Comments on: The Nag in Chief

By: Bill Brown

Bill Brown — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:55:22 +0000

Here's a good op-ed by David Harsanyi on the racism charges.

By: Jim May

Jim May — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:21:23 +0000

I believe with Mencken that the goal of public education is to destroy independent thinking and create citizens who will obey and go along with the welfare state. Myrhaf: have you ever heard of John Taylor Gatto? He's a bit misguided in certain disappointingly common aspects (i.e. blaming business/"consumerism" rather than government), but otherwise his attack on socialized education is pretty incisive.

By: Bill Brown

Bill Brown — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:18:41 +0000

That would be a shrewd move, but there’s ample contradictory evidence that they’re not as calculating or clever as we often ascribe them to be. It wouldn’t surprise me that they re-wrote the speech, toning it down to neutralize obvious criticisms, and are enjoying the shrill calls of “all that fuss about such an innocent speech.” But I don’t think they went into it with that plan.

By: Embedded I

Embedded I — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:12:50 +0000

“I think they rewrote the speech because of the initial response, taking out the part about kids helping Obama, and they probably had a good laugh at how they made Republicans look like hysterical nuts.”

Some of Obama’s most frequently consulted advisers are not members of his cabinet, have extraordinary Leftist backgrounds, and certainly know a wide range of propaganda techniques.

What is the likelihood that Obama’s ‘team’ & speech writers, deliberately allowed negative expectations to foment, and knew they could make their political enemies look foolish by a middle of the road speech?

By: Myrhaf

Myrhaf — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:27:30 +0000

I don’t have children, but my first reaction to the idea of Obama speaking to children was negative. I don’t trust anything about the man. The speech apparently turned out to be boiler plate stuff about personal responsibility — ideas, as Rush Limbaugh pointed out, that Obama as a collectivist does not really believe. I think they rewrote the speech because of the initial response, taking out the part about kids helping Obama, and they probably had a good laugh at how they made Republicans look like hysterical nuts.

The much greater danger than this speech is the fact that we have government schools at all. I believe with Mencken that the goal of public education is to destroy independent thinking and create citizens who will obey and go along with the welfare state.

By: Bill Brown

Bill Brown — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:49:02 +0000

Self-linking is fine. I just can’t get that worked up about a single speech from someone my kids have never seen before saying things that will mostly go over my kids’ heads. I’m far more concerned about the messages they hear day after day in school, on TV, and in books.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:14:30 +0000

I actually found it a bit more insidious, while generally agreeing that most of the content is mere static. I hope I am not being rude by self-linking my post on this topic, for any interested.

By: Mike N

Mike N — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:19:54 +0000

I do think the alarm over Obama’s speech is hyped too much. Rational Jenn has a good post along the same lines. http://rationaljenn.blogspot.com/2009/09/one-about-obamas-speech.html

By: TW

TW — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:47:03 +0000

I have thought from the beginning that the reaction to Obama’s speech was overblown. It is telling, though. Not, however, in the way that the left thinks, as you noted, Bill.

You pointed out that accusations of racism are the easiest ways to shut down discussion. I think it is especially important that all rational people push back against this dishonest tactic.

It works now because so many people run in fear when they think there is the slightest chance that they might be suspected of racism, no matter how ridiculous such a charge happens to be in a given context.