We all knew this day would come. 
How could it not? With the MSM fawning over him like he is their savior and kids barely old enough to vote making videos of their love for him it was just a matter of time before Barack Obama started believing the hype:
In his closed door meeting with House Democrats this evening, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama delivered a real zinger. According to a witness, he was waxing lyrical about last week’s trip to Europe, when he concluded, “this is the moment, as Nancy [Pelosi] noted, that the world is waiting for.”The 200,000 souls who thronged to his speech in Berlin came not just for him, he told the enthralled audience of congressional representatives.
“I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions,” he said.
Oh boy. What did that prayer of his say again?
“Help me guard against pride……”
This messianic rhetoric matches his recently released ad in which he says “We are a beacon of light around the world. At least that’s what we can be again. That’s what we should be again.” Pretty much saying we are not a beacon of light NOW! (Tell that to the Iraqi’s who know have freedom from tyranny) but when he gets into power his greatness will bring back that beacon of light.
“We are better than the rest of the world”.
Believe me, Arthurstone, that could be signed by a French or a Spaniard. The difference is that they have less reasons to say it than Americans.
I live and work in California. During these years I have not seen around me (friends, work partners, people in general) a feeling of superiority towards Europeans. I have seen a feeling of pride for being American. Both things are compatible. I am proud of being Spanish, and at the same time I am able to recognize the many good things of other countries and the things that my country needs to improve.
But you won’t believe this. Many Europeans, particularly Spaniards (and also French), really think that they are better than the rest of the world, particularly better than Americans. The guys that organized two world wars, the same guys that organized communism or nazism, the guys that in the last Kosovo war didn’t know what to do and in fact didn’t do anything until Clinton brought American soldiers to die in Europe (one more time) and solved the problem (by the way, without a resolution of the UN, like in Iraq). The same guys that, when there is a problem, talk and talk and wait to see what USA does, and then criticize them if things go wrong. Those European guys, us, think that we are better than the rest of the world, particularly better than Americans, rude cowboys and farmers.
Of course, none of those Europeans have gone to USA, because those ideas are based on prejudice.
So, Arthurstone, this how it works: Europeans that have never been to USA accuse you of being “imperialistic” (it’s amazing how this relic from the soviet propaganda still works), and accuse the regular American of being arrogant and with a feeling of superiority. But, believe me, that is not what I see around in California. It is not what I see among my students of High School, among my fellow teachers.
Ergo, DON’T BELIEVE THEM just because they say that, don’t accept the language of the enemy.
Now, if you come to Spain or France and I guess many other European countries and you stay long enough to watch and read news and overhear conversations on the bus or the subway… you will find out that…
- The American Educational system is very bad and ours is much better.
- The American Medical system is only for wealthy people and poor people die and our “social security” is much better.
- The American Intelligence Services are a bunch of incompetents that make a lot of mistakes.
- The American society is very violent and all the arms they have cause a lot of deaths. Our societies are more civilized.
- The Judicial system is bad, because it only protects the wealthy people.
- It is a very poor democracy and the election system is very defective (the only country that has been a democracy from birth).
- The 2002 election Gore-Bush was a coup-d’état.
-Bush is a dumb cowboy and Reagan was a series B actor. Both incompetent what reveal the level of the people that elected them.
And on, and on, and on… Believe me, it is really difficult to listen GOOD things about USA here in Europe. It’s true that most of those critics come from the lefties, the same ones that worship Castro, and they are based on prejudice, but at the same time they have permeated among many people without clear political ideas.
I don’t see similar opinions among Americans regarding Europe.
So, who do you think are the ones who feel superior?
Speaking of Soviet-era relics, let me introduce you to Mike Hussein’s America and His Dancing Soviet Flag of Anachronistic Attack.
It would seem that you have not spent much time at Flopping Aces, though, because this is Jingoism Central.
You really are a legend in your own mind aren’t you comrade Dim Wit?
You’re denial of the ties of the left to a failed neosocialist/Marxist ideology only confirms the point!
Now go inflate your tires you oaf!
That is so TRUE, Mike, particularly here in Europe.
When the Soviet Bloc collapsed in 1989 and Socialism bit the dust, the left parties in the democracies were shocked for some time, but they managed to keep the same old rhetoric, although completely detached from reality now. If you ask a socialist what does it mean to be a socialist, he will probably mumble things like progress, social justice, peace and the same old rhetoric, but he won’t really be able to define his political position precisely. They are usually fed with propaganda, not with truth, and socialist leaders tend to despise their supporters and address them like idiots. Does it really matter that in socialist economies unemployment increases and people is poorer, like in Spain now? No, because socialists stand for progress, and social justice, and bla, bla, bla.
But reality has never been a problem for the left, since they openly disregard it. The “Socialist Dream” was a nightmare and they had to build a wall to prevent people from escaping. What do lefties think about that? No problem: the ideas supporting those criminal regimes were and are still good (social justice, progress, peace…), but the “application” was not right. And that means that they will try to apply them again in the future.
It’s not simply ties, Mike. I think is basically the same dog with different ropes.
Dave Noble #35
Sorry for the delay…. playing catch up inbetween work here.
Since the expression, “empty suit” has been around in the good ol’ US since the 60s, I’m surprised you either don’t know it’s meaning, or think it’s some sort of new phrase.
Empty suit is usually applied to business executives or politicians that are ineffectual blowhards with puffed up egos, or a bureaucrat lacking substance and individuality. i.e., a phoney. Or perhaps a waste of time, undeserving of attention. Take your pick. When it comes to BHO, they’re all applicable.
In the 60s hippies/commune heyday, it was used for those living capitalist conformisting lifestyles, and not embracing semi-Marxist theology. Or, basically, “the establishment”… another popular expression of that era.
So it’s an oldie but goodie catch phrase that’s appropriate even today.
Mataharley-
Well done.
Marxist thought control and collectivism has led us to wrack and ruin.
Again.
As those platitudes and generalizations you repeat about the “‘WWII’ generation” & ‘baby boomers’ & ‘leftists’ bring you such comfort far be it from me to attempt and persuade you of their imprecision and general uselessness.
Here’s a particular favorite:
‘Today we demonize the wealthy and successful.’
Not where I live. Here Costco, Microsoft and Starbucks millionaires are held in high regard. have you cracked a Vanity Fair or NY Times Sunday Magazine lately? The ‘demonization’ could easily be confused with adoration in my opinion. At the very least there is an endless fascination with ‘the wealthy and successful’ and and endless effort to become one of that crwd.
And just who is this *we*?
A quick question. Did your crowd warn against beginning down that slippery slope of socialism before or after they took advantage of the The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, known as the GI Bill?
Scriptament-
Sorry to read you teach high school.
Hope you don’t cover history, civics or current events.
How odd… as the King of imprecision and general uselessness, Arthur, it’s really the only place you excel. You’d find imprecision in a finely tuned Mercedes engine because that’s who you are and how you think. You’ll find a plug gapped with a nuance of difference than recommended, stand back with pride and say, “see??” It’s because you are so anal, you can’t get cleanly or clearly to any given point of thought or time.
Thus my boredom with you… which runneth over time at the moment.
Correction…..”
has ledis leading us to wrack and ruin”. With those such as you, doing more than your fair share.Oh that’s a hoot… Seatlle, anti-WTO riots. Oh yeah.. they are truly the showcase of urban America – a population that loves big business. And of course Microsoft hasn’t been demonized, Rip Van Arthurstone. Not is the last few minutes, at least.
But I guess if you know a couple locals in the ‘hood that loves Starbucks and their success, or hasn’t muttered obscenities today for any MS software and complained about monopoly, I guess you figure you can ignore the rest of the “big oil” and “big business” and “evil corporation” stuff.
Since you suffer from a reading disability… I’ll repeat
Govt programs created in good faith were not immediately riddled with corruption. Corruption occurs over time. All socialist policies look and sound good at the onset. Otherwise socialism/Marxism wouldn’t be a threat. If sin weren’t so dang much fun, everyone would be happy to be pious.
I did not discuss any particular govt program, but an observable societal trend. Nor will I be discussing any of the ga-zillion govt programs with you. Frankly, I’m way over quota with tolerance of you already. You’re still boring, and as predictable as a morning dump.
So you can go back to the usual, and address your utterings to others who give a rats arse about what you have to say. I dabbled for awhile, and confirmed it’s as uninteresting as ever. Getting into your head is so unpleasant because of where it resides in your lower orifice…
Ta ta
I teach Spanish, Arthurstone. I am from Spain.
Don’t worry about history, civics or current events. Some of those teachers have posters of Che Guevara in the room, or a Palestinian kid throwing stones to an Israeli tank with the word “Apartheid” on it. I have read some essays of 12th graders posted on some classes, insulting Bush and “his war”. Obviously, with the consent of the teacher and I presume with the influence of the teacher, visible for parents when they come for Open Night. All this is absolutely true.
What respect for his students and for himself can an American teacher have when he posts Che Guevara as a model on the walls of the room. Not Reagan, but the dumbass criminal Ernesto Che Guevara.
I don’t understand those American democrats.
Probably you know that the California Teacher Association was asking teachers to vote for Democrats. So, don’t worry, Arthurstone, the leftish ideology is properly covered in schools, (and I cannot vote in USA).
BTW, is Scriptamanent, not Scriptament. It’s a Latin expression, not uncommon: Verba volant, Scripta manent (Words fly away, but writings remain).
WTF??!!
WTO?
Are you kidding me? That is Seattle demonizing the *wealthy*? What a lazy thinker you are.
But I digress.
I asked:
A quick question. Did your crowd warn against beginning down that slippery slope of socialism before or after they took advantage of the The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, known as the GI Bill?
Mataharley deigned to answer:
Since you suffer from a reading disability… I’ll repeat
‘ The govt charity, of course, backfired mightily. It led to extreme govt waste with little of those charitable benefits getting to the recipients. None of the older generation I cherish supports govt charity where most is skimmed off the top. That’s not what they had in mind when they bought into giving a helping hand. They wanted to help… not support for life.’
I’ll take that as a no.
But of course *no one* “Wants” ‘gov’t charity where most is skimmed off the top’, which is why such a situation doesn’t exist. And of course even you know RR’s welfare queen in a cadillac is a myth but seems to be one you can’t (won’t) turn loose of.
http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/901/Who-Receives-Benefits-AN-OVERVIEW-WELFARE-PROGRAM-PARTICIPATION.html
And before you get completely misty eyed about the generation you cherish, let me remind you of just what they were capable of:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/promos/wirepicks/story/425725.html
America in decline?
I don’t think so.
I think we’ve made some progress.
Oh and careful with the *arse* business. Sounds arrogant.