Obamalism

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)

Obama Bid to Turn to Moderate Taliban 'Will Fail'
THE GUARDIAN: Co-opting fighters unlikely to succeed, say critics / Fighters view US overture as sign of weakness

Barack Obama's call for "moderate" Taliban members to be brought in from the cold met with scepticism yesterday from leading Afghan opposition figures, who warned that co-opting fighters would fail as long as Hamid Karzai's government appeared weak and corrupt.

Repeating a successful strategy in Iraq, Obama floated the idea of appealing to Taliban adherents who are alienated by the extremism of al-Qaida fighters and might be prepared to switch sides.

"Part of the success in Iraq involved reaching out to people that we would consider to be Islamic fundamentalists but who were willing to work with us because they had been completely alienated by the tactics of al-Qaida in Iraq," Obama said in an interview published yesterday. "There may be some comparable opportunities in Afghanistan and the Pakistani region."

But opposition figures warned that insurgents groups rarely ceded ground when they thought they were winning.

Ashraf Ghani, a former Afghanistan finance minister, who is to stand as presidential candiate in the elections in August, said: "I don't know of a single peace process that has been successfully negotiated from a position of weakness or stalemate."

A Taliban spokesman, who said that the US president's overture was a sign of weakness, poured cold water on the notion that "moderate" fighters could be easily turned. >>> Jon Boone in Kabul | Monday, March 9, 2009

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Obama Is Setting Himself and the West Up for Complete Failure!
All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure. – Mark Twain, Letter to Mrs Foote, Dec. 2, 1887
The West faces two great challenges today: The survival of capitalism, an economic system which has brought prosperity to the masses; and the survival of Judeo-Christianity, a religious system which has brought civilization to us all. Without both, we would be very much more impoverished today, and we probably would still be living in a state of benightedness. Alas, because of recent failures in the economic system, our commitment to capitalism is appearing weak and shaky, and because of the Jihad being waged against a weakened West, our commitment to Judeo-Christianity is appearing weak and shaky, too.

We need to renew our commitment to both the economic system and to the underpinnings of our civilization, but to do that, we need good, strong leadership, and leadership from people who are equally committed to both capitalism and Judeo-Christianity. Sadly, such commitment is nowhere to be found.

In order to surmount these two great challenges we are now facing, we need crystal clear thinking and total commitment to the purpose. To-date, there is evidence of neither crystal clear thinking nor commitment to the civilization which is the keystone of our freedoms and way of life.

President Obama was swept to power in the belief that his administration would usher in a new dawn. He came to power on a promise of hope and change, though before the election, he omitted to explain to the electors what that “hope” stood for, and what that “change” would mean for Americans and for the world.

Obama’s confidence was so great that he promised us all that after his administration, the world would be a very different place. The “audacity of hope” indeed. One could also add the audacity of an upstart!

We all know that Obama wishes to stimulate the American economy by spend, spend, spending. The stimulus package worth $825bn shows Obama’s commitment to spending other people’s money: Taxpayers’ money! For as we all know, governments do not have any money; they have only other people’s.

This stimulus package is being hailed as some kind of stroke of Obama genius, whereas, in actual fact, it is old hat. He is only proposing what socialists have proposed down over the ages: To tax and spend. The only thing that is possibly new about Obama’s proposal is the scale of the stimulus package.

Spending money on roads and other infrastructure is all well and good, and doubtless there are many areas in America which need road-renewal programmes, and badly; but such spending will take a very long time to have an effect on the American economy. The lead-in times are going to be long; these projects are not going to have the immediate effects that Obama will surely be hoping for.

Further, spending public money on this vast scale is a sure recipe for corruption. Contractors, and many others, will be able to dip their hands into the overflowing pots of gold, and help themselves. If Obama thinks he can develop a system that will prevent this from happening, then he is naïver than even I thought.

Then there is the problem which spending public money on such a grand scale will bring with it: It will bring impoverishment to future generations, since future generations will be burdened with the massive debt which today’s generation is in the process of getting itself into.

Government intervention is now the order of the day, and on both sides of the Atlantic. But for government intervention, you can read socialism. For that is the path we are now going down. Wherever and whenever governments get involved in private businesses and corporations, their intervention and the ensuing government regulations end up crippling business communities and stifling initiative.

There is no doubt that we have got into this dire economic situation because of greed; and that greed was born in the complete and utter deregulation of the Reagan and Thatcher years. But what they did was not wrong at all, for their policies proved to be vote-winning, and they led to prosperity. The problems arose not because of the Reaganite and Thatcherite policies themselves, but because they were allowed, over the years long after both leaders had left power, to go on and on, unchecked.

So now, instead of following Friedmanite principles, principles which have been proved to work, we are in the process of throwing out capitalist principles: We are throwing the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak. And, as a consequence, we are being taken down the socialist route, taken down the road which leads to higher and higher taxes, increasing government interference, and stifled initiative. It is a road which leads to no paradise! Of that, be sure!

Of course, the excesses of many, especially bankers and their ilk, need to be curbed. It makes absolutely no sense to allow such people to keep paying themselves vulgar and enormous bonuses, especially when many others are experiencing difficulty in feeding their families. But that is an argument for strong government to put a stop to the worst excesses of the capitalist system; it is not an argument for abandoning the system altogether.

We need to reaffirm our commitment to the system by making it possible for people to start up businesses. This can be done with substantial tax breaks and, where necessary, government loans, subsidies, and grants. Unburden the people of their onerous taxation! Set the people free! Let them work and keep the fruits of their labours! Encourage manufacturing! Encourage initiative! Bring out the best in America!

In my judgement, the way Obama is going about correcting the economy, when Obama will no longer be the president of the USA, others will be left to pick up the pieces and pay the high taxes which he will surely introduce, since there is no other way to finance such an ambitious stimulus package. In short, President Obama shows no commitment to capitalism; on the contrary, his way of government is based on the socialist model.

But what is equally worrying, perhaps more worrying still, is Obama’s lack of commitment to Judeo-Christian civilization. In matters of faith, his vision is blurred to say the least. This is probably due to the nature of his family background.

This man is in grave danger of fudging the issues. Oh, sure he talks a good line. His tongue may well be said to be golden. But listen to what he says – carefully. Then you will be able to dissect the character, and see what he truly stands for. He kept those things well hidden from the people before he was elected, but that is going to be very much more difficult for him from now on. His mask is already beginning to slip.

Only yesterday, in a National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton, Obama spoke in a manner which was more redolent of a preacher than a politician. (That is worrying in itself.) It is well worth taking the time to hear what he had to say. You will find that he is not committed to Judeo-Christianity, and further, he has what can best be described as a view of the world which would do Pollyanna much justice!

Obama stated that “faith should not divide us”. Yes, Obama, in an ideal world, faith should indeed not divide us; but in the real world it truly does. And most definitely. It is in the real world that we have to live; and we have to deal with the challenges the real world kicks up for us. One of these challenges is precisely that faith does divide us. It is especially true to say that the faith of Islam is diametrically-opposed to the faiths of Judaism and Christianity. No sweet words from you, Mr President, will change this fact.

Further, Obama stated in the ‘National Prayer Breakfast’ that there is no religion whose central “tenant’ [sic] is hate. Well that’s where Obama is wrong again. Islam does have hate programmed into the faith. It is a tenet of that faith. A Muslim is to love only his brother or sister in Islam. He is not to love a Christian; and as we can see on a day-to-day basis, he is certainly not to love a Jew. Hence the basis for all the anti-Semitism we find in Islam since its birth.

Then there was the point he raised about the hadith, which states that “none of you [Muslims] truly believes unless you wish for your brothers what you wish for yourself”. Surely Obama cannot be this naïve! He must surely understand that this hadith relates to a Muslim’s brother in Islam – and to nobody else!

Then he spoke of the ‘Golden Rule’, which, he says, all religions have. The ‘Golden Rule’ of course is that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us. As the son of a Muslim father, Obama should know that Islam does not have the concept of the ‘Golden Rule’. It is singularly absent in that faith.

From his speech at the ‘National Prayer Breakfast’, we learnt more about Obama’s understanding of faith than we have ever learnt before. My understanding of his understanding is this: His father was a Muslim who turned to atheism. His mother was suspicious of all organized religions. His grandparents were non-practising Methodists and Baptists; and Obama himself joined the Trinity United Church of Jesus Christ in Chicago, under the leadership of Rev Jeremiah Wright Jr. This is a concoction of faith which cannot possibly lead to clarity of thought, still less to commitment to Judeo-Christianity.

The following has been said about the Church Obama attended in Chicago:

Jesus is black. Merging Marxism with Christian Gospel may show the way to a better tomorrow. The white church in America is the Antichrist because it supported slavery and segregation.

Those are some of the more provocative doctrines that animate the theology at the core of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Barack Obama's church.

…

[Rev. Jeremiah A.] Wright [Jr.] has said that a basis for Trinity's philosophies is the work of James Cone, who founded the modern black liberation theology movement out of the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. Particularly influential was Cone's seminal 1969 book, "Black Theology & Black Power."

Cone wrote that the United States was a white racist nation and the white church was the Antichrist for having supported slavery and segregation.

Today, Cone, a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York, stands by that view, but also makes clear that he doesn't believe that whites individually are the Antichrist.

In an interview, Cone said that when he was asked which church most embodied his message, "I would point to that church (Trinity) first." – Source

This says a lot about Obama. So where is Obama’s commitment to Judeo-Christian civilization? As he stated in the prayer meeting, his administration will not favour any one religious group over another. And herein lies the rub. How can we win a war against an implacable enemy, an enemy which is so committed to its own religion and ‘civilization’ that it will stop at nothing to win, stop at nothing to bring us down, when we ourselves are not committed to ours?

It would appear that Obama’s thinking on religion is as fudged as is his thinking on economics. He may well have been educated in Harvard; but so far, it doesn’t show.

What is needed at this very important stage in the development of the Western world is a renewed commitment to the principles which underpin our civilization, and a commitment, too, to the economic system which has brought us all so much. Capitalism has brought us material wealth unparalleled and unheard of in parts of the world following different economic models; and Judeo-Christianity has brought us civilized behaviour and unparalleled achievements in the sciences, in the arts, in education, in medicine, and in a wealth of other areas besides, such as human rights. Islam cannot compare in matters of achievement, no more than it can compare in matters of freedom, human rights, or in any other field of human endeavour. Yet we in the West find ourselves bereft of the very leaders we need to guide us forwards and upwards. There are many mountains to climb, many achievements still to be attained. Yet we find ourselves doubting the very validity of the founding principles of our economic system and our superior civilization.

Given such deep-seated doubts, it is hard to see how we can come out of all these tribulations unscathed. We are in danger of losing the best economic system ever devised by man, losing the best political system – democracy – ever conceived in the minds of man, however flawed it may be, and we are in danger of losing our civilization, for lack of knowledge, lack of clear thought, lack of courage, lack of commitment, and lack of foresight.

We need to move forward with confidence in both areas: We need confidence in capitalism, whilst at the same time correcting its excesses; and we need to thwart the advance of the enemy. And that enemy is Islam. Of that, be sure. It is not some bastardized version of the faith; it is the very faith itself. Islam and democracy are immiscible, and the capitalist system is incompatible with Islam too, committed as the latter is to Islamic economics and Shari’ah finance. This system of economics is not what the West was built on; but greed here, too, is guiding us up the garden path, since there is money to be made aplenty in Shari’ah finance.

The Jihad is being waged against the West for one purpose, and one purpose only; and that purpose is to supplant our civilization with an Islamic one – if civilization it may indeed be called; and the next purpose is to supplant our economic model of capitalism with a model based on Islamic economics and finance.

Obama, with all his smooth talk and sweet words, will not change these facts. He may be able to hoodwink his own people, but he will not hoodwink the Jihadis who are fighting us. Obama wants to reach out to the Islamic world, but what he should be doing is keeping the Islamic world at bay. He wants to “win hearts and minds” in the Muslim world, too. But that will be to no avail. It is a corny term, and it will surely be a fruitless exercise. A complete and utter waste of time, since the people who are fighting the Jihad on behalf of Islam are hardly the kind of people whose hearts and minds can be won!

Mark Twain’s quotation about ignorance and confidence leading to sure success is very pertinent here, for Obama certainly is displaying ignorance of both economics and Islam, and at very least he is displaying his naïveté. His ignorance was kept well under wraps in the lead up to his election, but his confidence was present in abundance. Both have brought him success in his bid to become the first black president; but it is doubtful – very doubtful – that this will be the winning formula, the winning combination in putting capitalism back together again, for capitalism, at the moment, rather resembles Humpty-Dumpty, whilst Judeo-Christianity resembles a boat without a rudder, and one on the high seas at that! One can have only skepticism of Obama’s recipe for correcting the ailing economy; for his recipe in dealing with the Islamic world, one can have only fear – fear of abject failure!

©Mark Alexander

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Same Old Fudges and Loopholes in Obama's New Era of Ethics
THE TELEGRAPH: The sheen is already coming off the Obama presidency.

What a difference an election makes. On the campaign trail, candidate Barack Obama vowed to fix Washington's "broken politics", which had become "gummed up by money and influence". In the age of Obama, he promised, government would no longer be "a tool to enrich friends and high-priced lobbyists". The stakes were too high to play the "same old Washington games with the same old Washington players". The slogan was: "Change you can believe in."

Now that he is in office, however, the new dawn is looking like a false one. His administration is crammed to the gills with alumni of Bill Clinton's White House; Hillary Clinton, whom Obama mocked as the epitome of what was wrong with politics, is now secretary of state.

There have been attempts to give lobbyists top jobs in the Obama administration. Tom Daschle, a former senator and the personification of the slick operator richly rewarded for his influence-peddling, was nominated as health secretary. As with two other Obama nominees, it subsequently emerged that he had failed to pay all his taxes, and yesterday he was forced to withdraw his name from consideration.

President Obama still sounds a lot like candidate Obama. On day one in the White House, he announced that he was closing "the revolving door that lets lobbyists come into government freely" and making "a clean break from business as usual". His new ethics and transparency rules were, he ventured, "historic measures".

But the sheen is already coming off, as realities takes its toll. Two days after he had looked Americans in the eye and told them that this was a new ethical dawn, the President waived his "historic" rule. William Lynn, a lobbyist for the defence giant Raytheon, was nominated as the deputy Pentagon chief. There would always be "reasonable exceptions", the White House press secretary insisted.

"If you are a lobbyist entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years," Mr Obama had said. He neglected to add the footnote: "Except when it suits us otherwise." >>> By Toby Harnden | Tuesday, February 3, 2009

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Barack Obama's Half-brother George Arrested in Kenya over Drugs
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama's Kenyan half-brother, George, has been arrested by police in Nairobi on suspicion of possessing marijuana.

The 24-year-old, who denies the allegation, was told he would face a court hearing on Monday.

President Obama's young half-sibling was in the headlines last year after it was revealed that he was living in a corrugated iron shack in a sprawling slum as his brother ran for the most powerful job in the world.

George, who was the son of Mr Obama's father by his second wife, was one of the president's few close relatives who did not travel to Washington for the inauguration on Jan 20.

The two met previously when Mr Obama visited his ancestral homeland in an encounter that he described as a "painful affair" in his memoir Dreams from My Father.

Inspector Augustine Mutembei said the trainee mechanic would face charges of possession of cannabis and resisting arrest. >>> By Philip Sherwell in New York | Saturday, January 31, 2008

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President Obama Shows His Naïveté If He Thinks He Can Take On Rush Limbaugh!
Photo of Rush Limbaugh courtesy of The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama is on a collision course with his critics after picking a fight with Rush Limbaugh, America's most influential conservative commentator.

Mr Obama has told Republicans in Washington to stop listening to the right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh, risking a new culture war with conservative voters.

His exhortation came as he enraged other Republicans by reversing George W Bush's ban on funding international aid to charities that perform or provide information about abortions.

After less than a week in office, Mr Obama's presidency is already encountering the very partisan bickering he had pledged to stamp out during his first 100 days.

He faces mounting criticism over his $825 billion economic stimulus plan, from Republican leaders who say the legislation has been drawn up without the input which Mr Obama had promised to allow them.

The president responded with a clear signal that he is prepared to ram the bill through without the bipartisan consensus he promised to construct, telling Republican leaders from the House of Representatives: "I won. I'm the president."

He then told them to break free of the confrontational mindset epitomised by Mr Limbaugh, the highest paid talk show host in America. "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," Mr Obama said.

His comments followed a blunt attack on him by Mr Limbaugh, who declared on air that he hoped Mr Obama would fail as president because otherwise it will usher in socialism. Barack Obama Picks a Fight with Rush Limbaugh as Bipartisan Spirit Crumbles >>> By Tim Shipman in Washington | Saturday, January 24, 2009

NEW YORK TIMES: Obama’s Partisan, Profane Confidant Reins It In

Photo of Rahm Emmanuel courtesy of The New York Times
WASHINGTON — Early this month, Barack Obama was meeting with the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and other lawmakers when Rahm Emanuel, his chief of staff, began nervously cracking a knuckle.

Mr. Obama then turned to complain to Mr. Emanuel about his noisy habit.

At which point, Mr. Emanuel held the offending knuckle up to Mr. Obama’s left ear and, like an annoying little brother, snapped off a few special cracks.

The episode, confirmed by Mr. Emanuel’s office, underscores some essential truths about Mr. Emanuel: He is brash, has a deep comfort level with his new boss, and has been ever-present at Mr. Obama’s side of late, in meetings, on podiums and in photographs.

There he was, standing at President Obama’s desk in one of the first Oval Office pictures; and again, playfully thumbing his nose at his former House colleagues during the inauguration; there he was, accompanying the president to a meeting with Congressional leaders on Friday.

Mr. Emanuel is arguably the second most powerful man in the country and, just a few days into his tenure, already one of the highest-profile chiefs of staff in recent memory. He starred in his own Mad magazine cartoon, won the “Your New Obama Hottie” contest on Gawker.com and has become something of a paparazzi icon around Washington.

In recent months, he has played a crucial role in the selection and courtship of nearly every cabinet member and key White House staff member.

Renowned as a fierce partisan, he has been an ardent ambassador to Republicans, including Mr. Obama’s defeated rival, Senator John McCain of Arizona. He has exerted influence on countless decisions; in meetings, administration officials say, Mr. Obama often allows him to speak first and last.

“You can see how he listens and reacts to Rahm,” said Ron Klain, the chief of staff to Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. “You can see that his opinion is being shaped.”

A reason Mr. Emanuel, 49, has drawn so much attention is that he seems to be in a kind of recalibration mode.

How will the feisty, bombastic and at times impulsive former congressman blend with the cool, collegial and deliberate culture of Obama World? And one that is trying to foster bipartisanship? This is someone who once wrote in Campaign and Elections magazine that “the untainted Republican has not yet been invented” and who two years ago — according to a book about Mr. Emanuel (“The Thumpin’ ” by Naftali Bendavid) — announced to his staff that Republicans are “bad people who deserve a two-by-four upside their heads.” >>> By Mark Leibovich | Saturday, January 24, 2009

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