Barack Obama and The Flag (from the series: Still Lives)
Among the topics that Barack Obama touched on in his acceptance speech this week, and he did it lightly without pointing fingers, was the fact that the party of Franklin Roosevelt and John F Kennedy had no need to defend its patriotism.
Samuel Johnson famously described patriotism as the last refuge of a scoundrel. This seems about right, since it has been the whip that the worst administration in American history used to subdue its opponents - for a while.
The refreshing reality of Barack Obama is that he doesn’t reduce debate to simple misleading slogans. For better or worse, he’s doing what he can to restore sanity to American politics. I’ve depicted him here in company with the American Flag - a flag that he clearly serves and honors.
As regards patriotism, which of the following acts can be considered patriotic?
- Lying to coerce America into a disastrous war that it could not afford.
- Leaving the residents of New Orleans to drown.
- Repudiating George Washington by legitimizing torture.
- Burying and censoring evidence and scientific opinion on climate change.
Sadly, I could go on, but it would get tedious. And I guess that’s the point. Such things are part of a consistent and tedious pattern. In the circumstances, change is such a good idea.
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Really? Bush lied about the war but you neglect to remind us that Barry said he voted against it early in his bid for president? Ooops, that’s right? Barry wasn’t yet quite in the Senate when the war went to vote.
Yes, we shall remove all and any blame from Mayor Gavin even though his own mandate for evacuation was on NO’s web site. His blunder, Bushes foly. Okay.
Certainily, let more American heads be removed for the world to see and label water on the face through a towel torture. I pitty you for your concern for those that want to slit your throat and rape your woman.
Lastly, close your eyes and cover your ears from the 1,500 other respected sciencetists that disagree with the Global Warming thereoy and then say Bush censors “evidence”. What of Gore’s movie that that UK courts countered four “truths” as not fact at all?
Before you try to call a man a patriot that has a slimmer resume than Gene Simmons on The Apprentance, you may want to focus on that man and not divert attention from his short commings.
It was Mayor Nagin, not Gavin.
Folly has a double ll.
Pity has only one t.
Try scientists rather than sciencetists.
I think you’ll find the word is theory not thereoy.
Finally, poor spelling is a short-coming not a short comming.
Correcting someone’s spelling without even responding to claims in their argument is petty and childish. His claims now seem more valid than yours due to your lack of response. You Lose. Actions like this from the blog’s author (and the lack of valid content you post) are why there is so little reader commentary on this blog. Bravo.
Yes , it was Ray Nagin. Spelling is difficult on an iPhone in a web form. I appreciate the clarification.
Dear Watchman
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Just curious to know what you think in my posting is actually invalid.
Has the Iraq war not been disastrous?
Was Fema’s New Orleans response not incompetent?
Did George Washington not reject torture?
Did the suppression of climate change evidence not occur?
I have no quarrel with anyone who has a low opinion of Obama - I’m not inclined to evangelize, just offer support where I think it’s due.
Svenllr seems to like torture as an instrument of policy, but I doubt if there’s any point to debate here. I agree with Washington.
Neither do I care to argue here about Global Warming, that’s covered in other postings. It’s true that a number of scientists disagreed (until recently) but few were experts in the field - and I doubt the 1500 figure (why such round numbers. Name them please.) Anyway, with complex topics like this its about quality not quantity. You go to the experts, rather than getting the oil companies to control the debate.
Don’t you get it, Robin? Nothing is ever Bush’s fault. Impeach Clinton over a blowjob, but give Bush a pass for sacrificing thousands of soldiers to boost the profits of Blackwater and Halliburton. These people have no idea what a mess they’ve created, but I’m sure Obama will be ripped for trying to clean it up.
Sorry, never thought of it like that. You mean all of that stuff wasn’t Bush’s fault?
What exactly was the lie to get us into a war? Defending the United Nations 17 resolutions they failed to defend, saving hundreds of thousands from tyranny and stopping further attacks? Or was it the the 550 lbs of yellowcake (WMD)that is now in Canada being processed?
What about getting information that saved thousands of documented lives by pouring water on 3 terrorists?
New Orleans was Ray Nagin’s fault, not the feds, the states are first in charge. This sense of federal entitlement is simply not correct. The feds are meant to defend life, liberty and the people. The states are charged with the people.
Oh, and the climate issue is far from being proven. We can’t even predict the weather next week.
Remarkable to discover someone who still believes the WMD lies - or should we say “evidence presented to the United Nations” that Colin Powell seems to be so ashamed of. I guess there are people who still believe in a flat Earth.
I love the “pouring water” on three terrorists - you mean we made some terrorists take a shower?
What does FEMA stand for again? Sorry I can’t seem to remember.
As for global warming - of course it’s far from proven unless you take the evidence into account - like highest CO2 levels in the atmosphere in 500,000 years, record pH levels of the oceans through CO2 absorption, the North Pole melting and unprecedented glacier retreat. (I wonder what’s melting all that ice? Not heat, surely?)
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