Posted on 01/08/2008 3:55:36 AM PST by Kaslin
We are repeatedly told by the news media that there is a deep, almost palpable, yearning among Americans for unity. And Sen. Barack Obama's repeated and eloquent claims to being able to unite Americans are a major reason for his present, and very possibly eventual, success in his quest for his party's nomination for president of the United States.
I do not doubt Mr. Obama's sincerity. The wish that all people be united is an elemental human desire. But there are two major problems with it. First, it is not truly honest. Second, it is childish.
First is its dishonesty. Virtually all calls for unity -- whether national, international or religious (as in calls for Christian unity) -- do not tell the whole truth.
If those who call for unity told the whole truth, this is what they would say: "I want everyone to unite -- behind my values. I want everyone who disagrees with me to change the way they think so that we can all be united. I myself have no plans to change my positions on any important issues in order to achieve this unity. So in order to achieve it, I assume that all of you who differ with me will change your views and values and embrace mine."
Take any important issue that divides Americans and explain exactly how unity can be achieved without one of the two sides giving up its values and embracing the other side's values.
Barack Obama wants American troops out of Iraq now. About half of America believes that American troops abandoning Iraq will lead to making that country the world's center of terror and to the greatest victory thus far for the greatest organized evil in the world today. How, then, will Mr. Obama achieve unity on Iraq?
Mr. Obama believes in repealing the tax cuts enacted by the Bush administration. How will he achieve unity on that? Many of us believe that re-raising taxes will bring on a recession.
And what is the "unity" position on same-sex marriage? Either one supports it or one supports keeping marriage defined as the legal union of a man and a woman. The only way to unite Americans on this issue -- and I don't know what is more seminal to civilization than its definition of marriage -- is to convince all, or at least most, Americans to embrace one of the two positions.
It is fascinating how little introspection Sen. Obama's "unity" supporters engage in -- they are usually the very people who most forcefully advocate multiculturalism, who scoff at the idea of an American melting pot and who oppose something as basic to American unity as declaring English the country's national language.
Their advocacy of multiculturalism and opposition to declaring English the national language are proof that the calls of the left-wing supporters of Barack Obama for American unity are one or more of three things: 1. A call for all Americans to agree with them and become fellow leftists. 2. A nice-sounding cover for their left-wing policies. 3. A way to further their demonizing of the Bush administration as "divisive."
In case the reader should dismiss these observations about calls for unity as political partisanship, let me make clear that they are equally applicable to calls for religious unity. For example, one regularly hears calls by many Christians for Christian unity. But how exactly will this be achieved? Will Catholics stop believing in their catechism and embrace Protestant theology, or will Protestants begin to regard the pope Christ's vicar on earth?
Ironically, one reason America became the freest country in the world was thanks to its being founded by disunited Christians -- all those Protestant denominations had to figure out a way to live together and make a nation.
Given what Sen. Obama's calls for unity really mean -- let's all go left -- it is no wonder he and his calls for unity are enthusiastically embraced by the liberal media.
For nearly eight years the media and Democrats have labeled President Bush's policies "divisive" simply because they don't agree with them. They are not one whit more divisive than Sen. Obama's positions. A question for Democrats, the media and other Obama supporters: How exactly are Mr. Obama's left-wing political positions any less "divisive" than President Bush's right-wing positions?
Second, the craving for unity is frequently childish. As we mature we understand that decent people will differ politically and theologically. The mature yearn for unity only on a handful of fundamental values, such as: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Beyond such basics, we yearn for civil discourse and tolerance, not unity.
The next time Sen. Obama speaks with his usual passion and eloquence about his desire to unite Americans, someone must ask him two questions: Why are your left-wing positions any less divisive than President Bush's right-wing positions? And if you are so committed to uniting Americans, why did you vote against declaring English our national, i.e., our unifying, language? Without compelling answers, Sen. Obama's calls for American unity are no more than calls to unite around his politics and him.
Good post.
Good article. I suspect if someone dissects everything else Obama says, it will all wash out as B.S. as well.
Another question for BO: if he isn’t a Muslim any longer, let him explain to the American people when and why he left the faith.
BUMP, good article
Excellent piece.
When I see pictures on Yahoo of Obama fans crying, I cringe. A president doesn't "bring us together," we ARE as "together" as we're ever going to get.
People who crave "unity" seem to find disagreement horrifying. I don't. Independence is what I love about being an American, and I don't feel the need for some childish It Takes a Village fantasy of national unity.
Yep, read his history! If you do not think that the Mussies could create an eloquent speaker to get control of our country, people are fooling themselves. Remember, they want to assimilate and play like they are a part of this country. I do not know for certain, but do not want to take a chance on this dufus.
Thanks to Dennis for another C word- clarity.
Good article. The Sheep will never read it, but a good article.
I do not wish to be united with people who want to take my money and make our nation weak. I want to oppose such people at every opportunity.
The unity position on same-sex marriage is to convince supporters of traditional marriage that government has no business defining marriage and can only be destructive to the institution, and thus should get out of the marriage business. People were getting married long before the United States came along. We do not need the state's heavy hand in such things.
Any truly dedicated President of good character is simply not going to waffle his/her core beliefs as the wind blows. Either you're for abortion or not, etc.
Therefore, around half of Americans are never going to agree with the President on divisive issues. A real leader will always be called a divider.
To me its very telling that they have been saying that his surge is due to his ability to bring out the “youth vote”.
That makes me shake my head. Not knocking the youth of this country but when a persons support comes decisively from youth...I look back to when I was one of the Youth.
My views and opinions have changed, now coming from a more realistic and less idealized view of the world. Simple facts that one would rather not embrace have had to be confronted with the wisdom of time and age and experience.
So when people accuse Obama of no experience...its true on more than one level. What he is preaching to our youth...is an idealized version of the truth. And that is dangerous in the real world we live in.
Does his church practice unity?
Good article.
At Last! Somebody tells the Truth.
Thanks for posting.
OR, how he is going to avoid the consequences of leaving Islam if he IS a Christian now.......
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