President Obama visited Indonesia and the most substantial thing to come out of the visit was he likes Bakso. Curiously enough President Obama and our very own SBY have a lot in common, both were elected by an overwhelming majority of the people and both failed to deliver on what have been and always were somewhat dreamy promises of national unity.
That said, it is difficult to understand the visceral hatred that Obama seems to engender from some admittedly looney sections of the public. Leaving aside the more insane birthers, closet Muslim and Manchurian candidate or and let’s not forget “he was born in Kenya” loons, some of the things said leave any rational observer somewhat gob-smacked. It’s difficult to know what exactly drives these particularly extreme views besides a general mental imbalance. After all it can’t be the politics, Gismo is still going, Afghanistan and Iraq still consume trillions of dollars and countless lives and there is even greater drone usage than any time during the Bush administration. Of course, the attempt to provide health care to literally millions of Americans who do not have it is painted as some sort of socialist takeover. This is particularly strange as the Health bill directs private companies are to provide the insurance and care which makes it a bizarre sort of socialism anyway. More to the point, provision of basic health care is something that most of the western world take for granted so what is the issue?
Closer to home, President SBY seems to be having trouble getting anyone to listen to him as corruptors attend tennis matches and various gangs of intolerant thugs uniformed and otherwise terrorize various citizens of Indonesia. It would seem that like Obama the historical recording of the SBY will be “HE CAME, HE SAW, HE WENT” and in a curious turn of events the fear is not what these Presidents are or have done but who follows them.
On a positive note, who would have wanted to miss the simpering performance of the current court clown (in the freaky Steven King Clown in the drain sort of way) upon meeting Mrs Obama and then claiming she forced herself on him.
Still on weirdly humorous, one of the local FPI clone blogs quoted NARN as having the cure for being homosexuals. Of course, as with all the intolerant ones, it neglected to mention the face that NARN has somewhat dubious reputation across the board and is hardly be rational person’s chosen reference site. Most recently a quick search of the web reveals one of its directors resigned after seeming to suggest that Slavery was not such a bad thing after all and another is under cloud after being busted with a very dubious travelling companion for a European holiday. You really have to wonder at these kinds of people. How many times have those who shrilled so loudly about the way other people live turn out to have feet of clay (or in this case pumps).If you want to really see weird type NARTH RUBBER BAND THERAPY into Google….Bizarre.
Then again the language of the intolerant and xenophobic really doesn’t change that much only the victims and then ever so slightly. This was from a Pre World War Primary School Text Book. “The Turks are a cruel and ignorant race…one of the most fanatical of the Mohamedan (sic) races, the ferocity of the unspeakable Turk in gaining converts being unsurpassed by any other race”. Naturally, this xenophobic nonsense changes in a heartbeat when it suits the need of the manipulators of public opinion, witness this quote when Turkey was enlisted to fight in Korea “Courage, bravery and heroism are the greatest virtues which will sooner or later conquer. In this matter, I know no nation superior to the Turks.” – Rose – U.S. Senator.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
The American looney fringe cannot stomach a center-left president. I’d be tempted to say it’s because Obama is half-black, his father was a foreigner and he lived abroad for a few years, but really that’s just icing on the cake…they took the same nosedive off the dive board of rational logic and sanity into the deep pool of absurdity when Clinton was elected too.
Remember all the wingnuts stockpiling weapons in the 1990s to prepare for the UN’s “imminent takeover” of America?
Ody, Personally I don’t think he is much a President and if McCain had been a few years younger a much better option but the very real possibility of McCain dropping dead and the world ending up with the Alaskan Artifact with access to nuclear codes was just too scary for words.
It’s shame though, being 1/2 black and actually having seen a bit more than assback Ohio, it could have represented a move forward in the USA. Not him personally, but the nation. Like SBY a real missed opportunity to drag the nation into present. Perhaps that is the real problem not the guy himself but the fact the world is bigger and more complex place than the Looneycons can deal with.
I do so love the birthers for a giggle tho
They will never admit it but the loonies hatred is fueled by racism, a black man ascending to the presidency, only the second non-WASP after JFK. Their worst nightmare….
Nice picture by the way, a future Feyenoord hooligan. Very popular over here. If he reaches an adult age he can support his team in the 2nd or 3rd tier of Dutch professional football.
A person I ran into over here said he thought Obama, like SBY, is a guy suited to managing a boom, but not one to manage a crisis. Not entirely sure I agree…I think ALL politicians are better suited to booms than busts. But there’s some truth in it. Obama has seemed a bit remote during the prolonged downturn.
But really, who doesn’t? Bush Sr. and Clinton seemed lost during the 1990s recession, as did Reagan during the one in the early 1980s. Then things picked up and so did their popularity. Well, not Bush Sr.’s, as he had the misfortune of having to get re-elected at the worst part.
As for Obama, really what’s to vehemently dislike? He’s done very little to deviate from the norm, except pass comprehensive health care legislation. Not the optimal one, but SOMETHING. Considering that 14% have no insurance, and another 16% have horrifically basic insurance, this is no small feat.
So he hasn’t ridden a magical unicorn to solve all the world’s problems in 2 years…at least he’s measured, cautious and actually knowledgeable about the outside world…
Who can manage a crisis of such magnitude properly?
Tax payers money has been used to pay for bailouts. Now loonies are angry for such “spillage”, forgetting Obama has inherited two wars from dumbassesand this very crisis was caused by their much-beloved laissez-faire capitalism without state interference or control. What other option did he have really? Letting the automotive industry and the Freddies/Fannies collapse and sending millions into bankruptcy and unemployment? You don’t really wanna think about the consequences.
History has shown us wars will be started or scapegoats will be sought after to divert attention in times of crisis. So far Obama has shunned away from both options so that gives him the benefit of the doubt. The loonies are doing exactly as expected. To them Muslims and Mexicans are the new n***ers (excuse-le-mot).
The US remain an enigma. A highly-developed Western country with an unusual high amount of dumbasses having medieval religious outlooks wielding so much power.
The first dumbass must be dumbass Dubbaya but feel free to moderate if it’s too strong put.
I agree Ody, not a particulary great President but a fairly atypical democrat as “L” racism plays a part I think. More’s the shame. Interestingly the most intelligent of the Republicians and the one who would make the best choice as prez challenger is a Mormon…mmmm
Yup, The USA is a strange place does so much good around the world and has driven progress for years yet has a deep nasty (and stupid) underbelly.
I think, by any meaningful measure I can think of, he’s been better-than-average. A B/B+ to use the American grading system, but at a time when the test has been made impossibly difficult. He hasn’t done any catastrophic damage, a la Bush Jr., and he’s managed to pass some significant legislation. Actually a lot more than just health care. Click on this site and refresh periodically for a taste:
http://www.whatthef**khasobamadonesofar.com/
…oh, and replace those ** with the appropriate letters first.
The things he hasn’t done are what might garner him an “A,” i.e. emphatically solve the entanglements in Iraq and Afghanistan, or bring a quicker-than-expected end to the economic downturn.
But if it does turn around before the 2012 elections–and I expect it will–get ready for him to receive praise for things deserved and undeserved. Just like Clinton and Reagan did after their respective recessions ended.
As for Romney, yeah he’s the least bad of the bunch, but he’s also a chameleon. Actually, he adjusts his policies to the demands of the populace, even if it means going contrary to his own personal beliefs and previously stated platforms. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I’m not sure where I fall on that…
Yes, in a hindsight its pretty easy to see that “Yes We Can” is now “Thought We Could”.
Is Obama judged on his economic policy? Is he a Keynesian? These Americans have the answer:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/23/is-obama-a-keynesian.aspx
Hi Ari,
Mmmm If those Americans have the answer then it was a very weird question. It is interesting the amount of polarisation the man generates. Another article on the site “The Food Industry Challenges That Obama Needs to Address ” WTF??? Obama needs to address, is it really reasonable to think a President is going to get down to that level when their are whole departments and regulatory bodies…but no according to these guys. Same with the economy..
Oh BTW Ari,
Contrary to common Myth I am not a Obama supporter or defender, however once McCain hooked up with the street trash from Alaska then there was no choice for the US public (Could any rational person really feel comfortable with her at the helm?).
I just cannot fathom the hatred and nonsense that goes on towards to what is a fairly run of the mill president. Certainly it highlights the darkest underbelly of great nation, as some one said USA is an amazing place achieves such great good and great things seemingly in spite of itself.
Ody,
Personally I think he (Like Rudd and SBY) talked a good race but had no control of its minions which has set him up to fail. What the minions didn’t understand was the looney tunes needed coddling and cuddling as Mark Twain (?) once said “no-one ever went broke over estimating the intelligence of the American voter.”
The comedian appearing in the video I posted knew what level of information he was going to deal with.
Mmmm…If I was not so busy I would have to sit and ponder if I have been insulted or not ..hehe
I love Obama
Obama was “elected by an overwhelming majority of the people” was he? Strange as I think he actually got pretty much the same percentage of the vote as George W. Bush got in 2004; 51-52% give or take a point or two.
And with regard to the “visceral hatred” displayed towards the Obama administration, er, were you asleep through the years of Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld? As I recall there was never as much eye-popping, vein throbbing, mind blowing, foam flecked, hysterical, downright lunatic hatred displayed towards any US president as that directed against “Dubya” (“BusHitler” to give him his correct name).
Obama has got it easy by comparison, at least he had the tongues of Hollywood, Academia and the mainstream media (not to mention Wall Street, a dirty little secret conveniently overlooked) pretty firmly embedded in his back passage from the start which is a luxury never enjoyed by the boy from Texas.
But maybe the hatred directed against Dubya was “racist” too?
Could you possibly accept that while you might have some sympathy for Obama and you may like some of his policies, there might just be some other people, just as rational and intelligent as you, who happen to disagree with them and do so for perfectly valid political reasons, reasons you might not accept but nonetheless genuinely held by them without being evil racists?
BB,
On your last passage, yes absolutely, of course. And I think in Oigal’s case in particular he’s made it clear from the get-go that he ain’t no Obama fan.
But seriously, just go and have a look at the Barry Obama thread on the main IM site, look at all the unhinged nut-jobs passing comment on Obama – comment almost always hinging upon his supposed place of birth, citizenship, or religion (which do all, it must be said, make pretty good ciphers for… um… skin colour) – and tell me that Obama’s presidency hasn’t set a certain kind of dog howling particularly loudly (though as Odinius points out above, they were raising a similar din during the Clinton years too),
One may try to find different pretexts for the lack of sympathy, even hate, Obama has to deal with in his country.
The truth is – and I gather this from comments I receive from friends in the US during the time I’ve lived there – that he isn’t considered to be one of ‘us’, no WASP. Hence the mistrust. Then he made some capital blunders in the eyes of Joe Public, like bowing in front of the king of Saudi Arabia which fed already existing suspicions that he is a crypto-muslim since the time he was brought up in Indonesia. Also his stance on some issues like abortion, which in the US is a major wedge between vast swathes of the population, makes him to a prime target for conservatives and those who regret the downfall of American morality.
BB said:
Actually, he won the largest percentage of the popular vote of any presidential candidate since George H. W. Bush in 1988.
The first crucial difference here is that the Bush-hate came after things like the PATRIOT Act and the war in Iraq. So, really, it was a reaction to actual things he had actually done. In this case, it began as soon as the wingnuts saw a center-left candidate with dark skin.
The second crucial difference, of course, is that America’s wingnuts far outnumber its moonbats. That means the right-wing crazies have far more influence on politics than the left-wing crazies, making them considerably more dangerous.
I guess that people who hated Bush were generally upper middle class whites and people who hate Obama are lower middle class whites?
And that in the former case he was accused of being a ‘fascist’ and possibly a ‘Nazi’; while in the latter case, Obama, he is accused of being a ‘socialist’ and possibly a ‘communist’.
Maybe its now forgotten but in 2000, in the Republican primaries, Karl Rove and his attack hounds successfully convinced a majority of the registered base that McCain’s patriotic credentials were somehow suspect. Ye, what’s more patriotic – POW chained to a wall in Hanoi or a jock skipping duty with the flying corps in Arkansaw?
Ain’t a lot of sense in large parts of the states.
Oh and I’ll again repeat it is only the US ‘left’ who should feel critical/deflated at the Obama presidency for his reluctance to instigate change and bring ‘hope’. That is if the opposition are still pining for another Reagan or Dubya.
Rusty, you might find this interesting, it tries to explain why left wing people nearly always end up feeling betrayed by ostensibly left wing leaders – I think it boils down to: because they can get away with it, they have no real enemies to the left during election time, um unless you count Ralph Nader; and in order to stay in power and remain top of the pops in the opinion polls, they have to reach out to the centre.
Can we ease off on the false outrage that anyone might suggest that Obama is Muslim?
I accept the man on his own declaration when he says he is not a Muslim, fair enough, but if a bloke called Patrick Francis O’Malley, son of an Irishman and then stepson of an Irishman, who spent part of his childhood in Kerry where he was registered at school as Irish tells me he’s not Irish I will take his word for it but I won’t be particularly surprised if other people suspect that he might be just a wee bit Irish.
As regards the suspicions surrounding Obama’s biographical details, well it’s hardly surprising given a) the huge unaccounted for gaps in his life story and b) the total lack of interest displayed by the media when it came to checking out his past. Dubya’s life story and that of his family going back generations were and continue to be parsed and analysed into the finest detail, indeed so fascinated were the media at trying to dig up dirt on Bush one major media network even accepted blatantly forged documents about his military record and ran with them prominently during the presidential election.
Look at Sarah Palin, every single, minute detail about her and more shockingly her children has been aired and picked over by the media and press but when it comes to Obama, a man who seemed to rise utterly without trace, a man with no clear career path or academic record or indeed voting history, suddenly leapt onto the presidential stage and everyone simply accepted the story which he assiduously created about himself without question and anyone who did raise questions was dismissed as a, wait for it, “racist!”.
On the subject of Sarah Palin can I just point out the blinding hypocrisy of those people who get oh so precious about criticism of Obama but who have no difficulty throwing the most disgusting, inhuman, degrading, offensive and downright vile abuse at her and her family (see a couple of choice examples above)?
Double standards anyone?
i’m not an american but i wonder why did you mention
? … as i’m pretty sure there are a lot of articles about obama’s life, his biography, etc. … are they not enough? i think we can read what we want to know from there
as for the ‘similar abuse’ that sarah palin get compared to obama, as you pointed out … it seems that every politician in the usa will get it, right? it comes with the job. it isn’t nice, obviously. something is wrong with the american public …
BB said:
On the subject of Sarah Palin can I just point out the blinding hypocrisy of those people who get oh so precious about criticism of Obama but who have no difficulty throwing the most disgusting, inhuman, degrading, offensive and downright vile abuse at her and her family (see a couple of choice examples above)?
Double standards anyone?
The difference is that Sarah Palin severely lacks the basic factual knowledge and analytical abilities needed to be leader of the most powerful country in the world. Even if her politics weren’t objectionable, her lack of basic skills would be. This is why most intellectual conservatives also find the notion of her near the seat of power deeply disturbing.
There are plenty of competent and intelligent candidates the GOP can put up; she is not one of them.
Thanks BB,
I do like the “I don’t believe she would be having affair but I heard down the supermarket” line of getting your point out there.
So it another words, its all a conspiracy
. It is worth asking again what exactly has BO done that is so far from a Rep President would do as it gets a bit hazy once we move past the “chinese” whispers nonsense.
As regards the suspicions surrounding Obama’s biographical details, well it’s hardly surprising given a) the huge unaccounted for gaps in his life story and b) the total lack of interest displayed by the media when it came to checking out his past.
Yes, I am sure the media are all part of the master plan as we all know they are not driven by $$ and the next big scandal.
As for Palin..would anyone really be comfortable with her in charge of the most powerful nation in the world?? Although I did like her declaration of support for the USA’s “North” Korean allies last week on fox, ok a slip of tongue perhaps but still amusing.
No doubt she was very much a contributing factor in BO elections, how many people voted Dem and BO just in case McCain died and left her hand on the tiller?? Scary for the Reps, is she is shaping up to split the vote again..brillant!
Yes David, a very telling article; a barbed indictment of politics and democracy in the States when only a cynic can be the exemplar of wisdom.
TBH I’m not too surprised at how the Obama Presidency has unfolded. By bringing Rahm Emanuel on board he had signalled strongly to the Israeli lobby that the status quo remained in that particular bi-lateral relationship and Israel as a gesture to their new poodle completed the Gaza inferno prior to the February inaugeration. During which Obama performed a good enactment of ‘Pontius Pilot’.
He’d informed us about the escalation in Afghanistan; and to be candid many lefties actually support the ‘salvation’ mission to rescue the daughters of that benighted land. Saving the banks with taxpayers billions was a shared agenda by both sides and the post election opposition to big govt/increasing the deficit which galvanized around the issue of Health Care is just opportunistic politics.
But what the latter unleashed – and my cynical inclination is to believe deliberately – was the raw underbelly of spite, distrust and visceral distaste for difference that lays buried in the middle-American psyche. The very uncomfortable issue of ‘Race’. And it is this issue tied in with the futility of the war on drugs – my crusading issue – which acts as a proxy instruement of Black oppression that I believe needs address by this White House admim.
Now, my reasons for being critical of Obama are twofold. First to expose, as in the link by David above, that its the ‘progressive’ base and not their conservative rivals that should most resonate with disappointment. Thus I’m attempting to unearth the real driver of the visceral hostility to Obama. And secondly, with it established what constitutes the motivation for the raw crescendo of spiel directed at Obama that he stands up for the main constituency that elected him, that invested their deepest hopes, who once again dared to believe that they genuinely are citizenry as reciprocally invested to any WASP, Okie and second generation Irish Mick, not some sub-group confined to the ghetto, entertainment or cannon fodder in the endless military escapades.
But Obama seems very reluctant to engage this debate and well race relations seem to have been set back a generation – just look at dangerous manipulators like Brinehart and the targeting of the Black agricultural inspector in Georgia, and the cowardly kneejerk W. House who promptly sacked this diligent, humane public official – and, well I don’t know how the necessary catharis can ever come if it isn’t attempted at this juncture.
And So is it reasonable to query if President Obama has a genuine emotional attachment to the problems unfortunately associated with the Black community? Or was he a skillful manipulator, laughing at the gullability of the Chicago radicals, an Uncle Tom charlatan as Jesse Jackson suggested who only broached race to undermine the honestly liberal Clintons? To these questions I sincerely hope that actions will suggest I am too negitive, just another misplaced cynic. But all who espouse the desire of a post-racial America have only an emotional Mrs Obama’s breakdown at a speech to high school students in Anacostia to believe that the hopes of those young marginalized Blacks have not been entirely discarded by this consensus/status quo admimistration.
Yes David, a very telling article; a barbed indictment of politics and democracy in the States when only a cynic can be the exemplar of wisdom.
TBH I’m not too surprised at how the Obama Presidency has unfolded. By bringing Rahm Emanuel on board he had signalled strongly to the Israeli lobby that the status quo remained in that particular bi-lateral relationship and Israel as a gesture to their new poodle completed the Gaza inferno prior to the February inaugeration. During which Obama performed a good enactment of ‘Pontius Pilot’.
He’d informed us about the escalation in Afghanistan; and to be candid many lefties actually support the ‘salvation’ mission to rescue the daughters of that benighted land. Saving the banks with taxpayers billions was a shared agenda by both sides and the post election opposition to big govt/increasing the deficit which galvanized around the issue of Health Care is just opportunistic politics.
But what the latter unleashed – and my cynical inclination is to believe deliberately – was the raw underbelly of spite, distrust and visceral distaste for difference that lays buried in the middle-American psyche. The very uncomfortable issue of ‘Race’. And it is this issue tied in with the futility of the war on drugs – my crusading issue – which acts as a proxy instruement of Black oppression that I believe needs address by this White House admim.
Now, my reasons for being critical of Obama are twofold. First to expose, as in the link by David above, that its the ‘progressive’ base and not their conservative rivals that should most resonate with disappointment. Thus I’m attempting to unearth the real driver of the visceral hostility to Obama. And secondly, with it established what constitutes the motivation for the raw crescendo of spiel directed at Obama that he stands up for the main constituency that elected him, that invested their deepest hopes, who once again dared to believe that they genuinely are citizenry, as reciprocally invested to any WASP, Okie and second generation Irish Mick, not some sub-group confined to the ghetto, entertainment or cannon fodder in the endless military escapades.
But Obama seems very reluctant to engage this debate and well race relations seem to have been set back a generation – just look at dangerous manipulators like Brinehart and the targeting of the Black agricultural inspector in Georgia, and the cowardly kneejerk W. House who promptly sacked this diligent, humane public official – and, well I don’t know how the necessary catharis can ever come if it isn’t attempted at this juncture.
And So is it reasonable to query if President Obama has a genuine emotional attachment to the problems unfortunately associated with the Black community? Or was he a skillful manipulator, laughing at the gullability of the Chicago radicals, an Uncle Tom charlatan as Jesse Jackson suggested who only broached race to undermine the honestly liberal Clintons? To these questions I sincerely hope that actions will suggest I am too negitive, just another misplaced cynic. But all who espouse the desire of a post-racial America have only an emotional Mrs Obama’s breakdown at a speech to high school students in Anacostia to believe that the hopes of those young marginalized Blacks have not been entirely discarded by this consensus/status quo admimistration.
So let me get this straight; it is acceptable to hate George Bush and Sarah Palin, to accuse them and their families of all sorts of abominable behaviour, to insult, lampoon, sneer at and threaten them and their families because, well, basically you don’t like them and their policies, that’s fair enough.
However to do the same thing to Barack Obama because you don’t like him and his policies, that’s “racist!” that is.
Glad we got that cleared up.
Actually BB, You demonstrate the very point I was making…Bush got stick for the very same policies that BO has in reality and/or expanded yet the looney cons have launched into the most bizarre conspiracy mode time and again..Have a look at a the resident loon for examples. Yet when pushed I have yet to see a policy that is so out there that could or should raise such ire from the looney right. Once again..please point out a policy that is so anti-americian that deserves the rage??