If you didn't know it already, Obama went to the Middle East recently. Although, if you're not an ostrich, you probably did know that. You might not, however, know that he also made a stop in Berlin, to give a very stirring speech to 200,000 people (who were mostly there to see two of the biggest bands in Germany). Now, let's see; who are two other presidential-types that made speeches in Berlin? Oh yeah, JFK and Reagan. The two darlings of their parties.
Now, I don't know if this is more of Obama "bringing the world together," and I don't even feel like discussing why a Presidential nominee is making speeches in foreign countries--although someone should tell Obama he's not president yet--, but it seemed to me like he was trying to emulate (aka rip them off) them both. However, it sounded like the trashy version of them; not John Kennedy, but Teddy Kennedy (too soon?). Here's what I mean:
-Obama calls himself a "citizen of the world," much in the same vein as Kennedy's "Ich bin ein berliner." Now, Kennedy of course didn't realize that he was calling himself a jelly donut, but the speech matched with the times and he was very noble. The cold war was in full swing, the Thirteen days' crisis either had happened, was happening, or about to (I don't care enough about the JFK time to look it up), and we were essentially engaged in a fight for the survival of our way of life--much like we are now. But JFK had class; he had power. Oh yeah, he was an actual president of the United States.
-Then we have Obama wanting to tear down all these walls. Here's the official transcript, a la the Huffington Post (the things I go through to bring you this stuff): "The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down." Please explain to me, if you pull out the troops from Iraq (which is partly why Obama's the nominee; he said he would), leaving that part of the world completely devoid of a power capable of standing up to the terrorists which will mean that's where the terrorists go (funny how that happens), how do you intend on tearing down said walls? How do you intend to tell people that they would rather die than listen to your drivel (literally) that they need to stop believing what they believe? Reagan realized (as Truman did, too, when he orchestrated that airlift that Obama was talking about, while studiously avoiding any mention of Truman or the armed forces that pulled it off) that the only way to change some people's minds is by speaking loudly and carrying a big stick. Because there are people out there who won't listen if you speak softly or have no stick. Truman and Reagan stood up to the Communists and didn't back down. When Truman was told not to do the airlift, then to not do the airlift once it had already started, he didn't back down. When Reagan was advised to take out of his speech the line, "Tear down this wall," he didn't listen. And that's why Communism, not freedom, was defeated.
I didn't mean to get so riled up, but Obama just...gets to me. I don't understand how people can just set aside their minds and willingly suspend everything this country stands for and has stood for for two hundred years, just because the guy can deliver a speech well. I mean, he doesn't even write his own speeches! He has speechwriters, people! He has someone write the pretty words for him! If you listen to his press conferences, he can hardly put together a coherent sentence! He's made more mistakes and gaffes in speaking these past two years than anyone I can think of! (evidence: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/05/what-the-farc-w.html. And that's from the mainstream media, of all places!). He's said everything from there are 57 states, to misstating what city he's in, he thinks Arabic is spoken in Afghanistan (it's Persian and Pashto); his uncle supposedly helped liberate Auschwitz (the Russians "liberated" Auschwitz), and he can't decide whether to isolate Hugo Chavez or talk to him for supporting FARC (the guerilla fighters in Colombia). This is just the tip of the iceberg (aka what I could find in searching the internet for 5 minutes). These are serious mistakes; they make Bush's inability to pronounce "nuclear" correctly seem like a retarded 11th grader picking on a preschooler.
I have to bring this to a close; all this thinking about Obama makes my stomach hurt. But I'm sure more will follow; with Obama, the mistakes always do. Askaconservative taking your questions. Policy, parties, history, candidates; I take them all. Please ask one; I'm getting bored talking to myself.
For more information:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/07/27/missing_from_that_berlin_speech/