Listening to Barack Obama address the UN General Assembly one would think until January 22, 2009 America was a nation void of values that failed to be an example to the world. Obama asked the General Assembly to disregard what rouge dictators, despotic leaders and countries like Iran, North Korea and Russia view as the “character and cause” of the United States and to instead look to the last nine months where he has redeemed America from what he defined as a “zero-sum” power game.
In Barack Obama’s speech he lauded himself without hesitating to degrade the status of the United States to repeated applause. His most benign apology presented pre-Obama America as a nation that “…dragged its feet” on environmental issues and contributed to the disappearance of a “land that human beings have lived on for millennia.” As 12-year old suicide bombers prepared to board buses in Israel, Obama assured every terrorist in the world that he agreed with them that Israel usurped Palestinian land and that the United States, until his Presidency, “disrespected the legitimate claims and rights of Palestinians.” This, too, was met with another round of rousing applause. From there he segwayed into presenting an America that tortures, which it does not, unjustly imprisons and prosecutes enemy combatants, which it has not. And has, “…too often been selective in its promotion of democracy.” Whatever that means?
Twenty-seven years ago, the United Nations General Assembly Special Session Devoted to Disarmament, was addressed by a man who viewed himself and his nation through a different lens. Always highlighting the goodness and exceptionalism of America, Ronald Reagan reminded our enemies of our intrinsic decency. He never squandered an opportunity to remind adversaries that he was well aware of their ultimate goal. Quoting Eleanor Roosevelt he said, “…the high-sounding words of tyrants stand in bleak contradiction to their deeds. ‘Their promises are in deep contrast to their performances.’” Obama would likely view Ronald and Eleanor poor examples of leadership for “…feeding the fears and old hatreds of people” and as being, unlike him, “…on the wrong side of history.”
Apparently, Obama views himself the only American president exempt from “chastisement…for acting alone in the world.” He portrays himself to the global community as someone who would rather not, but could if need be, “solve the world’s problems alone.” Barack Obama depicts himself savior to our enemies, those victimized by what he calls American imposition of democracy from without. Slighting the United States as a super power by saying, “No one nation can or should try to dominate another nation. No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed.”
Reagan on the other hand obliterated opportunities for enemies to point fingers or fill in the blanks with the American flag. He elevated our nation to her rightful place on the world stage and clarified the truth of who we are as a great and generous people. “We were never the aggressors. America’s strength and, Yes, her military powers have been a force for peace, not conquest; for democracy, not despotism; for freedom, not tyranny.”
Based on self-aggrandizing comments, Obama perceives himself an elevated creature seeing beyond the flaws of human nature to the most “powerful weapon in our arsenal …the hope of human beings.” His utopian vision is one where we are no longer “…limited to defeating violent extremists” but rather have, “…confidence that conflicts can end and a new day can begin.” Obama appears willing to weaken our country in order to prove his dedication to a dangerous and naïve ideology, which history has repeatedly proven false. Obama believes child molesters can mind the children because of his immature belief in their ability to be rehabilitated. Reagan would recommend castrating the babysitter to avoid a relapse.
Barack Obama exhorted the UN General Assembly to be, “…a generation that chooses to see the shoreline beyond the rough waters ahead; that comes together to serve the common interest of human beings.” In contrast, 27 years ago, Ronald Reagan reminded the same assembly of the sacrifice that was made by the greatest generation. Those who saw the shoreline and braved rough waters with actions, not words on a bloody beach defending what Barack Obama debases and appears to take lightly. Reagan’s speech brought to mind images of Normandy citing “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves.” On the contrary, Barack’s discourse conjured up torture accusations at Abu Ghurayb and prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay. As harbinger of, “…a new era of engagement…mutual interest and mutual respect” Obama elevated himself above the United States military, former Presidents and above all, the American people.
At the 1982 Special Session, Ronald Reagan mentioned the 1970’s United Nations designated First Disarmament Decade saying that, “…good intentions were not enough…that 10-year period included an unprecedented buildup in military weapons…flaring aggression and use of force” all over the world. Reagan recognized that during détente the Soviets amassed huge caches of military arms. He was cognizant that although America desired to “…let the arms fall from our hands…we needed more than mere words, more than empty promises before we could proceed.”
Obama capitulated to Russian pressure and did away with a planned missile defense program in Eastern Europe. He conveniently dismissed Soviet tyranny and “…ruthless repression of the proud people of Poland” in violation of the Yalta agreements leading to Soviet domination of that part of the world. Reagan’s response to Russian aggression was always to speak truth to power by saying things like, “The scourge of tyranny cannot be stopped with words alone…We refuse to become weaker while potential adversaries remain committed to their imperialist adventures.”
Obama bends to neither experience nor history, but stringently adheres to a pacifist philosophy, “mere words” and word of honor from “…citizens of the world [and] members of the human community.” The President hands over national security to verbal agreements from countries like Russia based on loose disarmament agreements to, “…keep their end of the bargain.” Obama’s infantile confidence has caused him to disregard past Soviet violations of written agreements where they’ve crossed fingers under the table while smiling and signing treaties in plain sight.
Obama is an untested man using empty rhetoric to reassure the world that, “Speeches alone will not solve our problems,” but rather blind dependence on the hope of humanity. Barack Obama projects himself the exception to historical rule proclaiming to our nation’s enemies a “new day” in America dawned the day he took the oath of office. Promising, the international community that with him at the helm America’s past is superseded and the, “…world will move in a new direction.”
Thus, Obama moves forward, saying, “We know the future will be forged by deeds and not simply words.” However, in a dangerous world words and speechifying are all he has stashed in the munitions store. Obama feigns “persistent action” ignorant to the fact that by laying down arms he may win the affection of world tyrants but by doing so draws, “…down upon” our nation what Reagan quoted Harry Truman as saying was, “… the bitter wrath of generations yet unborn.”
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