Arrogant Americans, Mr. President?
As I was sitting in church waiting for the start of the service, my grandpa came walking towards me pointing his finger. No matter how old I get, and no matter how long he’s been out of the U.S. Navy, that’s still an intimidating sight. As he approached me, his voice quivered as he said, “We saved that continent twice…how dare my president apologize for this country’s arrogance.” My grandpa is right. Americans need not apologize to the world for their arrogance; rather, Americans should apologize to their forefathers for the arrogance of their president.
Barack Obama’s first foreign trip as President of the United States has confirmed the naiveté so many of us feared during the election cycle. But worse than that, it has also demonstrated that our president suffers from either a complete misunderstanding of our heritage and history, or an utter contempt for it. Neither is excusable.
April 22nd, 2009 4:33 pm
or maybe we should consider that a change in direction may have validity.
Maybe…to say that this was the wrong move is only to say that it is not what you would have done, or think was right..I think we should wait and see if his ideas work.
April 22nd, 2009 4:41 pm
Did you read the entire article, or just the bit I quoted? It isn’t primarily about “his ideas”, it’s about Obama’s understanding of US history and our role in the world, both historically and now. That is, he seems to have little of it.
Having said that, can anyone name ANYTHING that Obama got in the way of a concession, or a bit of assistance with Iran, or Afghanistan, or the economy, or energy policy, or anything else at all, from his recent European and Middle Eastern mea culpa cum prostration?
April 22nd, 2009 5:25 pm
Yes, I can tell you what Obama got in way of assistance. He was assisted in lowering the United States position in the eyes of the world, trying to put all the powers on the same political playing field. It has not to do with right – it has not to do with might – it has not to do with position – it has only to do with political correctness. If we continue to discuss how we are all really the same, we should end up with one universal government, one universal money, one universal economy, and one universal ruler. What a revelation – wait, that is really a book isn’t it?
April 22nd, 2009 9:20 pm
It’s really difficult to take anyone seriously when they publish a group of words as delightfully wacky as, “…insatiable quest to mend fences he imagines have been tarnished…” Mending the tarnished? Really? REALLY?
And what of Obama’s critique of Europe’s attitude toward us? Why no mention of this in Mr. Heck’s article? And just out of curiosity, since when does an admission equal an apology? I’m in no way a fanatical Obama supporter, but Mr. Heck really seems like one of the many who wants this presidency to fail, and the more miserably, the better.
And sure, we gained something by Obama’s visit. It has been pointed out that we didn’t get our president burned in effigy this time (as far as I’m aware). That’s progress.
April 22nd, 2009 9:30 pm
Umm… get the text of Obama’s speeches in Europe recently. Count the sentences criticizing Europe and Middle Eastern nations. Count the sentences criticizing the USA.
Let me know the ratio.
Now, get the text of any speech by any national leader to visit the USA in the last 30 years or so. Find the sentences in that national leader’s speeches criticizing his or her own nation.
Stop when you’ve found 10 such sentences, in your selection of any number of speeches by any number of national leaders. You may choose from our “enemies” or our “allies.”
Make coffee. You’ll be up very late.
The game has rules. Obama doesn’t know them.