Hanson: Our Chrysalis Stage
Only Room for One Obama?
I got a lot of flak the last year for writing two or three columns suggesting the Europeans and other Leftists abroad might be careful about what they wish for in Obama: he might well leap-frog over them, leaving them all with the world they used to fantasize about, while in reality they profited from the world they demonized. (As I wrote, a keen Frenchman whispered to me at a reception “There is room for only one to play Obama-and we are already Obama.”)
Comrade Hugo
Consider: the U.S. reacted quickly and meddled unambiguously in condemning the Honduran arrest of President Zelaya. It mattered little that for the first time in memory we Americans now were on the side of autocrats like Castro, Chavez, Morales, and Ortega in showing revolutionary solidarity with Zelaya ( and of course the UN as well).
We cared little that both the Honduran Supreme Court and Parliament had acted lawfully in ordering their President’s removal on grounds that he had acted unconstitutionally, in bold, unlawful efforts to obtain a third presidential term through a likely rigged plebiscite.
(It would be analogous to an Obama or Bush demanding a third term, illegally acquiring ballots to force a plebiscite, ignoring a Congressional conviction of impeachment, and a Supreme Court edict of unconstitutionality, only to be arrested by the Joint Chiefs and escorted out of the country).
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Cunctator Says:
While Hansen’s detractors will dismiss what he writes as more of the same critique of Obama, there is much to ponder in his article. Obama is shaping up to be a disaster as US president, pushing policies the implications of which run directly counter to the main tenets of US political culture and traditions. So, at some point, when Americans wake up to what he is doing, there will be a reaction and it could be quite hostile. Alienating one’s friends and allies abroad, portraying weakness on the international stage, and breeding a reaction at home, do not add up to a successful presidency.
Something has gone wrong in the Great Republic (and I use those words because I mean just that) to allow Obama to have ever been elected. Hopefully, it is just a passing phase that will end in about 3.5 years. If not, we are all going to be in trouble.
Posted on July 6th, 2009 at 9:52 am
nomdeblog Says:
On Pajamas posts I always scroll down to see David Thomson’s comments. They are usually quite harsh and hopefully they are a worst case scenario but they are plausible. They are always provocative. Here are his comment on the VDH post which nails the Euroweenies for what they have become:
4. David Thomson:
“There is room for only one to play Obama-and we (Europeans) are already Obama.”
Many Europeans are similar to teenagers who in their heart of hearts hope their parents don’t give in to their childish rants. They really want the adults in their lives to behave like adults. The United States has basically been an anchor of stability to the rest of the world. A very dangerous vacuum is created if we also opt to become childishly immature brats.
Posted on July 6th, 2009 at 9:56 am