A Delusional Season

Christmas is here and before I go on a (Diplo)mad rant, let me wish one and all a Merry Christmas. For anybody following the news, and thinking about the state of our country and of Western civilization, having a Merry Christmas is a tall order, but try you should, and succeed you must!

Our delusional President gave another one of his little adolescent, narcissistic, arrogant, and illiterate--but at times devilishly clever--homilies just before he jetted off to Hawaii on his eighth millionaires' vacation to the Aloha State since he graced us with His Majestic presence in the White House. I would note that he seems to have given little thought to the "carbon footprint" reduction objectives of the Paris Climate Deal, to the Christmas plans of his staff and guards, or to government debt--check out those digs in Hawaii! It's way above first class all the way for the Champion of Progressivism! Forward! Put some caviar on that arugula!

As noted, before he departed on his sumptuous journey, he gave an interview to the toady progressive Stephen Inskeep at the toady progressive NPR (America's toady progressive response to the toady progressive BBC.) You can click HERE and read and hear the whole interview for yourself.

Let me characterize it: progressive delusions ALMOST all the way through. There is one tiny corner of the interview in which Obama gets something half-right--and we should give him credit for that. To wit,

INSKEEP: Let me follow up on a couple of things you mentioned. You mentioned slavery. Among the many protests this year are two small but symbolically interesting ones at Ivy League universities. At your alma mater, Harvard Law, there is a seal for the school that is based on the family crest of a slave owner. At Yale there is a school named after John C. Calhoun, who was a great defender of slavery. 

The call is to get rid of those symbols. What would you have the universities do? 

OBAMA: You know, as president of the United States I probably don't need to wade into every specific controversy at a ...

INSKEEP: But you can do it. We're here. 

OBAMA: But here's what I will say generally. I think it's a healthy thing for young people to be engaged and to question authority and to ask why this instead of that, to ask tough questions about social justice. So I don't want to discourage kids from doing that.

As I've said before, I do think that there have been times on college campuses where I get concerned "and that, you know ... 

INSKEEP: Meaning listen to people that you might initially think are bigoted or ... 

OBAMA: Yes, there have been times where you start seeing on college campuses students protesting somebody like the director of the IMF or Condi Rice speaking on a campus because they don't like what they stand for. Well, feel free to disagree with somebody, but don't try to just shut them up.

Notice how Inskeep seems to express shock-and-awe that kids on college campuses should listen to other points of view, even "listen to people that you might initially think are bigoted." Modern "journalism" in action! You mean listen to the other side? Oh, Dear Leader you provide such wise counsel! Please, a rousing rendition of Anna's song!

"Yes, Your Majesty;
No, Your Majesty.
Tell us how low to go, Your Majesty;
Make some more decrees, Your Majesty,
Don't let us up off our knees, Your Majesty.
Give us a kick, if you please, Your Majesty
Give us a kick, if you would, Your Majesty
Oh, That was good, Your Majesty!"

Now, before we praise The One too much, we must stress, of course, that he says "that the unwillingness to hear other points of view can be as unhealthy on the left as on the right." Oh yes, those nasty people on the right shutting down discussion and debate! I will bet you that Obama could go to Liberty University--as did Bernie Sanders--and speak in total safety and meet only politeness and respect. Let's have Donald Trump try to speak at Yale . . . plus, of course, Obama might want to talk to his own AG who seems determined to stifle criticism of Islam. By the way, as expected, he doesn't name Islam as the source of the "troubles," nor does he accept any blame for his own policies for the foreign policy disaster we are now experiencing. 

The rest of the interview is pure progressive delusional-speak. Lots of nonsense about "change," and a Hollywood-esque version of the American economy with "men going to factories." Objections to Obama, of course, are rooted in racial animosity, etc.

Obama's ramblings on ISIS/ISIL are too painful to repeat. I note, however, that he dodges Inskeep's opening attempt to compare his dealing with ISIS/ISIL with Eisenhower's dealing with the USSR. Inskeep thought he was serving up a softball to Obama, but Obama--not a fool--realized that the last thing he wanted was to have ISIS/ISIL compared to the USSR, since he has repeatedly called ISIS/ISIL the JV, and for political correctness reasons must continue to minimize the threat they pose to the West. He is at pains to attribute ISIS/ISIL's success to the media coverage they have gotten. He seems of a piece with Hillary Clinton in thinking that a video or some other social or mass media venue is responsible for the rise of ISIS/ISIL. He can't even grant our enemies the courtesy of recognizing that they believe in something quite independent of any movie we make, or statement by Donald Trump. They believe in Islam; it is from Islam that they derive their hatred of the West, and their dream to enslave the world.

Merry Christmas.

Oh, and follow me on Twitter at Lewis Amselem@TheDiplomad