Our President went overseas and projected yet again self loathing negativism about his own country. No wonder he lost his pitch to the IOC
I am glad that we are all going to Rio. At least people are more optimistic down there
Boq
I am glad that we are all going to Rio. At least people are more optimistic down there
Boq
It didn't look like weakness -- it looked like self-aggrandizement. Michelle regaled the IOC with her autobiography, after moaning about the sacrifice entailed in travelling to a country that didn't know Tuscan kale from arugala (and had neither), and Teh Won essentially spent his time assuring the IOC that the participants wouldn't be mugged or murdered going to and from the events because *he* was in charge, now..
No wonder the IOC dropped Chicago immediately afterwards. It didn't want to have to endure repeat performances before each succeeding vote.
BTW, what's the carbon footprint for launching *two* transAtlantic lobbying jaunts? Just five days ago, Obie said he was sending Michelle 'n' Oprah on a solo mission so he could remain here, since he was so *deeply committed* to seeing that the American people got the
health carehealth insurance reform they so deeply don't want...What an ignoramous.
If by 'concrete-headed, ignorant, and arrogant group of people,' you mean those of us who were (and remain) unimaginably pissed off by the unjustified 9/11 attacks on our country, and by the pussified, back-biting, loathsome egoism of the failing-state Eurabians and their US-wannabee-but-can't-stand-themselves for-it cousins, the Canadians, I can only say I'm glad to be counted among them. Moreover, everyone across the water or the border who doesn't like it can just kiss my 'concrete-headed, ignorant, and arrogant' American a$$.
It may look like strength to people who have no courage, no dignity, and no history of standing up for themselves or taking care of themselves, but from here it looks like little 'Bama-boy's taken the 'please don't hurt me' approach to dealing with mean people and bullies. He may have a plan, and he may be following a script designed to play well in washed-up old Europe or among the inbred-misogynists of the middle east or in dying Russia, but most Americans see Europe and even Canada as the Lands of Lost....well...Everything. For many of us, the rest of the West has no strength, no dignity, no reason even to exist, except to take without giving, to demean without leading--to serve as nothing but an example of the decrepitude and self-pitying, pap-eating, soylent green future the rest of the world will face if it follows the same self-destructive path.
And people wonder why I am so totally for open immigration? How could anyone who can think or see what is happening to Europe, Russia, Canada, and Japan not be!
You know, a very smart fellow named Thomas Cahill wrote an excellent book titled "How the Irish Saved Civilization," in which he discusses how Ireland became the storehouse of western knowledge and culture during the dark ages. It may be a bit of stretch to say so, but as I see it, most of the West is facing another dark ages, except it won't recover from this one because all the life--the core essence of humanity that fuels our survival--has finally been all but bred out of the overly nice, overly peace-loving peoples of the Western world.
And the US? Well, if we don't allow ourselves to become like the continental Europeans, if we keep encouraging immigration and letting our nation evolve as new peoples and new bloodlines are added to it, the US will survive intact and probably even prosper. And the connection to Cahill's book is this: I see the US taking on the role of Ireland during the dark ages. All of us here today, regardless of our status or caste are descended from the smart and the tough who left those old places to find better places. We all carry within us what I've heard referred to as the 'warrior' gene, which in this case means the essence of that inner fire that makes people fight to survive--the drive that God put in all the strongest species on the planet. If the West falls into ruin and decay, it damn sure won't be because the U.S. took it there, it'll be because the old world finally collapsed in on itself, just as the Warsaw pact did in the '90s
In fact, I suspect India and China are evolving toward primacy on Earth, but the US will be there too, only we'll be there alone of the western nations (except maybe Britain and Germany, both of which may still have it in themselves to fight their way back from the brink of dissolution). As for the rest, I suspect these are the end days, give or take 100 years, which is really funny considering how the rest of the world looks at the US with disdain and loathing. Personally, I'd say they need to look to themselves and forget about us because the barbarians are hammering at the gates again, only this time they're bringing babies and a religion that says 'Europe is a disease. Islam is the cure.'
And finally, although I hate to see Islam win, I can't say I mind the idea of Europe losing. Maybe it's time for some new management over there, and the reign of some people who--if nothing else--don't think of themselves as too smart or too intelligent to talk to God, or too cool to even allow for his existance. People who may not agree with our choice of God, but who also don't mock us as ignorant hicks for believing, the way most Europeans do.
And you say we've a group of "concrete-headed, ignorant, and arrogant" people? Yeah, pot and kettle to me, my friend... pot & kettle.
VR
Not that I disagree in general, if we may argue around the corners.
I did like Cahills book, and talk often to people of the "green sacrifice" vice the "red sacrifice."
Sadly, much of the Auld West seems ready to go through the fire of the Red.
Embarrassed or worse at our Prez and his chronic bad mouthing of the country that provided him the opportunities he and his equally ungrateful spouse have seized for their own benefit. I don’t mind his hateful denigration of our country as much as the fact that he is busy destroying the very structure of it at a breathtaking pace. I do not know if it should be blamed on ignorance, malice, or evil, but it is not the attitude or action of any president in our history before him.
But, he managed to squeeze in all of 25 minutes with Gen. McChrystal. Less time than he spent on late night TV. Less time than he spent going to or from NYC for his "date night." Shows where he values the lives of our troops, and that is outrageous.
Ignore the troll.
Dear Sanger, Europeans do not exist. There are a lot of different nations and different people around here, but don't call them European, call them Decadent. The British and Germans are at least as weak as the others and nothing of real substance will come from them. All in all Europe is lucky to have at least the brains to cooperate in the EU, but it ends there. "Renaissance" may be a French word, but if I am looking for a new world order I am not looking in Europe.
For some strange reason people around here think of Obama as some sort of European style social democrat. An insult if you ask me, because I see him as a very patriottic US citizen who better understands what made you no. 1 in the first place than George W. Do you have a winner with him? Not sure, he f***d up the health insurance debate real good. With his victory in the elections, a big majority in both houses and the importance he gave the subject that is not a good sign (if you are a Democrat).
Back to the Olympics. The best part of large sport contests in the old days was that after a huge victory of the Warzaw pact nations, clearly demonstrating their superior political system, about 27 % of their athletes would defect to the inferior decadent West. Hilarious moments! I have to think about that when I am looking at Iran for instance. Their system is quite unique in todays world and is challenging our society. Well, I have paid attention lately to what the people living in Iran are thinking about that design and I don't think they consider it a winner. Again, hilarious moments!
What He-Man seems to understand, and promotes quite good, is that progress, democracy and freedom are really at the heart of your nation, and that this is an irresistable cocktail for most world citizens, including Iranians.
To the Ahmadinejad's of the earth, take note: the welcoming hand and big smile of this Yankee is way more dangerous than the smart munitions he is also capable of using.
Obama is not a Yankee, he's a Cub -- he's on an overpaid team from a disaster area, he hasn't won a thing since the election, and he blames everyone but himself for his losses...
He lives across the pond, and has a different perspective.
But he's not a troll.
Progressivism denies the importance of individuality. All is for the 'common good' to progressives.
Individual initiative is what has made the US different. Capitalism is what supports individual initiative. If I am of an inventive mind, I am much more likely to use it in a capitalist country, where I can reap the tangible rewards of my genius than I am in a socialist country, where rewards, if any, are simply distributed to those who did not earn them.
Truth is, I intentionally put on the blinders so I wouldn't be distracted by the 'corners.' I could list 50 exceptions to almost everything I wrote (which is one of the things that has made writing so much more difficult for me than it used to be), but I didn't want to be distracted or dilute the intent. Essentially, people like the folks Eric was referring to do that all the time. They intentionally ignore (or they are too stupid to discern) the more subtle truths of an argument, and as so many supposedly thoughtful pundits really do, instead of constructing reasoned arguments or opinions, they aim for the weakest spots in the armor--the least effort for the most gratifying immediate result. All of which may be good if one is trying to get some goat, or bloviate into notoriety, but generally not really useful or informative--very much like a lot of what I wrote.
Which is not to say I don't feel that way about Europeans, Canadians, and so on. Yes, I understand mine are gross generalizations, but like most stereotypes, they are not entirely untrue--they're just intentionally narrowly focused.
Eric: >Europeans do not exist. There are a lot of different nations and different people around here, but don't call them European, call them Decadent....
Well ok, but I do tend to disagree. I understand there is no homogenous Euro-native, but I have spent the past 30+ years living in and/or paying a lot of attention to Europe. It may be perfectly true that one cannot compare Europeans to Americans using the same measures, but I do think there is a generally European outlook that is more alike within the boundaries of the continent than it is like the American or Asian or African outlook. Europeans may differ and disagree among themselves, but they are more like one another than they are like anyone outside Europe. And this includes the easterners too, who may be Slavic and tainted-in-the-blood by 40 years of Communism, but they are still more like you than they are like us.
> The British and Germans are at least as weak as the others and nothing of real substance will come from them.
I don't know about that either. I think Germany will benefit greatly from its reunification if it can open itself to greater acceptance of immigrants as new Germans. They seem to be on that path, albeit slow moving. Britain has long been a target of immigration within the Commonwealth, and it is still a financial power center, even if not to the extent it once was. I think Britain has a lot of unseen strength that shines through when needed, and that it will do fine if it doesn't let itself get weakened by trying to be too nice or too peaceful or too unwilling to fight for itself. Like I said, I could be wrong, but I don't see these two going the way of say Spain, Italy, or the Baltic and Scandinavian states.
> If I am looking for a new world order I am not looking in Europe.
Now that's a different story. Of course not. If there's any new world ordering to be done, it's going to be taking place in India or China, at least for the next decade or so. In fact, after I wrote my last post here, I happened to read that India's economy is expected to overtake China's in the near future, which was unexpected. Imagine, the world's largest Democracy and the world's largest population of as-yet not even close to tapped out energy and potential. For my part, I think India will be the center of the world by the year 2100, or at the very least a major pole in a bipolar or tripolar world. China is still a cipher and could go several ways, including into several smaller nation states. A lot depends on food, population, economy, and Russia, which is fairly week and may soon be ripe for the picking in the east.
> I see him (Obama) as a very patriotic US citizen who better understands what made you no. 1 in the first place than George W.
I don't know how you arrived at this conclusion, but without question you have got it completely backwards. Obama doesn't really get it at all, and Bush absolutely did. Obama is slicker, more educated, more elite, and so on, but he is not what I call patriotic. The funny thing is that many of us here think of Obama as a European wanna-bee who just doesn't get what being an American is all about. I mean really, look at what the groveling and bad-mouthing of America got him? Sure, non-Americans' may like him more for it, but most Americans--even some of his supporters--are just shaking their heads at him. Hard to believe he's an American at all....
As to that, do you really think that being nice, and 'sharing,' and all that soft power stuff is what made the U.S. the most powerful country on earth? Or that most Americans have ever really cared what anyone else in the world thinks about us? Or that even today, most Americans actually think about Europe or anywhere else in the world for that matter for more than 10-15 minutes a day, if that?
I'm certainly not overly proud of the general lack of American interest in world geography and history, but to be honest, most of what goes on outside the U.S. really isn't all that important on a day-to-day basis, and what is important is often best 'stayed-out-of,' as G. Washington rightly warned us to do.
BTW, if you care to see how I define patriotism, take a look here.
> take note: the welcoming hand and big smile of this Yankee is way more dangerous than the smart munitions he is also capable of using.
On this we agree completely. Unfortunately, however, while Obama is playing kissy-face with the rest of the world, he is forgetting that all politics is local, and that he isn't going to win reelection or keep his majorities after the mid-terms with that stuff. He also isn't going to get support for unpopular policies if he can't draw from both sides of the aisle, and increasingly he is squandering the good will of wait-and-see Americans like me who don't want him doing stupid crap like what he did at the Olympics committee meeting. It's one thing to play nice with Chavez to calm that blowhard for a while, it's another thing to beg for an Olympics handout from the Europeans--and to badmouth the U.S. while doing it.
VR
Maybe she was upset because they didn't have G'ah and bloodwine.
Who knows?
So help me, I will have to do penance for this, but as embarrassing as it was for Obama to go and be turned down, I am so deeply grateful that Chicago will NOT be hosting the Olympics.
Where can a Neophyte ask a gun question?
Its been a while. I saw Jonah Goldberg making an a$$ of himself, thought of you, and clicked over.
And too my great surprise (and empathy for you) I landed on MSangers comment above.
With your retroactive permission, I'd like to top post his comment here with the title "Freeper Literature Reaching New Heights – Cliff’s Pick"
He's really special. You are lucky to have him.
I regret that I have not taken the time to read much of your recent writings. I wonder if you feel any differently about you support for the war and Bush than you did 2 years ago?
I know it will have a kick (duh) and I am prepared for that, but the main issue is the difference between the rounds and *why* it can fire two different calibers and types of grain.
And I was really pleased to see his commenters prove my point about people who "intentionally ignore (or they are too stupid to discern) the more subtle truths of an argument, and as so many supposedly thoughtful pundits really do, instead of constructing reasoned arguments or opinions, they aim for the weakest spots in the armor--the least effort for the most gratifying immediate result. All of which may be good if one is trying to get some goat, or bloviate into notoriety, but generally not really useful or informative...."
Ha. Points for me.
Sanger, Sanger, Sanger. They're *Progressive* -- don't you realize that their intensely nuanced nuancement is so finely nuanced that they don't *have* to percieve either subtle truths or truths as blatantly obvious as Michael Moore at an all-you-can-eat rib joint?