On Obsession With Barack Obama
There has been a response of overwhelming fear of President Obama, resulting in accusations of his being a Muslim, planning to set himself up as a dictator, and even stranger things. Finally (for now), I have the following to say regarding this general response.
Religion is in how you live your life, not in how you were raised. The idea that having been to a mosque on occasion as a child makes him a Muslim is equivalent to saying that having been to church once or twice as a child makes one a Christian. Going to church every Sunday of your life wouldn't make you a Christian, so why would that apply to going to a mosque? Nor does having been educated in Islam does not make one a Muslim. If a man does nothing that resembles Muslim practice, calling him a Muslim is so much noise. Tell me when the man is actually acting like what any Muslim would call one of their own. Otherwise this is just another baseless accusation intended to stir up fear.
Maybe Obama's a socialist, maybe he's not. He who defines the word wins the argument. Whatever you care to call him, he's not terribly different than most other elected Democrats, so focusing on him is a waste of effort; he'll just be replaced if he's defeated. He's a well-spoken figurehead, and as long as we let him draw our fire, we're playing right into our opponents' hands. Just crying "Obama's a socialist!" accomplishes nothing. Even if it's true, that alone is just more name-calling.
We're not running against Obama! Barack Obama is one man. He's the President, but frankly, he's not a terribly good one. I don't say that because I disagree with his policies (though in many cases I do), I say that because he's showing almost no leadership on any issue! This health care bill, for example. It's not "Obamacare"; Obama has had almost no influence over it. The health care bill was worked out by Congress, with relatively little influence or leadership from the White House. This movement talks about Obama like he's not setting himself up to be some sort of dictator. He's not organized enough to be a dictator.
I believe that the Tea Party movement can be a significant factor for change in American politics. But the constant rejection of evidence, reason, and planning in favor of fear and insults is going to keep us from getting anywhere.
Religion is in how you live your life, not in how you were raised. The idea that having been to a mosque on occasion as a child makes him a Muslim is equivalent to saying that having been to church once or twice as a child makes one a Christian. Going to church every Sunday of your life wouldn't make you a Christian, so why would that apply to going to a mosque? Nor does having been educated in Islam does not make one a Muslim. If a man does nothing that resembles Muslim practice, calling him a Muslim is so much noise. Tell me when the man is actually acting like what any Muslim would call one of their own. Otherwise this is just another baseless accusation intended to stir up fear.
Maybe Obama's a socialist, maybe he's not. He who defines the word wins the argument. Whatever you care to call him, he's not terribly different than most other elected Democrats, so focusing on him is a waste of effort; he'll just be replaced if he's defeated. He's a well-spoken figurehead, and as long as we let him draw our fire, we're playing right into our opponents' hands. Just crying "Obama's a socialist!" accomplishes nothing. Even if it's true, that alone is just more name-calling.
We're not running against Obama! Barack Obama is one man. He's the President, but frankly, he's not a terribly good one. I don't say that because I disagree with his policies (though in many cases I do), I say that because he's showing almost no leadership on any issue! This health care bill, for example. It's not "Obamacare"; Obama has had almost no influence over it. The health care bill was worked out by Congress, with relatively little influence or leadership from the White House. This movement talks about Obama like he's not setting himself up to be some sort of dictator. He's not organized enough to be a dictator.
I believe that the Tea Party movement can be a significant factor for change in American politics. But the constant rejection of evidence, reason, and planning in favor of fear and insults is going to keep us from getting anywhere.
posted by Stephen Collings at
8:43 AM
1 Comments:
Steve, actually hate and lying have taken politicians a lot of places.
Take the "Ryan" budget that he touts as proof his plan is wonderful.
Did you know that his projections are based on real estate market having a bigger boom in the next 10 year, than it had in the last 15?
Remember, the real estate market went through the roof. But this is the BASIS for his projections, a truly massive resurgence in the price of homes, and buying homes.
This is, quite literally, bullship.
Now, I suppose that COULD happen -- but then aliens COULD land in Rockerfeller Center and bring us a new kind of cheese.
YOu don't base your economy on that.
The supposed "realist" Ryan has cooked his numbers as bad as any Democrat ever.
WHy would he do that? So the economy under his tax cuts will look fabulous.
WHy is no one talking about all government workers taking a 30% across the board cut, and a similar cut in pensions? Including Congressmen?
WHy not suggest all income is taxed alike -- whether you get it as a businessman running your own dental practice, or you get it from investing in Chinese cell phone stocks (which I like to do).
That would not only be fair, but raise 100 billion a year.
Ryan is going to end medicare with block grants. But people will still get sick, still go to the hospital, and hospitals can not turn them away.
Only now, the government will not pay them at all. Before, they paid them 55% or so.
So, unless Ryan is going to let hospitals push people into the street screaming in pain, he will bankrupt many hospitals. Those hospitals who try to care for those in need will ironically go broke and out of business.
It's gonna get ugly.
But Ryan's budget is ugly, and deceptive.
There are no easy answers -- but we could have truth.
Try the truth. Just try it. For fun. One time.
WOuldn't that be special?
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