History re Putin and Obama (Vanity)

Vanity ^ | Sept. 10, 2013 | Piytar

[piytar]

Does nobody study history anymore?

The world is coming frighteningly close to renacting 1939 pre-WWII.

Here are the roles:

Obama is Nevil Chaberlain: a rank amateur in control of a world power who is completely out of his depth.

Then there is the powerful and admired man, the one rebuilding a failed empire after it lost a brutal conflict (substitute the Cold War for WWI). A monster who is nonetheless well respected. One who wants to recapture lost territory (substitute the Ukrain for Poland). The "peace maker" with legitimate grievances. A true professional to boot.

As the saying goes, we've read this book. Or should have. And last time the ending included "50,000,000+ dead."

No, Putin is not as nuts or power mad as Hitler was, but everything from his support of Syria to Obama's utter pathetic incompetence matches up to WWII. Except this time we have nukes at the START of any war.

That said, there are some major differences. Putin has to save Obama's butt because the last thing he wants is a strong American President to follow Obama. He definitely does not want to see the rise of a Churchill or (horrors) a Reagan. Also, our military is still the most powerful history has ever seen. By a LOT (despite Obama's efforts to gut it). Putin doesn't want that fight.

But the parallels are there.

The take-away: don't trust Obama because he is incompetent. Don't trust Putin because he is competent.

PS Also don't trust Obama because he is a thin skinned narcicistic psychopath who has no real loyalty to America.

[Revolting cat!]

Sorry. It’s a worthy topic, but such rudimentary errors, whatever their reason, just bring attention to themselves and speak badly, like it or not, about the poster.

iPhone, you say? Bad phone!

[Daffynition]

I’m in the midst of re-reading Animal Farm.

Lots has been said of Orwell, least I can say is ... what a prophet.

It’s like looking into a mirror of 2013...and the call to *rebel* to one’s fortune is reflected in the 2M Bikers to DC.

[Daffynition]

I think a comparable analogy to your Putin to Chamberlain is seen in Truman and Stalin.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's version:

I was perhaps five yards away, and I watched with the closest attention the momentous talk. I knew what the President was going to do. What was vital to measure was its effect on Stalin. I can see it all as if it were yesterday. He seemed to be delighted. A new bomb! Of extraordinary power! Probably decisive on the whole Japanese war! What a bit of luck! This was my impression at the moment, and I was sure that he had no idea of the significance of what he was being told. Evidently in his immense toils and stresses the atomic bomb had played no part. If he had the slightest idea of the revolution in world affairs which was in progress his reactions would have been obvious. Nothing would have been easier than for him to say, "Thank you so much for telling me about your new bomb. I of course have no technical knowledge. May I send my expert in these nuclear sciences to see your expert tomorrow morning?" But his face remained gay and genial and the talk between these two potentates soon came to an end. As we were waiting for our cars I found myself near Truman. "How did it go?" I asked. "He never asked a question," he replied. I was certain therefore that at that date Stalin had no special knowledge of the vast process of research upon which the United States and Britain had been engaged for so long...

Winston Churchill, Triumph and Tragedy (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1953) pp 669-70.

[piytar]

Wow. Great comment.

[awaken2spirit]

Imagine that. A black Hitler. Adolf would be rolling in his grave. I know the O is not a Muslim, but the ring he wears on his ring finger is inscribed in Arabic with the Islamic affirmation of faith. Why would that be? It seems strange to me. The O lied in his speech tonight. Putin’s offer came in from left field and they were caught off guard. But Putin may not know who he is dealing with. Putin temporarily put the O in check but not mate. This ain’t over yet. Lawless he is...

[Jim Noble]

Does nobody study history anymore?

Nope.

[Standing Wolf]

It’s a worthy topic, but such rudimentary errors, whatever their reason, just bring attention to themselves and speak badly...

Inexplicably—unless not the least bit inexplicably—sloppy history, sloppy logic, and sloppy writing tend to show up about the same time, and are often closely followed by sloppy excuse making.

I could make a good case for saying today's lord high political "leaders" are following an eerily similar path toward monumental destruction Chamberlain, Hitler, Tojo, Stalin, et alia did shortly before World War II. I could make about as good a case for saying today's lord high political "leaders" are following an eerily similar path toward monumental destruction their imperial predecessors did shortly before World War I.

The paths actually are eerily similar; the crux of the matter, however, ought to have far less to do with paths followed than our—humanity's—apparently unvarying trust in lord high "leaders" whose sole qualification is their skill at "leading" millions of people into prodigious, wanton destruction.

If you always expect the worst of criminals, you won't often be disappointed—but so what? Here's the key question: why do their victims so infrequently rise up in righteous anger and turn on the predators?

[Slyfox]

but the ring he wears on his ring finger is inscribed in Arabic with the Islamic affirmation of faith. Why would that be?

Funny you should mention the ring. When that whole business came out, I studied that ring. I looked very closely at it and compared it with other rings. It has no Arabic writing on it. Instead, it is a series of coiled serpents, as in ready to strike:

He has us fooled into thinking that he is dedicated to Allah, while somehow also claiming that he shares our Christian heritage.

However, he wears a ring which means he has some affinity for serpent worship.

Go figure.

A guy has written a book about the ring. I have it on order.