When Sen. Barack Obama went to Berlin in 2008 and proclaimed himself a “citizen of the world,” he was acclaimed by hundreds of thousands of young Germans. They were as excited as many young Americans were by this avatar of Hope and Change.
The candidate chose an odd backdrop for his address, however. Mr. Obama spoke in front of the Berlin Victory Column. It is an impressive monument to be sure, but it commemorates the lightning victory of Prussia in a lightning war against its unoffending little neighbor, Denmark.
This was the first in a series of aggressive wars waged by the man who would unify Germany by liberal application of “blood and iron.” That man — the true power in the new Germany, was Otto von Bismarck. He openly expressed his contempt for representative government and the processes of constitutional government: “Not by speeches and votes of the majority, are the great questions of the time decided — that was the error of 1848 and 1849 — but by iron and blood.”
Despite this (or perhaps because of it), the Iron Chancellor has long had his admirers in the Academy. British historian A.J.P. Taylor, for example, lauded him in a 1955 biography: “He was too great, too domineering, too skilful, to be controlled by a parliamentary majority.” (Bismarck: The Man and the Statesman, p. 155)
Once he had united Germany, Chancellor Bismarck proceeded against those in the country whom he viewed as enemies of the state (Reichsfeinde). In 1872, this was expressed in his innocently-titled “law on school supervision” (Schulaufsichtsgesetz). This was his modernizing law on school supervision. The Chancellor was quite the education reformer (and he had legions of admirers here in America). Bismarck promised to give Germans a world-class education system. He viewed education as a key to enhancing the power of the nation. He was determined to ram his “reform” through a compliant legislature, the Reichstag.
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Bismark was a herring! Obama is near!
2 Presidents, 2 Speeches, 2 Reactions
George W. Bush, the most reviled president since LBJ, criticized by liberal-leftists for virtually everything he said or did, nevertheless had the deep respect of tens of millions of Americans and, especially, of our military. Barack Hussein Obama, the most incompetent president since Carter–or Harding–lauded as the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel by those same liberal-leftists, neverthelesss is despised by tens of millions and, especially, by our military.
Whether the military’s contempt is attributable to Obama’s overall failed leadership, his efforts to scale back our armed forces, his predilection for retreat and defeat, his attempts to repress the military vote in national elections, or the recent revelations of his criminal lack of oversight of the Veterans Administration, it was painfully evident when he delivered the commencement address at the United States Military Academy last week.
Now, of course, by virtue of his office and respect for that office as well as his constitutionally-mandated position as Commander in Chief, any president is deserving of respect, though not necessarily affection and appreciation. And, the graduating West Point cadets dutifully accorded him all due respect, despite their oath to “not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do,” but their largely stoical reaction to his speech reflected a distinctly unaffectionate sentiment.
When Obama’s fan club at CNN refers to his reception at West Point as nothing short of “icy” and describes his speech as less “Commander in Chief” and more “policy wonk playing defense” . . . (Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=37462.)
berlet98, How come you don’t use the Bullpen for posting copy/paste articles? That’s what the Bullpen is for.
In the first place, posting an copy/paste article in a comments section limits its exposure.
Secondly, you never post a genuine comment from your thoughts.
Thirdly, it’s annoying.
…Big fuck*ng difference, Bismark was
smart power, ObamaZero is luck power!!!
“… unoffending little neighbor, Denmark.”
C’mon … Denmark has to be home to some of the more offensive people on Earth.
A whole country of socialist, sexual perverts.
Not to give anything to Bismarck, he was a prick of extraordinary proportion.
I skip berlet98’s “comments”
Most incompetent President since ever. There is no comparing this boob to anyone. He is a class onto himself.