Posted on 12/12/2009 11:40:38 AM PST by Elkiejg
A gentleman, they say, is a man who is never unintentionally rude. That Barack Obama is, in this sense, a gentlemen I do not doubt.
As I argued here, our current President "is a man of rigid self-discipline," as is indicated by the fact "that we know next to nothing about his life apart from what he chose to impart in the two autobiographies he published. For a long time now, for longer than we can perhaps imagine, every move he has made has been carefully calculated, calibrated, and choreographed."
In the series of posts on Obama's gestures, I have drawn attention to Barack Obama's mastery of the insulting gesture -- the calculated insult -- meant to be understood only by those in a select audience. In the first post in this series I observed: "Behind the thin veneer of politeness, there is, I suspect, something ugly lurking. In the first of the autobiographies that he claims to have written, Barack Obama frequently speaks of himself as being in the grips of rage. We would do well to take him at his word. If we are to stop him from doing great damage to this country and to our friends and allies, we must take every opportunity that comes our way to unmask the man."
It is in this light, I suspect, that we must interpret his conduct in Oslo, Norway on Wednesday and Thursday of this last week.
To the fury of the Norwegians, as The Guardian reported, the White House "cancelled many of the events peace prize laureates traditionally submit to, including a dinner with the Norwegian Nobel committee, a press conference, a television interview, appearances at a children's event promoting peace and a music concert, . . . a visit to an exhibition in his honour at the Nobel peace centre," and, most important of all, lunch with the king.
Why would he do such a thing?
Vanity, perhaps. That Barack Obama thinks highly of himself is evident in every speech he gives. Why should so great a man have to submit to protocol?
Malice, as well. As I noted in the first post in this thread, this was on evidence in 2008 in his campaign and later in his dealings with Gordon Brown and Benyamin Netanyahu.
There is, moreover, a great deal that, as President, Mr. Obama finds himself obliged to do, and much of it he genuinely loathes. When he finds himself forced to deliver a speech that he can hardly stomach -- as he did at West Point in announcing his policy regarding Afghanistan, and as he did again in Oslo Thursday morning -- his delivery is flat and forced.
As I remarked in an earlier post on this thread, Barack Obama has a better command than any previous President of the art of "communicating different messages to different audiences." This he accomplishes by his gestures.
The reassuring speech he gave in Oslo was directed at those of us who fear that he will neglect America's defense. The snubs were directed at the Norwegians -- and the Europeans more generally.
Which represents the real Obama?
The latter, I fear. The America that he inherited and its traditional allies he hates. When the country turns on him, as it is doing step by step, and he recognizes that his fellow citizens are intent on reversing what he has done, he may openly turn on us.
We are, I suspect, in for quite a ride.
Paul A. Rahe holds the Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in the Western Heritage at Hillsdale College. He is the author, most recently, of Montesquieu and the Logic of Liberty: War, Religion, Commerce, Climate, Terrain, Technology, Uneasiness of Mind, the Spirit of Political Vigilance, and the Foundations of the Modern Republic.
Look at the global damage he has already done. He is in a position to throw the globe into a spin.
Look out!
Agreed and wow, this was a very good piece
Obama views the USA like an envious and resentful Third Worlder. That’s his mentality, and he seems to bow to non-white royalty and diss European royalty.
The writer is making some good observations, and totally true IMO.
“The latter, I fear. The America that he inherited and its traditional allies he hates. When the country turns on him, as it is doing step by step, and he recognizes that his fellow citizens are intent on reversing what he has done, he may openly turn on us.”
Take a look at an angry, seething, and lying obama as he spoke at the Brookings Institute last week. This is part three of the speech on youtube, and he’s really ticked off and blaming the last eight years, again. Command and control, he’s going to push this “Healthcare” down our throats whether we want it or not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSfo98Dp7Eo&feature=related
There is another reason why Zero cancels out on so many functions that were heretofore considered protocol. He’s only good at speaking when in front of a teleprompter or hooked up to an earpiece. Away from that, in a social setting with people he’s not familiar with, he can and will put his foot in his gigantic mouth and screw up royally. He knows this and fears this. That’s one reason why he just avoids the situation.
“tiring of the belief that Obama is so intelligent”
In my lifetime I have come face to face with three people who I believe were evil. All three were clever. That is, they were devious and incredibly skilled at twisting everything (beyond what a normal person, no matter how ingelligent) would preconceive.
I agree. Obambi is not an intellectual. But he has the power of the evil one with him and that is a formidable and frightening ability that can be misinterpreted as intelligence.
Obama despises Western and Eastern cultures. It appears his loathing of Western culture is likely based the history of colonialism. And Eastern cultures are to the present quite xenophobic, even somewhat racist. Obama conveys the impression that he is only at ease with the tribal cultures of Africa. Indeed, Obama was and is very tribal in his political career.
Possibly. It's something to think about.
Obama conveys the impression that he is only at ease with the tribal cultures of Africa. Indeed, Obama was and is very tribal in his political career.
By process of elimination? He's not European or Asian, so he must be African?
I doubt Obama would really be comfortable in Kenya, or that he was at home when he was there.
When people say that Chicago politics is "tribal" it's a metaphor. It means people get an identity from the way different groups fight it out with each other.
It doesn't mean that Daley and Obama and other Chicago politicians would really be happy sitting around in a mud hut listening to the elders tell stories of great hunts and recount creation myths for the hundredth time and watching the same old tribal dances.
Obama has one foot in an academic culture that's critical of traditional ways and another in Chicago's political world, rather than in East Africa.
I think that he appointed mostly “like minded people” to do his bidding. His beliefs are their beliefs. In having appointed them, he is ultimately responsible for their actions. Having said that, they also provide a safety net for him...if we do not like a policy, he immediately has someone to shift the blame to. It’s a win - win situation for him!
“We are, I suspect, in for quite a ride....”
Hold tha thought...
With every passing day, I hope it becomes more and more obvious to the people who voted for Zero that they put into power a man who is a traitor to our nation and represents an imminent danger to our very way of life.
What I cannot understand is WHY the leadership of the Republican party will not pull out the stops, take off the gloves and speak out forcefully. Sometimes I think the people are right who say Zero is using some form of mass hypnosis.
If he were just a misguided naive Southern peanut farmer who in his heart loved his country but was not the man for the job it would be one thing. Zero is a malignant, narcissistic, traitorous hater of America and what it stands for. He IS the ultimate clear and present danger, yet there is silence while he dismantles our nation, gives aid and comfort to our enemies and destroys our image in the world.
There is without any doubt in my mind a boiling undercurrent of anger, resentment, and patriotic fervor that could erupt at any time. People in high places seem to be reluctant to take the chance to speak out forcefully for fear of ridicule. They play with fire in their reticence, somebody needs to step up and speak out for our nation before blood runs in the streets, because I think we are very fast headed toward that.
His wow bow to the emperor of Japan, acknowledgement that we’re at fault for using the A-bomb. His refusal to attend Berlin’s wall ceremony at the Brandenburg Tur (gate), because he was refused use of it as a backdrop on a pre election campaign stop. As far as his conduct for the Nobel “Peace” prize. The Norwegians gave him something which lowered its value in his eyes and all he did was return the favor .
http://www.theusmat.com/
“A gentleman, they say, is a man who is never unintentionally rude. That Barack Obama is, in this sense, a gentlemen I do not doubt.”
The Professor lost me right there. A gentleman doesn’t go by aliases, and he wouldn’t smear his opponents in his senate race, or refer to a lady & strong woman, Sarah Palin, with the comment: “lipstick on a pig” and he wouldn’t coyly `flip off’ his opponent during a debate. And he wouldn’t appoint likeminded cronies who seem as determined as he is to reduce this country to an impoverished police state run in perpetuity by a smug, socialist powr elite.
Oh yeah, and let’s not forget that whole well-on-the-way-to-destroying 233 years of blood, tears and sweat in less than a year, and we’ve got some here commenting on how good his Wookie spouse looks and how it’s racist to criticize him.
Remember Obama went to Kenya while he was a senator to illegally help a cousin try to win an election. (He should have been impeached for that.) Obama insisted on Shariah law if he won. He lost putting the country into chaos and causing death. Obama Sr. was heavily into communist politics which brought him into extreme trouble (and finally poverty) with Kenya’s leadership.
Obama is a fraud, a puppet and not even a citizen of the U.S. How can we get rid of him quickly? I think he will rig future elections.
In addition to African influences, Obama has been highly influenced by Muslims, who are not solely African.
When you’re right, you’re right. The Zero Commie Thugocracy must be stopped. BEFORE he completely destroys the USA with his Soros-leftist policies..... or through his ‘soft on terrorists’ leftist policy, which will allow his Muslime buds to destroy us finally, thus fulfilling his agenda.
What the achedoubleL are we waiting for? Christmas?
I want to see that damned birth certificate and I want to see it NOW....to make damned sure he isn’t a Muzzie. If he is, God help him...cause God is the only one that could, at that point.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.