s okay. Just check your facts carefully so that your eye will be filled with light (Matthew 6:22).
IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS IN THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN OVER OBAMACARE
Government Shutdown
A very partial thing. Essential services are open, Social Security checks are being mailed, and most people don’t notice much difference in everyday life. Do we really need all this government?
Republicans
The Grand Old Party goes back to Abraham Lincoln and has mostly stood for the values of Judeo-Christian culture (though very imperfectly) for the past 150 years. Republicans generally believe in limited government, God-given rights, economic freedom, restraints on morality, and a strong national defense to ward off evil in a fallen world.
Today’s R’s are divided. Some believe that secularism is triumphing in America and that they need to become “Democrat-lite” to win elections. Most of these have been in Washington, D.C. for awhile and make up the old guard. They are squishy on some issues and generally avoid confrontation.
There is a new guard of Republicans who believe that we have turned away from God, are in bad straits economically, that the ACA will only exacerbate our demise, and that we need to turn back to the time-tested ways.
The Republicans are the minority party who only control one half of one third of the branches of government (the House of Representatives). Their leader, John Boehner, is a part of the old guard. The R’s are not causing the government shutdown–but you wouldn’t know this by listening to the news.
Democrats
A noble and longest-serving party that found its voice during the administrations of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. Democrats have a greater belief in government and want it to grow to take care of the needs of the people. They believe in centralized control, restraints on capitalism, complete freedom in morality, and have a general dislike of the military and its role in the world.
For many years, the core values of the Republicans and Democrats were fairly similar. In the 20th century, the party swung more into the secular progressive vision of a large welfare state, a one-world government (think United Nations), and rejection of the Judeo Christian past.
Democrats control the US Senate, the White House, and probably–slightly–the Supreme Court as evidenced by Chief Justice John Robert’s decision to approve the individual mandate found in Obamacare. They are backed up by a very liberal academic world at many universities and liberal stars in Hollywood.
The Mainstream Media
Once an independent voice to keep the government in check, the current mainstream media has simply become the media arm of the Democratic Party. They share the secular progressive vision for social democracy in the United States and the ascendancy of the United Nations (think climate control).
Let’s be clear about the major players: (you need to watch for their by-lines to be aware of the bias you’re getting). The New York and LA Times, the Washington Post, the Associated Press, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and MSNBC. Others include the Politico, the Huffington Post, and MoveOn.org.
This vast media empire is currently blaming the Republicans for the government shutdown. Our local newspaper (which is very liberal) came out with this headline on Tuesday: “Republicans Shut Down the Government.” There was a large and unflattering photo of John Boehner, and a smaller and thoughtful photograph of President Obama.
The message was clear: R’s are bad and the president is doing his best to help the situation.
Compromise or Bi-Partisanship
This used to mean that when the two parties come to the middle to produce law that the entire country can live with.
Today, compromise means that the Republicans give in to the desires of the Democrats.
What just happened over the past two weeks of negotiating the Continuing Resolution and ACA? The Republican House offered to fund the entire government except Obamacare. The Democratic House said no. Then the Republicans offered to delay Obamacare a year and cut the tax on medical devices. The Democratic Senate said no. Then the R’s offered to give people the option for a year as to whether to join the ACA (just like Big Business was given a year’s waver). Again, the D’s said no.
The Republicans have tried numerous compromises (and a willingness to accept many programs and taxes in the CR which they steadfastly oppose) and the Democrats have said nyet.
No. Nada. No compromise.
But their mainstream media arm tells the unthinking American public that the Republicans are the anarchists, terrorists, rapists, etc.
However, in secular progressive America, the message is becoming clear: It’s our way or the highway.
Transforming America
After five years of governing, we now know the meaning of the chant “Yes We Can!” The secular progressives believe they can cordon off faith in the US, destroy the traditional family, re-distribute wealth to those whom they choose, and control the American populace through the ACA law which gives them power over one-sixth of the American economy (to be enforced by the increasing hated IRS).
For the sake of argument, let’s say that their motives are noble. They think it’s fair to take from the rich, give to the poor, and control most of life from cradle to the grave.
I don’t think all their motives are that pure (or they are that stupid), but maybe some are. So what?
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. If they succeed, we will go the way of Europe and maybe even end up like the Soviet Union–the ideal socialist utopia. All we will find in that land is universal, serfdom and poverty.
Obstructionists
Any person or party that tries to resist the progressive re-making of America. According to this definition, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the German pastors resistance movement would have been labeled obstructionists by the Nazi regime.
Ted Cruz
One of the new guard Republicans who believes in faith, family and freedom, and was willing to speak for 21 hours straight on the Senate floor to desperately wake up the nation to the problems Obamacare will bring.
Harry Reid
The water boy of the current Administration who didn’t produce a budget for four years and is directly responsible for the government shutdown. I believe he is one of the worst Congressional leaders in all of American history.
Barack Obama
Our twice-elected president who is a fabulous campaigner and great speaker. But he has a problem with telling the truth and has weakened America at home and around the world. He is the true leader of the secular progressive movement.
Lucifer and his Demons
The invisible spirit beings that are indirectly responsible for the chaos, venom, bad policies and potential disasters that could be coming to America and the world. Their goal is to “Kill Jesus” in all of Western culture.
Suckers
The American people who don’t understand or want to understand what is happening in this battle of worldviews and differing faiths.
Revival
Only an act of God in The United States can awaken His Church, bring millions into his Kingdom of love and light, and transform our nation through his truth and power. It’s happened three times before.
This is our greatest need.
So be careful little eyes what you see.
The Smoking Gun of the Most Important Election of our Lifetime?
Today is primary day in the state of Washington and our family sat down and dutifully filled out our ballots last night in keeping with the responsibilities of citizenship.
As we talked over who to vote for, we discussed the various principles involved in making wise voting decisions. This is especially important in 2012 as I believe the November 6 national elections in the United States are the most important of our lifetime. America is at a tipping point. We are desperate for renewal and ripe for collapse without a change of leadership and direction.
We should start with humbling ourselves and praying. This is first of all a spiritual battle. After that, what should we consider when we vote?
And in the 2012 presidential election, has a true smoking gun emerged that could lead to the election of Mitt Romney?
First of all, a few principles I use in choosing good candidates:
1. The character of the person running for office. Are they a person of faith, morality, a Judeo-Christian view of life, and strong personal integrity?
2. If these qualities are true among a number of candidates, then who is the most elect able of the group?
3. If I don’t know the candidates (such as in some lower-level or non-partisan races), then who are the people and groups that endorse them? This tells you a lot about the principles and views of the world-be office holder. Republicans generally have a more faith, family, and freedom oriented worldview. Democrats tend to be more supportive of big government.
In this particular primary, I supported mostly Republicans, but I also voted for three Democrats. Don’t be beholden to parties–but to principles.
4. What is the experience and competency of the individual running for office. Do they have executive or legislative experience? Have they successfully run a business? Does their resume indicate they would bring real life experience and competency to the office they seek?
5. Is there any corruption, deception, questionable character or outright evil in their lives? This should disqualify a person from being a “servant of the people.”
It is this area that fascinates me as I read today a bombshell of an article about possible deception in the life of President Obama.
As you probably know, Barack Obama has consistently refused to release his college records. Apparently, he has spent millions of dollars to do so. At the same time, he and his surrogates have been voraciously asking Mitt Romney to produce more tax returns.
The following article by businessman and fellow Columbia University classmate Allyn Root enourages Mitt Romney to release his tax returns when Obama unseals his transcripts.
Would be a good step of transparency for both. And if President Obama fails to do so, then Mr. Root builds an interesting case that this could be a true smoking gun in the 2012 election.
Here’s the article. Judge for yourself. And let’s all continue to pray for the most important election in our lifetime.
The Obama Scandal is at Columbia
By Wayne Allyn Root, former Libertarian vice presidential nominee. Root now serves as Chairman of the Libertarian National Campaign Committee.
“I am President Obama’s classmate at Columbia University, Class of ’83. I am also one of the most accurate Las Vegas oddsmakers and prognosticators. Accurate enough that I was awarded my own star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. And I smell something rotten in Denmark. Obama has a big skeleton in his closet. It’s his college records. Call it “gut instinct” but my gut is almost always right. Obama has a secret hidden at Columbia–and it’s a bad one that threatens to bring down his presidency. Gut instinct is how I’ve made my living for 29 years since graduating Columbia.”
“Obama and his infamous strategist David Axelrod understand how to play political hardball, the best it’s ever been played. Team Obama has decided to distract America’s voters by condemning Mitt Romney for not releasing enough years of his tax returns. It’s the perfect cover. Obama knows the best defense is a bold offense. Just keep attacking Mitt and blaming him for secrecy and evasion, while accusing him of having a scandal that doesn’t exist. Then ask followers like Senator Harry Reid to chase the lead. The U.S. Senate Majority Leader appears to now be making up stories out of thin air, about tax returns he knows nothing about. It’s a cynical, brilliant, and vicious strategy. Make Romney defend, so he can’t attack the real Obama scandal.”
“This is classic Axelrod. Obama has won several elections in his career by slandering his opponents and leaking sealed documents. Not only do these insinuations and leaks ruin the credibility and reputation of Obama’s opponents, they keep them on the defensive and off Obama’s trail of sealed documents.”
“By attacking Romney’s tax records, Obama’s socialist cabal creates a problem that doesn’t exist. Is the U.S. Senate Majority Leader making up stories out of thin air? You decide. But the reason for this baseless attack is clear- make Romney defend, so not only is he “off message” but it helps the media ignore the real Obama scandal.”
“My answer for Romney? Call Obama’s bluff.”
“Romney should call a press conference and issue a challenge in front of the nation. He should agree to release more of his tax returns, only if Obama unseals his college records. Simple and straight-forward. Mitt should ask “What could possibly be so embarrassing in your college records from 29 years ago that you are afraid to let America’s voters see? If it’s THAT bad, maybe it’s something the voters ought to see.” Suddenly the tables are turned. Now Obama is on the defensive.”
“My bet is that Obama will never unseal his records because they contain information that could destroy his chances for re-election. Once this challenge is made public, my prediction is you’ll never hear about Mitt’s tax returns ever again.”
“Why are the college records, of a 51-year-old President of the United States, so important to keep secret? I think I know the answer.”
“If anyone should have questions about Obama’s record at Columbia University, it’s me. We both graduated (according to Obama) Columbia University, Class of ’83. We were both (according to Obama) Pre-Law and Political Science majors. And I thought I knew most everyone at Columbia. I certainly thought I’d heard of all of my fellow Political Science majors. But not Obama (or as he was known then- Barry Soetoro). I never met him. Never saw him. Never even heard of him. And none of the classmates that I knew at Columbia have ever met him, saw him, or heard of him.”
“But don’t take my word for it. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2008 that Fox News randomly called 400 of our Columbia classmates and never found one who had ever met Obama.”
“Now all of this mystery could be easily and instantly dismissed if Obama released his Columbia transcripts to the media. But even after serving as President for 3 1/2 years he refuses to unseal his college records. Shouldn’t the media be as relentless in pursuit of Obama’s records as Romney’s? Shouldn’t they be digging into Obama’s past–beyond what he has written about himself–with the same boundless enthusiasm as Mitt’s?”
“The first question I’d ask is, if you had great grades, why would you seal your records? So let’s assume Obama got poor grades. Why not release the records? He’s president of the free world, for gosh sakes. He’s commander-in-chief of the U.S. military. Who’d care about some poor grades from three decades ago, right? So then what’s the problem? Doesn’t that make the media suspicious? Something doesn’t add up.”
“Secondly, if he had poor grades at Occidental, how did he get admitted to an Ivy League university in the first place? And if his grades at Columbia were awful, how’d he ever get into Harvard Law School? So again those grades must have been great, right? So why spend millions to keep them sealed?”
“Third, how did Obama pay for all these fancy schools without coming from a wealthy background? If he had student loans or scholarships, would he not have to maintain good grades?”
“I can only think of one answer that would explain this mystery.”
“Here’s my gut belief: Obama got a leg up by being admitted to both Occidental and Columbia as a foreign exchange student. He was raised as a young boy in Indonesia. But did his mother ever change him back to a U.S. citizen? When he returned to live with his grandparents in Hawaii or as he neared college-age preparing to apply to schools, did he ever change his citizenship back? I’m betting not.”
“If you could unseal Obama’s Columbia University records I believe you’d find that:
A) He rarely ever attended class.
B) His grades were not those typical of what we understand it takes to get into Harvard Law School.
C) He attended Columbia as a foreign exchange student.
D) He paid little for either undergraduate college or Harvard Law School because of foreign aid and scholarships given to a poor foreign students like this kid Barry Soetoro from Indonesia.”
“If you think I’m ‘fishing’ then prove me wrong. Open up your records Mr. President. What are you afraid of?”
“If it’s okay for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to go on a fishing expedition about Romney’s taxes (even though he knows absolutely nothing about them nor will release his own), then I think I can do the same thing. But as Obama’s Columbia Class of ’83 classmate, at least I have more standing to make educated guesses.”
“It’s time for Mitt to go on the attack and call Obama’s bluff.”