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Why Obama Scares Me
Townhall.com ^ | March 21, 2014 | Mona Charen

Posted on 03/21/2014 6:09:22 AM PDT by Kaslin

The most febrile of George W. Bush haters liked to claim during his tenure that the former president "scared" them. There is far more reason to be frightened by President Barack Obama, because fecklessness and inconstancy trigger wars.

The outstanding example of weakness inviting aggression was the conduct of the democracies toward Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. Though it has been retroactively tainted as shameful cowardice, the policy of appeasement grew out of a "war weariness" that was far more understandable than our own. Britain and France suffered millions of dead and wounded in World War I and were desperate to avoid a repeat. The Munich Agreement, which ceded part of Czechoslovakia to Germany (without its consent), was signed by Britain and France in hopes that Hitler's ambitions were limited, but in any case because they believed appeasement was the best way to avoid war.

They couldn't have been more wrong. Hitler didn't, to put it mildly, share their abhorrence of war. He welcomed it (when he was sufficiently strong) and he interpreted their appeasement policy as weakness. They'd forgotten the Roman axiom: "If you want peace; prepare for war." In the end, they had to fight anyway, but only after permitting their enemy valuable time. Had the United States not been dragged into the war by Japan's attack and Hitler's declaration of war on us, the Axis powers would almost certainly have won.

In June of 1961, President John F. Kennedy met with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. The communist sized up the young president as callow and unimpressive. Kennedy said later that it was "the worst thing in my life. He savaged me." Eighteen months later, the world was plunged into a nuclear crisis as Kennedy was forced to respond to the USSR's placement of intermediate-range missiles in Cuba. Khrushchev had concluded that Kennedy could be rolled. The resulting showdown brought the world close to nuclear war.

In July of 1991, April Glaspie, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, met with Saddam Hussein and asked very politely why he had so many divisions parked on the border of Kuwait. Later in the same meeting, she said, "We have no opinion on your Arab/Arab conflicts, such as your dispute with Kuwait. Secretary (James) Baker has directed me to emphasize the instruction ... that the Kuwait issue is not associated with America." A few weeks later, Iraq invaded and conquered Kuwait, prompting former President George H.W. Bush to launch a war to liberate it. Glaspie said later, "Obviously, I didn't think, and nobody else did, that the Iraqis were going to take all of Kuwait."

Obama and members of his administration are fond of lecturing Vladimir Putin that he is behaving in a "19th century" fashion, as if aggression has gone out of style like knee breeches. Actually, the second half of the 19th century was quite a peaceful one for Europe, particularly compared with the 18th and 17th centuries. That peace was largely maintained by the British Empire, that is, by overwhelming power in the hands of a peaceful country.

Nothing so encourages an aggressor as the perception of weakness in his antagonists. Obama hasn't even processed that he is an antagonist. Why, he means no one any harm (except perhaps Republicans). Didn't he reset relations with Moscow? Didn't he promise in 2012 to show "more flexibility" toward Putin after the election? Didn't he say, over and over again, that a "decade of war is ending" and that we are going to do some "nation building here at home"? Did he not maneuver the United States into "leading from behind" in Libya? Hasn't he pressured allies like Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians while permitting Mahmoud Abbas to skate? Hasn't he let bygones be bygones about the Edward Snowden unpleasantness? Hasn't he drastically reduced defense spending? Didn't he give Bashar Assad a third chance after drawing red lines? Hasn't he sought to ingratiate himself with China's brutal regime (his family is traveling there this week)? Didn't he permit Putin to oversee Assad's supposed surrender of chemical weapons? How could a leader be more unthreatening?

Remember all of those previous appeasers who were surprised that aggressors went further than expected? Consider this report from the BBC: "Russia signaled concern on Wednesday at Estonia's treatment of its large ethnic Russian minority, comparing language policy in the Baltic state with what it said was a call in Ukraine to prevent the use of Russian. Russia has defended its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula by arguing it has the right to protect Russian speakers outside its borders ... "

Estonia is a member of NATO. There was a time when that would have been dispositive. But Obama has demonstrated that his threats are hollow and his stated boundaries accordion-like. That's why Obama scares me.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Russia
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1 posted on 03/21/2014 6:09:22 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Why Obama scares me...well, yesterday received a telephone survey. Curious what I view as the biggest problem facing my family; my comment: I view the nitwit in the whitehouse as an incompetent whose actions will either get us into a destructive military engagement we will not win and or a financial collapse of this country. When asked for further details my comment was I don’t have any faith in the ability of this administration to handle any problems the country has in an ethically impartial manner toward a goal which benefits this nation.

I expect an audit or visit from the the secret service sometime this AM.


2 posted on 03/21/2014 6:16:23 AM PDT by Mouton (The insurrection laws perpetuate what we have for a government now.)
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To: Kaslin

He scares me because he’s actively anti-American.


3 posted on 03/21/2014 6:17:25 AM PDT by livius
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To: Kaslin
the anointed one doesn't scare me . he terrifies me and has since he was selected
4 posted on 03/21/2014 6:17:26 AM PDT by mt tom
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To: Kaslin

And he’s got three more years to scare you some more; but, never fear - Savannah Guthrie couldn’t be more mesmerized.


5 posted on 03/21/2014 6:17:59 AM PDT by Twinkie (John 3:16)
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To: mt tom

Whenever an affirmative action beneficiary is utilized in lieu of an actually qualified individual, you are at significant risk that the results will be scary.


6 posted on 03/21/2014 6:28:38 AM PDT by LALALAW (one of the asses who's sick of our "ruling" classes)
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To: Kaslin
The United States has not been perfect. Throughout our history we have done some bad things. All of us acknowledge that. But the United States has done far more good things and that's what obama does not acknowledge. He does not see the good that we have done. He's been taught this his entire life, starting with his mother. He sees America as white America and he's on a mission to punish it.
7 posted on 03/21/2014 6:34:09 AM PDT by ryan71 (The Partisans)
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To: Kaslin

And Korea.....don’t forget Korea!

In 1950, equally vapid Sec of State for Truman, Dean Acheson stood in front of the entire DC press corps at the Press Club and gave his infamous “Perimeter Speech”. In it he outlined what the US geographic interests were.....and “accidentally” left our Korea. 6 Months later, the Nork’s, encouraged on by both Czar Stalin and Emperor Mao invaded the South and the rest can be seen in the MASH reruns with Alan Alda.

Pattern looks pretty obvious now?

The stupid, the weak, the naive, and boy kings and other newbies will always get manhandled, b!tch slapped, and laughed at by the old dawgs of diplomatic realpolitik.

Hey, ya know...Putin has ABSOLUTELY no more territorial claims in Europe. Honest. None. Zippo. Zilch.

Until the tanks are gassed up again. And we of course are defended by Commander Zero and slavering attack basset hound called John.

Certainly a dire duo of disaster that deserves disrespect.

But what the hell do I know.


8 posted on 03/21/2014 6:38:58 AM PDT by Lowell1775
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To: Kaslin

Truthfully, we should be terrified of what both men represent. W. Bush gave us a fully formed, reckless, inefficient and unconstitutional police-intelligence-espionage state; and Obama’s “reactionary progressivism” has the worst elements of both socialism and national socialism.

Seemingly, both the Democrats and the Republican establishment *hate* the idea of “normalcy”, just leaving the people *alone* to live their lives. They are like hateful, nagging and scolding cheerleaders to catastrophe.

Probably the *best* thing Obama has done, he has done out of fear. That is to run away and hide, even from his fawning, sycophantic, ass-kissing media. Even with a thousand reporters bleating their undying love for him and swearing pseudo-sexual fealty to him, he runs away in fear from anyone, just a single one, who asks an honest question.

Truthfully, I crave a president who is the opposite of Bill Clinton, who is seen in public perhaps once a month, and then still says nothing, along with the rest of his administration. A president who is boring, dry, efficient, and pro-liberty and freedom. A president who doesn’t pester us. Who doesn’t commit foul and petty offenses in office to disgust us.

A president who is so busy deconstructing the federal government that he doesn’t have time to be annoying. Just issue pink slips to half the federal workforce, and do so without comment. Close entire agencies of government as being outside of federal authority. Slash spending to create a huge surplus, and *not* spend it, but use it to take big chunks out of the ginormous federal deficit.

It would be an incredibly boring four years; punctuated if at all by his “Maximing our oppressors” around the world. And it would likely be followed by another boring four years, in which the public would again learn to appreciate employment, prosperity and liberty, without having to look at his ugly puss every danged night on TV.


9 posted on 03/21/2014 6:41:56 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy (WoT News: Rantburg.com)
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To: Kaslin
I've posted before, he scares me in that at some point Zer0 is going to tire of all the weak, impotent, type comments and do something stupid to show what a he-man he is.
He (and democrats in general) think their powers of persuasion can change the minds of despots. That his preemptive destroying our military as a 'good faith' gesture would cause our rivals to do the same.
Idiocy.

While we are reducing our standing army, cutting our stealth fighter orders, mothballing the Navy, destroying our nuke ability, Russia is developing and testing new ICBMs. China in building their military at record pace.

The Ukraine crisis started years ago with our weakening our military. And yes, Donald Rumsfeld had a hand in it.

Iran should have been dealt with during the Bush era too.

10 posted on 03/21/2014 6:43:17 AM PDT by Vinnie
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To: Kaslin

STEP BY STEP.........

IN HITLER’S GERMANY, THEY WATCHED AS THEY CAME FOR THE JEWS

IN HITLER’S GERMANY, THEY WATCHED AS THEY CAME FOR THE GYPSIES

IN HITLER’S GERMANY, THEY WATCHED AS THEY CAME FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS

IN HITLER’S GERMANY, WHEN THEY CAME FOR THEM...IT WAS TOO LATE

WHEN I FINISHED READING THIS, I WAS SHORT OF BREATH..
Looking back thru the past 5 years, many “When’s “pop up. Read them all to
better understand where we are going as a country..

WHEN - he refused to disclose who donated money to his election campaign, as
other candidates had done, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -he received endorsements from people like Louis Farrakhan, Muramar
Kaddafi and Hugo Chavez, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -it was pointed out that he was a total newcomer and had absolutely no
experience at anything except community organizing, people said it didn’t
matter.

WHEN -he chose friends and acquaintances such as Bill Ayers and Bernadine
Dohrn who were revolutionary radicals, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -his voting record in the Illinois Senate and in the U.S. Senate came
into question, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -he refused to wear a flag lapel pin and did so only after a public
outcry, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -people started treating him as a Messiah and children in schools were
taught to sing his praises, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -he stood with his hands over his groin area for the playing of the
National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -he surrounded himself in the White House with advisors who were
pro-gun control, pro-abortion, pro-homosexual marriage and wanting to
curtail freedom of speech to silence the opposition, people said it didn’t
matter.

WHEN -he said he favors sex education in kindergarten, including homosexual
indoctrination, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -his personal background was either scrubbed or hidden and nothing
could be found about him, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -the place of his birth was called into question, and he refused to
produce a birth certificate, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -he had an association in Chicago with Tony Rezco- a man of
questionable character, who is now in prison, and had helped Obama to a
sweet deal on the purchase of his home - people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -it became known that George Soros, a multi-billionaire Marxist, spent
a ton of money to get him elected, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -he started appointing White House Czars that were radicals,
revolutionaries, and even avowed Marxist /Communists, people said it didn’t
matter.

WHEN - he stood before the Nation and told us that his intentions were to
“fundamentally transform this Nation” into something else, people said it
didn’t matter.

WHEN - it became known that he had trained ACORN workers in Chicago and
served as an attorney for ACORN, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he appointed cabinet members and several advisers who were tax cheats
and socialists, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he appointed a Science Czar, John Holdren, who believes in forced
abortions, mass sterilizations and seizing babies from teen mothers, people
said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he appointed Cass Sunstein as Regulatory Czar who believes in
“Explicit Consent,” harvesting human organs without family consent and
allowing animals to be represented in court, while banning all hunting,
people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he appointed Kevin Jennings, a homosexual and organizer of a group
called Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Education Network as Safe School Czar and it
became known that he had a history of bad advice to teenagers, people said
it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he appointed Mark Lloyd as Diversity Czar who believes in curtailing
free speech, taking from one and giving to another to spread the wealth, who
supports Hugo Chavez, people said it didn’t ma tter.

WHEN -Valerie Jarrett, an avowed Socialist, was selected as Obama’s Senior
White House Advisor, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -Anita Dunn, White House Communications Director, said Mao Tse Tung was
her favorite philosopher and the person she turned to most for inspiration,
people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he appointed Carol Browner, a well-known socialist as Global Warming
Czar working on Cap and Trade as the nation’s largest tax, people said it
didn’t matter.

WHEN - he appointed Van Jones, an ex-con and avowed Communist as Green
Energy Czar, who since had to resign when this was made known, people said
it didn’t matter.

WHEN- Tom Daschle, Obama’s pick for Health and Human Services Secretary
could not be confirmed because he was a tax cheat, people said it didn’t
matter.

WHEN - as President of the United States, he bowed to the King of Saudi
Arabia, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he traveled around the world criticizing America and never once
talking of her greatness, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - his actions concerning the Middle East seemed to support the
Palestinians over Israel, our longtime ally, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he took American tax dollars to resettle thousands of Palestinians
from Gaza to the United States, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he upset the Europeans by removing plans for missile defense system
against the Russians, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he played politics in Afghanistan by not sending troops early-on when
the Field Commanders said they were necessary to win, people said it didn’t
matter.

WHEN - he started spending us into a debt that was so big we could not pay
it off, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he took a huge spending bill under the guise of stimulus and used it
to pay off organizations, unions, and individuals that got him elected,
people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he took over insurance companies, car companies, banks, etc., people
said it didn’t matter.

WHEN - he took away student loans from the banks and put it through the
government, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -he designed plans to take over the health care system and put it under
government control, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -he claimed he was a Christian during the election and tapes were later
made public that showed Obama speaking to a Muslim group and ‘stating’ that
he was raised a Muslim, was educated as a Muslim, and is still a Muslim,
people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN -he set into motion a plan to take over the control of all energy in
the United States through Cap and Trade, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN-he finally completed his transformation of America into a Socialist
State, people woke up-— but it was too late. Add these up one by one and
you get a score that points to the fact that Barrack Hussein Obama is
determined to turn America into a Marxist-Socialist society. All of the
items in the preceding paragraphs have been put into place. All can be
documented very easily. Before you disavow this, do an Internet search. The
last paragraph alone is not yet cast in stone. You and I will write that
paragraph. Will it read as above or will it be a happier ending for most of
America?


11 posted on 03/21/2014 6:44:06 AM PDT by PLD
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To: Lowell1775

bttt


12 posted on 03/21/2014 6:44:10 AM PDT by ConservativeMan55 (In America, we don't do pin pricks. But sometimes we elect them.)
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To: ryan71
His mother, his grandparents, Frank Marshall Davis, Indonesia, Occidental College, Columbia University, Harvard Law School (if he ever really attended those), inner city Chicago, Bill Ayers, Valerie Jarrett, Michelle Obama, Jeremiah Wright, etc, etc, etc.

All these people and organizations taught him only the bad.

13 posted on 03/21/2014 6:45:13 AM PDT by ryan71 (The Partisans)
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To: PLD

Excellent post !!!!!


14 posted on 03/21/2014 7:06:05 AM PDT by Cen-Tejas (it's the debt bomb stupid!)
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To: Vinnie
do something stupid to show what a he-man he is

Yep. That's how small, stupid men behave, and BO is amongst the smallest and dumbest.

Usually, it's on a small scale. They run their mouth and get their butt kicked at a honky-tonk on Saturday nite. Or, they abuse their subordinates at work. Or kick their dog to feel powerful. Etc.

But this time, the guy has his finger on the nuclear button. And, after he pushes it (damn the consequences! I'm IN CHARGE here!!) all of his sycophants will swoon and comment on how powerful he is.

Right before they all get vaporized, or marched off to various unpleasant camps, or worse.

15 posted on 03/21/2014 7:29:46 AM PDT by wbill
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To: PLD

Bump


16 posted on 03/21/2014 7:39:09 AM PDT by VRW Conspirator ( 2+2 = V)
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To: livius

Let me count the ways:

1. He’s not a natural born citizen
2. There is no rule of law
3. There are no controls on the Executive Branch
4. Congress could care less
5. The states have no power over the federal government.


17 posted on 03/21/2014 7:43:29 AM PDT by DownInFlames
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To: Kaslin

baraq, his team and his media have been setting up our country for a fall. Wrecking the economy and intentionally weakening our military will lead to either another economic crash or another 9/11 type attack.

What scares me is that if we suffer such an event, they will be the ones in charge. And we know who their enemies are.


18 posted on 03/21/2014 7:43:42 AM PDT by Texas resident (The democrat party is now the CPUSA)
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To: PLD

And when we call our GOP or RNC......... silence, just as you say.

Excellent list - all should save this list.

Keep the faith - We the People WILL write the last paragraph as you mention:

“The
last paragraph alone is not yet cast in stone. You and I will write that
paragraph. Will it read as above or will it be a happier ending for most of
America?”

Everyone must do their part. So get on it folks.


19 posted on 03/21/2014 7:59:02 AM PDT by WaterWeWaitinFor (Would Winston Churchill stand still for all this nonsense? Cruz our new Churchill?)
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To: PLD

bkmk


20 posted on 03/21/2014 8:19:03 AM PDT by UCANSEE2
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