Napoleon, Obama, and Health Care ‘Reform’

Pajamas Media ^ | Sept. 3 | George Leef

[AJKauf]

History is full of examples of conquests that seemed easy and tempting, but later turned out to be gigantic blunders. One of them was Napoleon’s decision to invade Spain in 1808 and put his elder brother Joseph on the throne. That was the first great miscalculation of his career.

I strongly suspect that Obama’s decision to “reform” American health care by thoroughly politicizing it will become his Spain — a short-run victory that will in the long run prove disastrous for him.

Napoleon and Spain

In 1808, Napoleon was the master of continental Europe. To his south, Spain was officially an ally, but it was a nation long past its age of military power. The Spanish army was no match for the French and Napoleon was certain he could easily crush it, capture Madrid, and send the corrupt King Charles IV packing. Under the conventions of warfare at that time, once you had beaten the enemy army and taken the capital city, fighting ceased and the victor could enjoy the spoils of war. Napoleon, the great conqueror, couldn’t resist this piece of low-hanging fruit.

Things did not go according to Napoleon’s plans. Defeating the Spanish army was easy enough, as was the business of putting Joseph on the throne. But afterward, the country erupted in partisan warfare that gave us the word “guerilla.” French garrisons and supply trains were attacked. Spain was drenched in blood and the drain on French resources and manpower was debilitating. For Napoleon, conquering Spain was a self-inflicted wound that turned gangrenous.

Obama and health care

In early 2009, Barack Obama was in much the same position as Napoleon in 1808.

[BenLurkin]

[La Lydia]

Invading Russia didn’t work out too well for him, either.

[GonzoGOP]

There is more to this than the author notes. The reason you stopped fighting when the other guy took your capital was that until that time most of the nations of Europe had kings. And most of them were related to each other in some way or another. So once the issue was decided, the looser knew that so long as he surrendered in the customary way he would be allowed to retire to some comfortable palace with his personal fortune and retainers.

Then France started to chop off the heads of defeated kings. Well now there was an incentive to take to the hills and keep fighting no matter what.

This is exactly what Obama did when he cut the Republicans out of the pork fest of the stimulus or locked them out of health care negotiations. Then realized that Obama wasn't playing buy the old winner gets 60% looser gets 40% rules on pork and that he wanted it all. They saw Specter face imminent destruction for siding with Obama and realized that throwing in with him gained them nothing, and risked loosing everything. Obama is the fool for having driven a beaten bunch of dogs looking only for scraps from their masters table into a corner. Like the corrupt and incompetent king of Spain, the GOP is fighting not because they are valiant, or because of high principle, but because they have no other alternative.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Invading Russia didn’t work out too well for him, either.

Less well-known is that invading Egypt didn't, either.

[La Lydia]

But at least we got the Rosetta stone out of that one.

[Sherman Logan]

Like the corrupt and incompetent king of Spain, the GOP is fighting not because they are valiant, or because of high principle, but because they have no other alternative.

You are correct about the French Revolutionary armies not playing by The Rules, but I'm unaware of any foreign monarchs they beheaded.

Anyway, by the time Napoleon came around, he desparately wanted to be accepted as another legitimate monarch.

The kings of Spain (Charles IV and Ferdinand VII) weren't hiding in the mountains leading the resistance, they spent most of the Peninsular War in luxury as Naopleon's prisoners. After Napoleon's defeat Ferdinand was released (Charles died shortly before) and was enthusiastically received as King. He then succeeded in alienating just about everybody in Spain, showing truly remarkable ingratitude for the suffering the people had gone thru in defense of his throne. This led to a number of revolts and restorations, interspersed with White Terrors up to his death in 1833.

[GonzoGOP]

You are correct about the French Revolutionary armies not playing by The Rules, but I'm unaware of any foreign monarchs they beheaded.

It wasn't so much that they beheaded them, but that they set the precedent that they could be beheaded. If you were a not to popular king of say, Russia, Spain, Austria you really didn't what the president that a commoner with a successful army could declare himself king, and start putting his relatives on the throne. Its just bad for family business. Kings got wacked before that, but the replacement was always another member of the aristocracy. Kind of like how the Bush clan didn't seem to have too much problems associating with the Kennedy. But Obama isn't part of the same insider club that Bob Dole felt comfortable with. He is a hard core radical.

[Sherman Logan]

Kings got wacked before that, but the replacement was always another member of the aristocracy.

Well, there was that little episode in England in the mid-17th century, but in the long run you are correct about the results.

[Crolis]

Good article. Obama is just so much an insecure, narcissistic, dictator.

[Sherman Logan]

Actually, my point was that the corrupt and incompetent Kings of Spain didn’t fight at all.

A truly revolting person (both of them) who most certainly did not deserve the great loyalty shown them by the heroic people of Spain.

[jveritas]

The overrating of Obama and comparing him to Napoleon or any great historical figure is an utter joke. Obama is a totally inept human who will be a foot note in history 10 years from now.

[GonzoGOP]

Actually, my point was that the corrupt and incompetent Kings of Spain didn’t fight at all.

A truly revolting person (both of them) who most certainly did not deserve the great loyalty shown them by the heroic people of Spain.

A better definition of a RINO would be hard to find.

[Sherman Logan]

Of course the Kings weren’t republicans at all. :)

[GonzoGOP]

The overrating of Obama and comparing him to Napoleon or any great historical figure is an utter joke. Obama is a totally inept human who will be a foot note in history 10 years from now.

Actually a better example would be Kaiser Wilhelm II. He was of two ethnicities (Dad German/Mom English) and overcompensated by adopting an overly idealistic view of his father's culture and despising and rebelling against everything of his mother's. He came to power with great popularity, despite the fact that he had never done anything. Kaiser Wilhelm II tried to win over the people by promising everything to everyone, but only succeded in bankrupting his treasury. Unable to handle criticism he surrounded himself with unqualified sycophants. Loved pageantry and undeserved honors, but didn't attend to the business of governing. Ignored and later fired the ruthless but competent Bismark when he tried to tell him move more cautiously and deliberately (Clintons). Alienated existing alliances with strong nations (England, US & Russia) in order to cultivate useless and entangling relations with unimportant nations (Austria Turkey). Hopefully we won't get the final chapter where he leads the nation into a war that ultimately results in his nations complete destruction.

[bushpilot1]

I am here with the soldiers who conquered at Austerlitz, at Jena, at Eylau. Who can withstand them? Certainly not your wretched Spanish troops who do not know how to fight. I shall conquer Spain in two months and acquire the rights of a conqueror. Napoleon.

Napoleon was never defeated in Spain, when he was there.

[sergeantdave]

“The overrating of Obama and comparing him to Napoleon or any great historical figure is an utter joke.”

I recall last winter when obuma pleaded with his fat-butt supporters to gather, go door-to-door and demand people sign fealty oaths to king obuma.

Nobody showed up.

When you call king obuma an “utter joke,” you’re being kind.

[WashingtonSource]

A death-to-Obamacare bump