Obama Snubs Berlin Wall Ceremonies (from Newsmax)President Barack Obama's decision to spurn German President Angela Merkel's invitation to attend ceremonies commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago is "the most telling nonevent of his presidency."
That's the view of National Review Editor Rich Lowry, who notes that Obama has visited more foreign countries than any other president during his first year in office, yet has begged off going to Berlin to celebrate the Nov. 9 anniversary because of a crowded schedule.
"It's hard to imagine any other American president eschewing the occasion," Lowry writes.
"Wouldn't Obama at least want to take the occasion to celebrate freedom and human rights — those most cherished liberal values? Not necessarily. He has mostly jettisoned them as foreign-policy goals in favor of a misbegotten realism that soft-pedals the crimes of nasty regimes around the world.
"During the Cold War, we undermined our enemies by shining a bright light on their repression," Lowry writes. "In Berlin, JFK called out the Communists on their 'offense against humanity.' Obama would utter such a phrase only with the greatest trepidation, lest it undermine a future opportunity for dialogue."
The Berlin Wall came down because the free world, led by America, stood resolute against communist tyranny. But for Obama, "we are less an exceptional power than one among many, seeking deals with our peers in Beijing and Moscow," Lowry observes.
"Why would Obama want to celebrate the refuseniks of the Eastern Bloc when he won't even meet with the Dalai Lama in advance of his trip to China?"
Z: I've said this for a year now; Obama keeps dissing Germany and it has something to do with how they didn't allow him to campaign at the Brandenburg Gates .... and now it has to do with how Germany was about the only country not to follow his advice regarding huge stimulus packages and they're doing better than any country in Europe. Every foreign dignitary first goes to the capital city of a country being visited and Obama has declined all invitations of Merkel's to Berlin in spite of his being in Germany, which is a breach in protocol and a terrible embarassment to the United States. Oh, well...........this is how Chicago thugs play. "Don't mess with ME, babe." They hear you, Barry.
z
18 comments:
Vindictive, our President.
As if Obama's right to campaign at the Brandenburg Gate was violated. What right is that, exactly? In a foreign, sovereign nation? Yes, other Americans have made speeches at the gate, but they were Presidents of the United States, at the time. The speeches were about Germany, the tyranny of USSR Communism, the outrage that was the Berlin Wall. You know, something pertinent to the location and German citizens.
President Obama is such a narcissist. My word, the man has an enormous ego.
The worst ever President, we're living a nightmare.
I want him hear jamming on health insurance reform not going to a U2 concert.
Take care of the business of the nation first and this is at a critical period.
I agree with you to an extent Z but I think it's just as much a physically inability to acknowledge an achievement by a Republican President. Try to think of one time he has done this. I think the bottom line is he is a small and petty man who is in way over his head.
Duck,
Take care of the business of the nation first and this is at a critical period.
I can only assume you are joking.
Will he be taking care of this business on the golf course?
Or maybe your talking about how he went to Texas to visit our wounded victims after our latest terrorist attack instead of heading to Camp David for some down time.
Oh wait he did go to Camp David instead didn't he. My bad.
Your constant covering for Obama and his destructive Democrats has taken on an air of irrationality.
Ducky, preserving foreign relations with other countries such as Germany, IS part of our President's and nations business.
But since you want to jam on healthcare, here is an interesting article that you probably won't enjoy. However the rest of you might:)
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/11/08/is-this-the-high-water-mark-for-obamacare/
Since when has this President celebrated freedom? In fact as we speak, he's more interested in taking our freedoms away.
He's so busy cozying up to the thugs of the world, he can't be bothered with our historical allies.
Chuck is right, Obama is not interested in lauding President Reagan's greatest achievemnet. Obama is a small minded, narrow thinking man.
Besides, it's likely he does not appreciate the fall of a communist country such as East Berlin and the failure of communism in general.
Pris
A bit off topic.
But..According to Federal Reserve chairman Bernanke who said today, "The Recession Is Over". So why then is it that the jobless rate tops 10.2 percent. for first time since '83? Hum, Dear Leader? Inquiring minds want to know.
Obama's actions, or should I say, reactions, are also completely consistent with a faithful muslim. He could barely contain his delight. Arriving at Camp David as usual for evening prayers yesterday, he undoubtedly thanked Allah for the success of the mission.
Sickening.
God Bless our fallen and injured troops, and thank you President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush for being there quietly, discreetly, and compassionately. I miss you . .
B/c Bernanke is a fraud and a puppet of socialist Soros and the likes. They must think like Europeans now where 10% unemployment is normal. And I think we should get used to it.
With 90 weeks of unemployment insurance, people won't go back to work before the benefits are over. I have an example around me. In France, a lot of unemployed people find jobs right before the insurance has expired (2 years).
What's happening here is killing me. Thank God the elections last week gave me some faith.
The ceremony is much the richer for his absence.
His presence there would be a blight one the honor of the occasion.
~ FreeThinke
Speaking of Germany -
The American Economic hangover; the G of 8 grope for pain pills,...
What's this coming out of Germany? Looks cool.
It is cool. Vacuum tubes with copper inserts - also in a vacuum - filled with water and absorbing sunlight in order to heat things. Co generation technology. Not available at Home Depot - uh, huh.
Somewhere overseas, someone has a job at a clean room - fabricating and controlling very high tech manufacturing processes in order to export state of the art technology to a world in dire need of alternate energy resources. How did they do it?
They did with PUBLIC/private investment stimulation. A government goading private concerns to take tax credits for research and development.
Now, if you on the right recall, the Department of Energy was neutered by an un-named political party because it hadn't quote,.."discovered any oil or coal deposits.".
The cut off for tax incentives in alternate energy - pretty evident by 1986 - crushed our efforts at alternate energy.
Didn't happen in Germany and other northern European industrial nations; they don't have domestic oil wells and hedged when it came to reliance on foreign oil imports.
Remember St. Ronnie Raygun shaking Milton Friedman's hand sometime before 1986. Ok,...enough,....pour me a double shot please.
Obama's friends lost when the wall came down. Even he wouldn't celebrate that.
I heard he was going to attend. He had the bricks, mortar and trowels all loaded up until an aide told him the invitation said, "celebrate the fall" not "come rebuild the wall."
"They did with PUBLIC/private investment stimulation. A government goading private concerns to take tax credits for research and development."
Really Ducky? That's public? How's that an investment when the money doesn't belong to the government in the first place?
Tax credits means leaving more money in the private sector. In this case in return for research and development.
In other words a targeted tax cut. Looks like Germany get's the fact that incentive works best when left to it's own devices.
Although it's pretty sad that any government can pick and choose who's deserving of keeping their own money.
Pris
Z,
I would think and judging by the scope of the celebration, that this is something akin to a Declaration of Independence moment for Germany. It would have been nice if the US, who continually professes its fealty for its European partners.
I guess global warming is a much important issue than celebrating one of the great moments in human history. Obama did send a taped speech. Kind of like giving someone a framed portrait of yourself for Christmas. Narcissist? Naaaawww.
The celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall took place without the President of the United States. He cannot be bothered with historical events in which he was not involved.
To my understanding, Hillary Clinton who was there did not mention President Reagan. In fact I don't think he was mentioned at all. He was an American President, yet an American Secy.of State could not muster the respect he so deserved.
If I'm wrong, please correct me. If I'm right, the celebration was a sham.
Any politician who is so small he or she cannot mention the ones who had the most influence in an historic event, is indeed not worthy of mention herself.
While I'm at it, Margaret Thatcher was also worthy of mention. Was she lauded? Gorbachev was lauded. Why? Because he was persuaded, cajoled, and engineered into a foregone conclusion by people smarter than he?
President Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and the Pope, formed an unbeatable combination of leadership rarely seen, and today small minded heads of state, can't abide the comparisons to themselves.
These were the giants of their time. And the small, narrow minded politicians of today, who would be called leaders, cannot bring themselves to herald such strength in leadership.
If they want to march with giants, they must be big enough to recognize great, historic achievements and the great men and women who accomplished such feats.
If they cannot, it's because they have no understanding of what leadership is nor respect for those who do, and history will not be kind to them.
Pris
Law and Order; Kind of like giving an iPod with your speeches on it to the Queen. (Oops, Obama DID do that, sorry...it sounds so silly and self-serving, who'd have thought?)
Pris, the leftwingers (media, profs, silly indoctrinated students, etc.) just don't understand the things Reagan and Thatcher stood for; it seems to turn their stomach to offer people REAL freedom. Look at how they're snatching OURS away today.
Who would have THOUGHT this could happen in this country...this country which DID "Bring down that wall!" and whose president today doesn't deem it a big enough occasion (freeing people from communism) to even show up.
The truth is that obama is uncomfortable with celebrations of the fall of communism. Perhaps the old left disliked the death and tyranny of the soviet union but the modern-day left are quite happy to foist it upon any nation, including their own countrymen.
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