April 20, 2009

Obama: "Well I think it was a nice gesture [for Hugo Chavez] to give me a book. I'm a reader."

What was the book? "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent."

IN THE COMMENTS: Palladian said:
I wonder if Hugo gave Obama a copy of his other favorite book?

128 comments:

MadisonMan said...

Nice for the author. Free publicity and all that. But can one expect Obama to read a book written in Spanish? Is he fluent?

Anonymous said...

The polite thing would be to give him a book in return.

AlphaLiberal said...

And with Republican officeholders openly trashing Obama while he's overseas on a diplomatic mission, the old "politics stops at the water's edge" rule dies early in a Democratic Administration.

Should Republicans ever return to the White House, they will seek to quickly resuscitate it.

Anonymous said...

"I'm a reader."

Heh. Yeah, we know. Reader of the Free World.

Maybe the teleprompter can tell him what he should think about it.

Anonymous said...

And with Republican officeholders openly trashing Obama while he's overseas on a diplomatic mission, the old "politics stops at the water's edge" rule dies early in a Democratic Administration.Democrats killed it about three months into the Iraq War.

Anonymous said...

He doesn't need to read it. It's pretty much a variation on Rev. Wright's speeches of the last 20 years.

Galeano, Chomsky, Ward Churchill, Rev. Wright, Farrakhan, Castro. They're all doing cover versions of the same old song.

rhhardin said...

Too bad it wasn't an economics textbook.

Bissage said...

I assume the book gets swept for transmitters.

former law student said...

Is [Obama] fluent?

Not according to the paper today. Las venas abiertas de América Latina (1971) will have to remain a closed book.

multiuseless said...

One problem. Obama seems to be only as smart as the last book he read.

Kirby Olson said...

He should have given Chavez a book about the virtues of thinking about the loyal opposition as equally patriotic. What books would qualify?

Palladian said...

"Too bad it wasn't an economics textbook."

Come now. I'm sure he already has several copies of Das Kapital.

Sloanasaurus said...

And with Republican officeholders openly trashing Obama while he's overseas on a diplomatic mission, the old "politics stops at the water's edge" rule dies early in a Democratic Administration.Hmmm, when the President goes off and trashes the values of the United States and at the same time meets with dictators and others who oppress freedom, someone has to speak up.

Obama has doused the light at the end of the tunnel for the many who languish in Cuban prisons and for those in Latin America who see liberty in the future.

What did Obama gain by shaking hands with Chavez or having nice words for the Cuban dictators. He got nothing.

Palladian said...

I wonder if Hugo gave Obama a copy of his other favorite book?

I'm Full of Soup said...

Speaking of a reader, where the heck has Reader Iam been?

Peter V. Bella said...

Well, Hugo Chavez helped Amazon. The book shot to number one.

Oh, Alpha showed up. Sputtering his nonsense, hatred and comedy again. Let us all have a round of laughter at the buffoon.

MadisonMan said...

Reader of the Free World.

Reminds me of a joke that always gets my kids' eyes rolling, and my almost-driver daughter saying Dad! in a scandalized tone.

Did you hear about my girl friend with one leg? Name's Eileen. She has a twin sister, also with one leg, in Japan. Her name is Irene

former law student said...

What did Obama gain by shaking hands with Chavez?

Off hand, I would say that Obama is rebuilding the relationship with the source of 10% of our oil imports.

Accepting his nomination, John McCain said oil imports send "$700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much." Moving Venezuela from the "don't like us very much" group to being one of our good buddies like Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom assures this vital source of supply.

From doe.eia.gov

Question: How dependent is the United States on foreign oil?

In 2007, about 58% of the petroleum consumed by the United States was imported from foreign countries.

“Petroleum” includes crude oil and refined petroleum products like gasoline. Most (83%) of the imports were crude oil. About 66% of the crude oil processed in U.S. refineries was imported.

The top five source countries of U.S. petroleum imports are Canada, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Nigeria.

In 2007, Venezuela supplied the US with net imports of 1.339 million barrels per day, 11% of our imports.

ricpic said...

Thee steenkeen' gringos pillage my country. Pero ahora weeth thees nigra we all chummy.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The intimidation of Venezuelan journalists that don’t tow the line is Chavez trully favorite reading material....

Sadly, he has deemed it unfit for publication.

Bissage said...

This one is for MadisonMan.

The boss and the shop foreman are looking all around for the new guy from Japan.

The foreman says, “I’m sorry we can’t find him, sir. I told him to take care of the supplies.”

And with that the Japanese guy leaps out from behind a stack of boxes and shouts, “SUPPLIES!!!”

Anonymous said...

Moving Venezuela from the "don't like us very much" group to being one of our good buddies like Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom assures this vital source of supply.Yeah. That they share political philosophies is just a bonus!

David said...

Perhaps Obama thinks that a book entitled "Opening a Vein" is about his mysterious years in New York.

Anonymous said...

fls-
Your off-hand justification for Obama's crappy foreign policy is wrong. Venezuela needs us more than we need them vis-a-vis oil. There are very few refineries in the world capable of refining Venezuelan crude oil, due to its chemical content. All crude is not interchangeable. The U.S. is the only place with usuable refining capacity. And without oil revenue, Chavez's workers' paradise would crumble even faster. (Hey, there's another reason the U.S. should develop its own exploitable oil reserves!)

Here's a hint, Venezuela didn't halt exports to the U.S. during the hated Bush years.

And do you seriously think that Obama can transform relations with Venezuela into the a Canada-like relationship? It's more likely that he will degrade our relations with the U.K. and Canada to the current level the U.S. has with Chavez.

Peter V. Bella said...

"It's more likely that he will degrade our relations with the U.K. and Canada to the current level the U.S. has with Chavez."

Of course. It is all about equal outcome. That is the Democrat way.

Obama is a reader. He just finished 1984 and found some great policy initiatives.

MadisonMan said...

I don't know where Elmer Fudd was bullied! Tom's Japanese cousin quipped.

ricpic said...

No matter what I say about hees country the skeeny nigra take it. Hey, maybe eet's no hees country.

garage mahal said...

I'm just glad I have the right wing to explain to me what this all means, and to keep an eye on Obama and Chavez for us.

Unknown said...

Glad to be of service.

tim maguire said...

I think this book will be very useful for Obama. By now he's gotta be running out of things to apologize for.

tim maguire said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ricpic said...

Ay caramba, ees good to leeve off feelthy capitaleest swine like me and my good amigo Harvard hombre of the peeple Barako do. All thee bes' an brightes' universidad professorios say so, so mus' be so, no?

MadisonMan said...

Has Obama been apologizing for anything? I've not heard that, it's more like he's just changed the trajectory this country is on with respect to relating to other countries, without any actual acknowledgment that the past trajectory was something we need to apologize for, which we don't.

I admit that I don't really pay attention to this kind of thing.

JSF said...

AL,

Just a note. There were protests against Afghanistan in October 2001:

http://www.democracynow.org/2001/10/1/thousands_take_to_the_streets_in

When did Politics stop at the water's edge by the Democrats at the last administration?

I would love to see how the Democrats during the last Administration (after 2003) promoted "Politics stops at the water's Edge"

Who was the modern Democratic Senator Vandenberg between 2001 - 2008?

How did Democrats opose President Bush that kept Foreign Policy free of politics?

I would love to hear the answers.

C'mon AL, I know you can show me the links!

chickelit said...

"It Takes A Pillage"

The Dude said...

@MadisonMan:

Thanks for the Tom Swifty. Reminds me of one I heard 40 years ago, and this is apropos of nothing and no one.

"I'm not a homosexual necrophiliac" said Tom in dead earnest.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Didn't Chavez did say Obama was an ignoramous?

I guess that's not as bad as being called the devil though.

JSF said...

AL,

Here's another link I found showing how Democrats did not keep "Politics from the water's edge,"

http://volokh.com/posts/chain_1240106487.shtml

I can't wait to see your links!

Paul said...

Yo. Alpha Douche.

Politics stopping at the waters edge means that unlike Clinton, Gore Kerry, Carter, Obama, and well just about every America hating democrat (but I repeat myself) you don't trash America overseas for the benefit of partisan politics.

It does not mean when an American politician is overseas genuflecting and kissing our enemies asses people back home can't criticize him.

Christ you're stupid.

Automatic_Wing said...

I didn't know Hugo had such a large influence on the literary world. He really ought to consider starting an Oprah-style book club...why not profit from the stupidity of his gringo apologists?

Floridan said...

Oh boy! Now we've got the goods on Obama . . . he shook the hand of a fellow head-of-state at a summit conference.

I expect his approval rating to tank immediately.

MnMark said...

he shook the hand of a fellow head-of-state at a summit conference.

I expect his approval rating to tank immediately.
Well at least he didn't bow to him. That's an improvement.

Trooper York said...

I think you guys are really unfair with this constant criticism of the President. You know that throughout American History Presidents have always had buddies that a lot of people thought were unsavory characters. They are entitled to hang out with people that they can be themselves with and let it all hang out. I mean JFK had Sinatra and Nixon had Bebe Rebozo. President Obama is entitled to hang out with his buddies.

Let’s cut him some slack.

Chennaul said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
former law student said...

The U.S. is the only place with usuable refining capacity.

No, only 65% of Venezuelan oil exports comes to the US. Some other countries are processing the 35% remainder. No technical breakthroughs would be required to shift more Venezuelan oil production to other countries.

Venezuela needs us more than we need them ... There are very few refineries in the world capable of refining Venezuelan crude oil, due to its chemical content

Venezuelan oil has two main advantages for the US. The Venezuelan oil strike of December 2002, which cut production in half, showed that US refineries optimized to process heavy sour crude had trouble adapting to light sweet crude.

Further, Venezuelan oil offers a significant advantage for US refinery production management: Venezuelan oil is only five days away from the US, while OPEC oil is 30-40 days away:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/feature_articles/2003/venezuelan/vzimpacts.htm

During the Bush administration, Chavez was working with Red China to take more of Venezuela's oil production. Good US-Venezuelan relationships would keep their oil flowing to us.

Anonymous said...

AL, I don't think the old adage "PSATWE" means what you think it means. It does not mean that our democratically elected leaders will never be criticized for what they do when they are overseas - it simply means that American politicians when present at international events will not argue in a partisan fashion as they would at home.

To reduce this to the absurd, let us say Obama went overseas and suggested that his country was to blame for perceived injustice. It is well within the rights of the citizenry to shout from the mountain tops that they are displeased with the POTUS. That has absolutely nothing to do with the niceties of "PSATWE".

former law student said...

Trooper really meant that JFK had Sinatra while Nixon palled around with Mao Tse-Tung, of Cultural Revolution and Great Leap Forward infamy.

Chennaul said...

Then there is this from The LA Times-

In a news conference capping a three-day meeting of leaders from the Western Hemisphere-

Obama also said the U.S. must engage other countries through humanitarian gestures, not only military intervention
.

La Times.

I don't get why Obama is saying that we need to start engaging other countries through humanitarian gestures not only military interventions.

This is what he says at the press conference in front of all of the Latin American countries.

So all our tax dollars that have went done there before Obama are negated.

That never happened Obama just confirmed that for them.

America has never done anything except military interventions.

That's what Obama went down there to tell them for us.

And another thing-

Were the cameras for the Latin American media outlets rolling during Ortega's lecture?

Imagine what it looks like to have the leader of the Free World getting lectured by a socialist thug like Ortega?

It looks like United States was "schooled".

MadisonMan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JSF said...

In case Jeremy/Luckyoldson/Michael shows up, pass this along:

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Judaism/2008/09/10-Tips-for-Kinder-Speech.aspx

MadisonMan said...

Let’s cut him some slack.

Slacks. Does LeeLee's sell slacks?

I really like the sound of that word. Slacks. Slacks. So much better than pants, or dungarees. Slacks.

You'll Pant and Pant once more and that's a pair of pants!
. Allen Sherman.

Freeman Hunt said...

Chavez's gift protocol staff is worse than ours. That's really saying something!

Paul said...

"Imagine what it looks like to have the leader of the Free World getting lectured by a socialist thug like Ortega?"

The leader of the free world IS a socialist thug. Well....he's a socialist, and the front man for the real thugs. He's far too feminine and weak to be a real thug himself.

Trooper York said...

Of course we have slacks, pants, jeans, and capris.

Cut for the full figured gal.

Hoosier Daddy said...

(Imagine what it looks like to have the leader of the Free World getting lectured by a socialist thug like Ortega)

Is this something new? The world by and large has looked down its nose on this nation since its beginnings.

former law student said...

I don't get why Obama is saying that we need to start engaging other countries through humanitarian gestures not only military interventions.

Author Peter Nicholas's summary mischaracterized what Obama actually said. From later in the article, Obama merely stressed that humanitarian aid helped further US objectives, not that we needed to start doing anything:

[Obama] noted that Latin American leaders had mentioned to him that thousands of Cuban doctors were deployed across the region treating patients, the type of humanitarian aid that spreads goodwill.

That, he said, is "a reminder for us in the United States that if our only interaction with many of these countries is drug interdiction, if our only interaction is military, then we may not be developing the connections that can, over time, increase our influence and have a beneficial effect when we need to try to move policies that are of concern to us forward in the region."

garage mahal said...

The leader of the free world IS a socialist thug. Well....he's a socialist, and the front man for the real thugs. He's far too feminine and weak to be a real thug himself?
.

When did Ann start attracting so many Hate America commenters? Jesus.

Chennaul said...

Cripes I meant to say-

Ortega is lecturing and there is Obama dutifully taking notes like it's important.

Were the cameras rolling for the Latin American audience to see that juxtaposition?

Gawd and how the hell he can say that America has never acted on a humanitarian level with other countries or how he implied that is flat out ignorant.

Why did he go out of his way to say something like that?

I am hoping The LA Times quoted him wrong.

Trooper York said...

"former law student said...
Trooper really meant that JFK had Sinatra while Nixon palled around with Mao Tse-Tung, of Cultural Revolution and Great Leap Forward infamy."

Very true fls. And looked how that turned out. Everywhere you go you got Chinese guys on bikes delivering take out. You can't swing a dead cat and not hit some dude with a plastic shopping bag full of egg rolls and mu shu pork. If he keeps piling around with Hugo are we going to have a huge influx of Venezuelans delivering skirt steak in Chimichurri sauce?

Chennaul said...

If our own English reporter misinterpreted it-you can imagine what the Latin American press is doing with it-

particularly Ortega and Chavez's propagandists.

I still think even when you try to explain what Obama meant that it is unclear.

Trooper York said...

That's palling around.

I don't think they are piling on each other in a big sweaty naked pile.

At least I hope not.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Peter V. Bella said...

What Trooper realy meant was JFK and Sinatra had Marilyn Monroe. :)

Paul said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Paul said...

"When did Ann start attracting so many Hate America commenters? Jesus."

She has always attracted Hate America commenters like yourself, DTL, LOS, etc.

I am a hater of the Hate Americans. You know like Chomsky, Allinsky, Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, and their proteges in the Democrat party. Like our new president. Understand the distinction? Of course you don't. Fool.

Chennaul said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chennaul said...

FLS-

I don't get this-

That, he [Obama] said, is "a reminder for us in the United States that if our only interaction with many of these countries is drug interdiction, if our only interaction is military, then we may not be developing the connections that can, over time, increase our influence and have a beneficial effect when we need to try to move policies that are of concern to us forward in the region.

What are the examples he is thinking about here?

What country or countries is he thinking about as a reference?

Hoosier Daddy said...

Don't let garage fool you. He hated Obama back when Hillary! was blazing a path to the White House and regaling us with stories of dodging sniper fire. But when the very junior Senator from Illinois kicked her ass back below that glass ceiling he had to put party over loyalty.

But down inside he seethes......

Chennaul said...

FLS-

I'm not convinced that the L.A. Times reporter-Peter Nicholas got him wrong.

The quote you cite seems to support the L.A. Times reporter's conclusion.

Peter V. Bella said...

"When did Ann start attracting so many Hate America commenters? Jesus."

This is the new leftist mantra and propaganda. Any criticism of this administration is Un-American and un-patriotic. The leftists want all dissnet repressed in their quest for their utopian world of altruism; the pipe dream or better yet, the bong dream.

Chennaul said...

Wait never mind I guess he must be talking about Cuba, Iran, hell North Korea.

We have to now do humanitarian aide because no one else will. I guess that is what Obama is saying.

JSF said...

Where did AL go? I was hoping he would show proof of how Democrats dissented between 2001-2008 without breaking the "Politics stops at the Water's Edge," mantra?

Who was the Democrats Senator Vandenberg between 2001-2008?

And, why is dissent after 1/20/09 unpatriotic? That's not what was said the last 8 years.

JAL said...

@9:41 MM: Has Obama been apologizing for anything? I've not heard that, it's more like he's just changed the trajectory this country is on with respect to relating to other countries, without any actual acknowledgment that the past trajectory was something we need to apologize for, which we don't.

I admit that I don't really pay attention to this kind of thing.
Maybe you should?

Here's a start.

http://tinyurl.com/c9h8dq

Paul said...

"The leftists want all dissnet repressed in their quest for their utopian world of altruism; the pipe dream or better yet, the bong dream."

The best way to implement socialism is to remove all opposition to socialism.

The Gramscians have laid the groundwork through the schools, media, Hollywood, and now they are ready to make their move. The next step is to use the power of the government and the left wing media megaphone to crush political opposition.

A perceptive person can look at the Obama symbol and grasp from it alone what the plan is.

JAL said...

Freeman Hunt said...
Chavez's gift protocol staff is worse than ours. That's really saying something! 10:46 AM

Yeah. It says they are in the same league. "Here's a book -- here's the message. Ooops, you don't read Spanish?"

Like "Here's some DVDs. America make movies. Did you know that? Ooops, you can't watch them?"

The book cost less than the DVDs though. That's cause Chavez's Venezuela has not partricularly prospered under his rule, and they need us to buy more oil (because we're sorry.)

JAL said...

Oh crap.

if our only interaction with many of these countries is drug interdiction, if our only interaction is military, then we may not be developing the connections that can, over time, increase our influence and have a beneficial effect when we need to try to move policies that are of concern to us forward in the region.Where did he go to school?

This is proof he needed to spend more time in the Senate. Or somewhere besides the White House.

The United States of America has given and loaned more money to the whole world for improvements and development and humanitarian aid than any other country in the history of history and before that.

I cannot fathom how Barack Obama can be president of the United States of America and not know that.

Of course there is the whole beneficiary hates benefactor thing that seems to occur from time to time....

William said...

According to a recent survey, 70% of Mexicans said that they would move north if they could. By way of comparison about the same percentage of Jews inidicated a wish to emigrate from Germany after crystal night.....After their glorious revolution,Mexico was able to nationalize its oil industry. In the field of penal reform, they have outlawed the death penalty. They have even outlawed the possibility of handing down a life sentence without parole. Mexico can justifiably take pride in having a more humane criminal justice system than the United States. They have written into law the ideals that Obama aspires to. While it is true that they have not yet created a nation that anyone wishes to live in, they have nonetheless put many of the highest ideals of the left into practice. The metric by which a nation should be judged is not their skill in arresting serial murderers, but the humanity with which they treat serial murderers after they have been captured. Thank God we have a man in the White House who understands this important distinction and will work to move us towards the ideals of Mexico.

MadisonMan said...

JAL, thank you but that article is vague. The "we are at fault" quote. For what? Surely if Obama is apologizing there are youtube clips of him saying I'm sorry about something. (doing a youtube search on Sorry Obama isn't very helpful) I don't consider changing policy to something the NRO doesn't like (!!) as tantamount to an apology.

I did find this screed, but the guy never quotes, just says that Obama apologizes. Well, I guess I believe it then.

I apologize in advance for sending traffic in this guy's direction.

former law student said...

The next step is to use the power of the government and the left wing media megaphone to crush political opposition.Yes, the left wing media microphone -- the insidious fifth column of Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Neal Boortz, Hugh Hewitt, Mark Levin, Scott Hennen, Bill Bennett, Michael Medved, Lars Larsen, Roger Hedgecock, Dennis Prager, Kevin James, Joe Scarborough, et al.

One day, not too far off, they will rise as one and shed their right-wing guise, crushing the loyal opposition of real, conservative, Americans

garage mahal said...

I am a hater of the Hate Americans. You know like Chomsky, Allinsky, Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, and their proteges in the Democrat party. Like our new president. Understand the distinction? Of course you don't. Fool..

At least you freely admit you're a hater of the American government. That you have in common with Chavez. Congrats hater!

I'm Full of Soup said...

FLS:

I suspect 60-70% of Americans never heard of most of the people on your list.

Kevin James - isn't that the guy on the TV show King of Queens?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Chavez's gift protocol staff is worse than ours.Don’t be too harsh on them Freeman.....
They also double as a food tasters.

Chennaul said...

JAL

Finally someone gets where I am coming from-

What the hell is he doing?

Why is he going out of his way to say that?

Particularly, after a conference where Ortega bloviated for 50 minutes.

And of course Obama says that for the overseas audience.

Thanks Obama for representing America!

Honestly he's our worst critic.

And when the President of United States says that overseas he has the ultimate "credibility" who is going to be able to even begin to refute that?

former law student said...

The United States of America has given and loaned more money to the whole world for improvements and development and humanitarian aid than any other country in the history of history and before that.

But during the Bush administration, the bulk of US Foreign Aid going to Latin American countries was for drug interdiction, under ACI, the Andean Counterdrug Initiative, as can be seen here;

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/42257.pdf

Synova said...

I think that Obama (and FLS) have the oil producer/consumer dynamic backwards.

Chavez has to sell his oil.

He HAS to.

We don't need him nearly so much as he needs us.

Synova said...

garage, does it occur to you that what people are upset about is that Obama doesn't seem interested in defending his own country?

I don't see how this is supposed to work... someone says something about how Obama should, when he's representing us to other countries, have a clear message that is pro-America, and somehow that criticism is *anti* America?

Sure, makes all sorts of sense... it's anti-American to want our president to stand up to blatant insult and censure delivered by Central American thugs. Sure it is.

PRO America would be wanting Obama to turn his butt up in the air and say "spank me again."

Got it.

Paul said...

"Yes, the left wing media microphone -- the insidious fifth column of Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Neal Boortz, Hugh Hewitt, Mark Levin, Scott Hennen, Bill Bennett, Michael Medved, Lars Larsen, Roger Hedgecock, Dennis Prager, Kevin James, Joe Scarborough, et al."

Oh don't be so automatically stupid. All of network TV, all cable TV except Fox News, almost all print media, all of Hollywood, in other words the lion's share of the media stream is run and populated by liberal Democrats and actively shilling for the democrat Party.

The list you mentioned will be targeted for silencing before this is all over. Whether or not they'll pull it off is yet to be seen.

Synova said...

Also... the big upset about leaving domestic politics at home with regards to Bush was when our "opposition" politicians and Gore actually went overseas to speak or otherwise undermine policy.

I hardly think that a bunch of cranky commenters on a blog complaining about how Obama deals with foreign leaders is the equivalent.

Paul said...

"At least you freely admit you're a hater of the American government. That you have in common with Chavez. Congrats hater!"

In trying to be clever you are only exposing your utter lack of critical thinking skills.

I hate all the enemies of America and those who are actively moving to dilute or obliterate the individualism and free market principals enshrined in our founding documents. That includes many members of congress, some Republicans, almost all Democrats including our president, and the entire fifth column including people like you.

Which happens to be in diametric opposition to the people Chavez hates.

Idiot.

Chennaul said...

OK again here is what I don't get-

Have any of y'all lived overseas?

I have.

At a young age on vacation paddling down a damn river I had to defend all kinds of hatred against America...

A Democrat push over- Carter was in power at the time. I was just a kid on vacation and I always reacted first as an American.

I didn't say the hell with you-at the time I was three years old and living in Japan.

So Obama doesn' t react as an American first.

Even when he is the President of United States.

Hell it makes me wonder where he was when he was three years old and wether or not his parents claimed to be American.

Living overseas it is very possible to deny being American 'cause you just ain't that proud of it.

Makes one wonder when Obama's parents told him it was OK to be American.

garage mahal said...

I hate all the enemies of America and those who are actively moving to dilute or obliterate the individualism and free market principals enshrined in our founding documents. That includes many members of congress, some Republicans, almost all Democrats including our president, and the entire fifth column including people like you.
.
Chavez hates America. You hate America [as currently configured]. I'd say you have alot in common with Chavez and since you hate America [as currently configured] you should be considered an enemy of America. No?

Chip Ahoy said...

Palladian, I admire your satire.

*high fives*

I wish I'd thought of that.

~*~~twinkle~~*~~spark~~*~~twinkle~~*~

A.L., think a moment about the adage you hastened to sling to provoke into argument your political opposites in the rivalry you nurture. You apparently do not understand what the adage you means because you misapplied it.

I sense most readers here enjoy hearing other points of view when those views are reasonably explained why they're held, but those same readers have little to no tolerance for provocateurs showing up just because they like to argue and throwing out any nonsense that flies through their cranium that sounded sufficiently provocative at the moment.

It's clear your worldview is rigidly fixed. Nothing here will change any of that, so we're left to wonder why you use whatever intelligence you possess for malevolence. Conversely that great amorphous right-wing windmill you attack on your donkey is impervious to impotent jousts. I rather resent you substituting this forum for therapy, and masochists are better served on Craigslist anyway.

There now. Was this the attention you had hoped to draw to yourself?

Steve M. Galbraith said...

I think we (may) have a lousy President.

I don't think the country is lousy.

Not that difficult to see the difference.

America is much much more than the current head of state.

To put it differently: The left hated Bush and wouldn't fly the American flag as a result.

If I come to hate Obama, I won't take down the flag.

America isn't Obama. Or Bush.

Synova said...

Is this another one of those conservative/liberal disconnects? Red/Blue State, flyover time?

Equating the country to the government seems so obviously and fundamentally wrong to me that I can't even think of an analogy for it. All those people ashamed to be American because they didn't like Bush who are now proud of being American because they like Obama and who are now trying to say that if we don't like Obama we hate America?

Egad.

I suppose it might be a bit like loving your wife when she wears that dress you like, but hating her if she wears the one you don't.

Though I suppose... if the dress she's wearing makes her look stupid, love doesn't go very far when it comes to being seen in public, hm?

Chennaul said...

Then there is the other part of that equation.

You are always going to have foreigners and pissants who hate and resent America.

That's been going on for decades now.

And, it is not going to matter one wit who you elect as President and how much he goes kow-towing around the globe.

Carter tried it.

Now there is a chance that Obama could out do Carter and he'll go all Sally Field on us and exclaim to the rest of the world-

"You like us! You really, really like us!"

And it might even be true but somehow I'm thinking it ain't gonna happen-that bit about it being true.

Darcy said...

Oh! LOL, Palladian. Well, that's a useful book after all. Perhaps it will help Obama feel better about his country. :)

Hoosier Daddy said...

(You are always going to have foreigners and pissants who hate and resent America.

That's been going on for decades now.
)

More like centuries, as in two.

Paul said...

"Chavez hates America. You hate America [as currently configured]. I'd say you have alot in common with Chavez and since you hate America [as currently configured] you should be considered an enemy of America. No?"

No.

Look sonny boy logic, critical thinking, and honest discourse aren't in your makeup. Sad but true. It's the price of admission one pays for joining the leftwing postmodern fantasy world.

If you could extrapolate logically, and had a shred of honesty,(bwahahahah!!) you would see your "argument" could be turned right around on you for your unhinged demonic hatred of Bush the last eight years. I suspect if anyone were to accuse you of hating America back then there would be howls of outrage.

Of course the real difference between us is I love America as envisioned by it's founders, and you love an America that's been eviscerated and restructured as envisioned by her Marxist-socialist enemies.

You and Hugo the Clown have that in common.

I'm done wasting any more time with you.

Jeremy said...

At least somebody would shake Obama's hand.

The last President couldn't get anybody to even do that.

Geeee, I wonder why?

Jeremy said...

Paul - "Of course the real difference between us is I love America as envisioned by it's founders, and you love an America that's been eviscerated and restructured as envisioned by her Marxist-socialist enemies."

And by "Marxist-socialist enemies" you mean the President, his administration and the Americans who voted for him?

Jeremy said...

SMGalbraith said..."The left hated Bush and wouldn't fly the American flag as a result." (No idea what that means. What flag? When?)

And if you think it was only the "left" who did not like or support Bush you need to stop listening to Rush, Sean and Glenn.

Unless of course you think that 24% approval rating he had was because 76% of Americans are liberals.

Sofa King said...

The fact that Jeremy sees zero difference between "non-approval" and "hatred" is very revealing.

Unknown said...

Wow Jeremy you just got disproven on one of your points w/ about 5 seconds on google. Here's a few pics of Bush shaking hands w/ world leaders

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS283&um=1&sa=1&q=bush+handshake&btnG=Search+Images&aq=f&oq=

And also what Sofa King said.

Jeremy = Fail

garage mahal said...

Plenty of dictators shook hands with Bush!

Jeremy said...

Mike said..."Wow Jeremy you just got disproven on one of your points w/ about 5 seconds on google. Here's a few pics of Bush shaking hands w/ world leaders.

I didn't say he NEVER shook hands with world leaders, fool.

I was talking about the G20 Summit in November of 2008:

http://www.searchles.com/channels/show/6024

Jeremy said...

Sofa King said..."The fact that Jeremy sees zero difference between "non-approval" and "hatred" is very revealing."

Yes it is.

It means that I consider the term; "hate" as a simple and overused term.ton slur that by most people.

I don't "hate" G.W. Bush. I don't know the man well enough to even think something like that.

I thoroughly disapproved and disliked his policies and manner of dealing with our allies and potential enemies...as did a vast majority of America. (Do you also think the Americans who disapproved of him "hated" him?)

Where the fuck have YOU been...in a cave?

No newspaper, TV, radio, internet?

This isn't new.

Jeremy said...

Can I assume most here don't remember Reagain and Gorbie? Rummy embracing Saddam? Cheney supporting Saddam? Nixon giving Brezhnev a car...after they invaded Chekoslavia? Bush and his favorite Saudi Prince, holding hands, kissing?

Hypocrites.

Anonymous said...

Wow, the trolls must have received their marching orders on Saturday of this week - Jeremy is not the first person who has referred to that stupid video where George W Bush walked past all of the US allies without shaking each of their hands. How are they distributing the lyrics sheets these days, Jeremy? Do you all have to go to a password-protected site or do they just email them to you?

Jeremy said...

bobsacamano said..."Jeremy is not the first person who has referred to that stupid video where George W Bush walked past all of the US allies without shaking each of their hands." (Stupid because you don't like it?)

It really takes some guts to call me a troll for posting a link to the Bush "no-handshake" for you at the G20...with all of the huffing and puffing here about Obama shaking hands with Chavez or not shooting anybody while in Latin America.

And why no response to my other comment relating to other Presidents and leaders embracing people we do not like? No guts? No way to offset the hypocrisy?

Once again: Reagan and Gorbie? Rummy embracing Saddam? Cheney supporting Saddam? Nixon giving Brezhnev a car...after they invaded Chekoslavia? Bush and his favorite Saudi Prince, holding hands, kissing?

You're good at dishing it out, but have a real problem when you get it right back.

Jeremy said...

bobsacamano said..."George W Bush walked past all of the US allies without shaking each of their hands..."

I forgot to ask: Provide a link to any other situation where a President of the United states "walked past all of the US allies without shaking each of their hands."

You actually think that's good?

Or what really happened?

Bullshit and you know it.

Jeremy said...

bobsacamano - I didn't think I'd hear back.

All talk.

Anonymous said...

Jeremy: I hadn't even said word one about the handshake until now. So, let me start. Is it disgraceful that Obama flew to an international conference and shook the hand of a man who has condemned his country? No, not necessarily. Of course you can point to the handshake between Rumsfeld and Saddam, Gorbachev and Reagan, Nixon and Breshnev, etc. You could also point to Albright and Kim Jung Il, Clinton and Arafat, Carter and Ceausescu.

It's not just the handshake, it's the totality of the gesture and the context of the meeting. Symbols matter. Words matter.

If you cannot see why some people, many Venezuelan exiles among them, would be disgusted with the warmth of the greeting then you're seeing the world without nuance.

Jeremy said...

bobsacamano said..."It's not just the handshake, it's the totality of the gesture and the context of the meeting. Symbols matter. Words matter."

Yes, they do.

Where were you for the last eight years?

If you actually think Bush and all of our Presidents haven't shaken hands, kissed cheeks, held hands, etc. as a gesture of goodwill you're not very worldly in the area of politics.

Obama is trying to undo the damage G.W. did to our country's reputation throughout the world...and deep down...you know it, too.

This crap where people say Obama should have not shaken the man's hand or walked out of the speech is ridiculous. It would have made Obama look like an immature child and not the leader of the free world.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Jeremy said At least somebody would shake Obama's hand.

The last President couldn't get anybody to even do that.
Then Jeremy said I didn't say he NEVER shook hands with world leaders, fool./

Pathological liar or sufferer of short term memory loss?

You decide.

Hoosier Daddy said...

(Obama is trying to undo the damage G.W. did to our country's reputation throughout the world)

What damage was that? I wasn't aware of any nation that has closed down thier embasssies, recalled thier ambassadors, canceled any trade agreements or imposed sanctions on the US.

On the contrary, it seems as if more want to open trade with us and in fact were begging us not to revert to protectionism.

I know these are complex issues, especially for someone who contradicts himself in the space of three posts.

Peter V. Bella said...

"What damage was that? I wasn't aware of any nation that has closed down thier embasssies, recalled thier ambassadors, canceled any trade agreements or imposed sanctions on the US."

You left out forbid travel to the US, turn down or return foreign aid the US gave, turn down or return disaster relief the US gave, shut down foreign exchange programs, shut down trading in US dollars, refusal to allow US planes to land or ships to dock, throw out US troops and close US bases, just to name a few more.

Oh, and I do not see people leaving Europe to resettle in those bastions of Democracy- Somalia, Sudan, Venezuela, Nicarauga, Myamar, Iran, Indonesia, or Haiti.

Yeah, the whole world hated us. What a load of crap.

Hoosier Daddy said...

(Yeah, the whole world hated us. What a load of crap.)

Well I won't say the whole world hated us, the usual suspects did and Obama isn't going to do much to change thier opinions of us.

I'm pretty sick of the whole 'Bush ruined our rep' schtick. Hell, Europe thinks we're barbarians because we execute people like John Wayne Gacy rather than set them up with three hots, a cot and cable TV for life. Iran executes gays and calls for the destruction of Israel? Just flowery rhetoric, nothing to see there just open up talks. Sudan commits genocide in Darfur? No worries, give em a seat on the UN Human Rights Commission. Myannmar brutalizes its population? Yawn. Russia kills a couple hundred thousand in Chechnya and invades Georgia? Shhh...don't catch Putin's eye we may be next.

If our reputation is damaged for removing the worst dictator since Pol Pot or waterboarding a couple of headhacking Islamofascists then the world can kiss my ass.

Steve M. Galbraith said...

Yeah, the whole world hated us. What a load of crap.
Much of the world apparently disliked the policies of Bush.

But, once again, the President is not the country and the government is not the nation.

For the left, the two are synonymous. Which tells us something about how they view the role of the state in our lives.

Full and complete and everywhere.

In the bedroom, too if any money is exchanged.

Or too much CO2.

Peter V. Bella said...

"...then the world can kiss my ass."

...kis my sister's blcak cat's ass.

I always loved that line from the Wild Bunch.

Kansas City said...

I'm incline to give President Obama a break on silly issues like handshakes and gifts, but it is hard not to think that he is pretty naive and over his head. But he might grow up fast when faced with a crisis.

As to him calling it a "nice gesture," the president of the United States was just given a anti-American screed by a socialist/communist tyrant and he considers it a nice gesture?

Jeremy said...

DHS Warns Of Rise in Right-Wing Extremism

The Department of Homeland Security warned law enforcement officials that the recession, the disenfranchisement of returning veterans, and the election of a black president could lead to an increase in recruitment by white supremacist and violent antigovernment groups. What do you think?


Bob Sandor,
Electrician
"Is that so? Well, let’s see what these extremists can do after we’ve bombed their cities to rubble."
Old Man

Jason Bargiel,
Salvage Expert
“I think the reason has more to do with the earth's natural 10-year cycle of crazy than any other factor.”
Old Woman

Marla Prynoski,
Tax Consultant
“You ask a lot of questions. Get off my property.”

Jeremy said...

Hoosier Daddy - I was talking about the G20 Summit in November of 2008:

http://www.searchles.com/channels/show/6024

Jeremy said...

Hoosier Daddy said...What damage (VIA BUSH) was that? I wasn't aware of any nation that has closed down thier embasssies, recalled thier ambassadors, canceled any trade agreements or imposed sanctions on the US.

No newspapers? TV?

Hoosier, you deserve to be in Indiana.

Jeremy said...

Rush Limbaugh Tucks Shirt Back In Following Animated Flat Tax Rant



WEST PALM BEACH, FL—While ferociously laying into what he calls the "liberal jihad against the flat tax," conservative pundit and talk radio host Rush Limbaugh dislodged his shirt from the waistband of his pants Tuesday, leaving it to flap wildly about his midsection for the rest of his impassioned four-minute tirade. "Hrrp—hrrp," a panting Limbaugh said before sitting back down, wiping off the microphone, and taking a moment to swallow the thick, viscous phlegm he had inadvertently dislodged during the heated monologue. "It just defies all logic how—hhugh.... Is that blood?" On the advice of his producer, Limbaugh quickly drank a glass of water and ate a banana before addressing Obama's failed commerce secretary appointees.

Jeremy said...

Chavez doesn't appear to have much to say here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/20/new-obama-chavez-video-em_n_189232.html

Sofa King said...

Can we agree that when you're spamming the comments with Onion articles, you are well and truly a troll? This serves no purpose other than to try to prevent conversation.

I am asking - begging - for the other lefty commenters to at least unite on this point.

gefillmore said...

too dang tired to go through the comments to see if anybody mentioned this; if I'm being redundant, sorry-

is that comic sans font being used for 'everyone poops'?-

Hoosier Daddy said...

(Hoosier, you deserve to be in Indiana.)

Thanks. I like it here.

Jeremy said...

Sofa King - Oh, Sofa...you're such a whining little baby.

I threw in the Onion stuff because there was NO "conversation."

And I love your comment: "I am asking - begging - for the other lefty commenters to at least unite on this point."

Good grief...