Saturday, May 1, 2010

Obama speaks to the U of Michigan today...PLEASE don't miss reading what he said:

I DON'T BELIEVE I HAVE EVER PUBLISHED ANYTHING THIS LONG OR THIS IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO READ, IT'S LONG BUT WORTH IT...if you don't have much time, please read what I've highlighted in black, red, and blue........! (UPDATE: HERE is AP/Yahoo's article on it...worth reading for the bias)

Below is the text of President Obama's speech at the University of Michigan Commencement, as prepared for delivery. Also, below, are Z's highlights and comments in blue.....

It is great to be here in the Big House, and may I say "Go Blue!" I thought I'd go for the cheap applause line to start things off. (UPDATE: Z: I don't believe he'd say "Go Blue" if he read my comments in blue which I made blue without having remembered he'd said this!! By the way, I hope my sarcastic remarks don't get me on some list)

Good afternoon President Coleman, the Board of Trustees, faculty, parents, family, friends, and the class of 2010. Congratulations on your graduation, and thank you for allowing me the honor to be a part of it. And let me acknowledge your wonderful governor, Jennifer Granholm, your mayor, John Hieftje, and all the Members of Congress who are here with us today. (Z: the "wonderful" was included because she's rumored to be on his short list for SCOTUS nominees. I felt sorry for Mayor Hieftje, who must have felt just a little less wonderful after he wasn't singled out that way, huh?)

I am happy to join you all today, and even happier to spend a little time away from Washington. Don't get me wrong - it's a beautiful city. And it sure is nice living above the store; can't beat the commute. It's just that sometimes, all you hear in Washington is the clamor of politics - a noise that can drown out the voices of the people who sent you there. So when I took office, I decided that each night, I would read ten letters out of the thousands sent to us every day by ordinary Americans - a modest effort to remind myself of why I ran in the first place. (Z: "I was elected, and anybody disagreeing is just 'clamor' and 'noise'")

Some of these letters tell stories of heartache and struggle. Some express gratitude, and some express anger. Some call me an idiot, which is how you know I'm getting a good sample. And some of the letters make you think, like the one I received last month from a kindergarten class in Virginia.

The teacher of this class instructed the students to ask me any question they wanted. One asked, "How do you do your job?" Another asked, "Do you work a lot?" Somebody wanted to know if I wear a black jacket or if I have a beard - clearly getting me mixed up with that other guy from Illinois. And then there was my favorite: "Do you live next to a volcano?"

But it was the last question in the letter that gave me pause. The student asked, "Are people being nice?"

Well, if you turn on the news today - particularly one of the cable channels - you can see why even a kindergartener would ask this question. We've got politicians calling each other all sorts of unflattering names. Pundits and talking heads shout at each other. The media tends to play up every hint of conflict, because it makes for a sexier story - which means anyone interested in getting coverage feels compelled to make the most outrageous comments. (Z: Right off the bat..the campaign speech and insulting half of America and disregarding the rancor at msnbc or CNN...Why was it okay for Bush to get called HITLER by Dick Durbin and Keith Ellison, to only name one horrid insult? I don't remember Obama complaining then...?)

Now, some of this can be attributed to the incredibly difficult moment in which we find ourselves as a nation. When you leave here today, you will search for work in an economy that is still emerging from the worst crisis since the Great Depression. You live in a century where the speed with which jobs and industries move across the globe is forcing America to compete like never before. You will raise your children at a time when threats like terrorism and climate change aren't confined within the borders of any one country. And as our world grows smaller and more connected, you will live and work with more people who don't look like you or think like you or come from where you do.

These kinds of changes and challenges cause tension. They make people worry about the future and sometimes they get folks riled up.(Z: his implication being that that cable channel's type of people don't LIKE diverse people who don't come from where you do, this is why we have tension)

In fact, this isn't a new phenomenon. Since the days of our founding, American politics has never been a particularly nice business - and it's always been a little less gentle during times of great change. A newspaper of the opposing party once editorialized that if Thomas Jefferson were elected, "Murder, robbery, rape, adultery, and incest will be openly taught and practiced." Not subtle. Opponents of Andrew Jackson often referred to his mother as a "common prostitute," which seems a bit over the top. Presidents from Teddy Roosevelt to Lyndon Johnson have been accused of promoting socialism, or worse. And we've had arguments between politicians that have been settled with actual duels. There was even a caning once on the floor of the United States Senate - which I'm happy to say didn't happen while I was there.

The point is, politics has never been for the thin-skinned or the faint-of-heart, and if you enter the arena, you should expect to get roughed up. (Z: then why is he often so defensive in public about the slightest criticism? He couldn't even take a question from Joe the Plumber)

Moreover, democracy in a nation of more than three hundred million people is inherently difficult. It has always been noisy and messy; contentious and complicated. We have been fighting about the proper size and role of government since the day the Framers gathered in Philadelphia. We have battled over the meaning of individual freedom and equality since the Bill of Rights was drafted. As our economy has shifted emphasis from agriculture to industry to information and technology, we have argued and struggled at each and every juncture over the best way to ensure that all of our citizens have a shot at opportunity. (Z: So, you see? There's nothing unusual....no matter WHAT WE do, no matter where we're taking America, taking over companies and setting salaries and taking over health care, and telling you what you can and cannot eat, etc etc... this is business as usual!)

So before we get too down on the current state of our politics, we need to remember our history. The great debates of the past all stirred great passion. They all made some angry. What is amazing is that despite all the conflict; despite all its flaws and frustrations, our experiment in democracy has worked better than any other form of government on Earth.

On the last day of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was famously asked, "Well, Doctor, what have we got - a Republic or a Monarchy?" And Franklin gave an answer that's been quoted for ages: "A Republic, if you can keep it."

Well, for more than two hundred years, we have kept it. Through revolution and civil war, our democracy has survived. Through depression and world war, it has prevailed. Through periods of great social and economic unrest, from civil rights to women's rights, it has allowed us slowly, and sometimes painfully, to move towards a more perfect union.

And now the question for your generation is this: how will you keep our democracy going? At a moment when our challenges seem so big and our politics seem so small, how will you keep our democracy alive and well in this century?

I'm not here to offer some grand theory or detailed policy prescription. But let me offer a few brief reflections based on my own experiences and the experiences of our country over the last two centuries.

First, American democracy has thrived because we have recognized the need for a government that, while limited, can still help us adapt to a changing world. On the fourth panel of the Jefferson Memorial is a quote I remember reading to Sasha during our first visit there. It says, "I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but...with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times." (Z: First, picture him reading that to a little girl? Secondly, ..well, keep reading.....that 'institution' he's getting to is, basically, the constitution.)

The democracy designed by Jefferson and the other founders was never intended to solve every problem with a new law or a new program. Having thrown off the tyranny of the British Empire, the first Americans were understandably skeptical of government. Ever since, we have held fast to the belief that government doesn't have all the answers, and we have cherished and fiercely defended our individual freedom. That is a strand of our nation's DNA.(Z: imagine? the term 'individual freedom' coming from HIM?)

But the other strand is the belief that there are some things we can only do together, as one nation - and that our government must keep pace with the times. When America expanded from a few colonies to an entire continent, and we needed a way to reach the Pacific, our government helped build the railroads. When we transitioned from an economy based on farms to one based in factories, and workers needed new skills and training, our nation set up a system of public high schools. When the markets crashed during the Depression and people lost their life savings, our government put in place a set of rules and safeguards to make sure that such a crisis never happened again. And because our markets and financial system have evolved since then, we're now putting in place new rules and safeguards to protect the American people. (Z: So, you SEE? This country needed government THEN and it NEEDS IT NOW! Never mind what the government did to delay recovery from the Depression. And, if all of this is SO GREAT, why is stimulus money NOT being spent as it was in the CCC and WPA? Where is that 'shovel ready'??)

This notion hasn't always been partisan (Z: What, to "protect the American people? Is this notion now partisan?!). It was the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, who said that the role of government is to do for the people what they cannot do better for themselves. He would go on to begin that first intercontinental railroad and set up the first land-grant colleges. It was another Republican, Teddy Roosevelt, who said that "the object of government is the welfare of the people." He is remembered for using the power of government to break up monopolies, and establishing our National Park system. Democrat Lyndon Johnson announced the Great Society during a commencement here at Michigan, but it was the Republican president before him, Dwight Eisenhower, who launched the massive government undertaking known as the Interstate Highway System.(Z: "Republicans did BIG GOVERNMENT STUFF, WHY CAN'T I? How can Republicans nag about that NOW?")

Of course, there have always been those who've opposed such efforts. They argue that government intervention is usually inefficient; that it restricts individual freedom and dampens individual initiative. And in certain instances, that's been true. For many years, we had a welfare system that too often discouraged people from taking responsibility for their own upward mobility. At times, we've neglected the role that parents, rather than government, can play in cultivating a child's education. Sometimes regulation fails, and sometimes its benefits do not justify its costs. (Z: How I WISH he believed this)

But what troubles me is when I hear people say that all of government is inherently bad. One of my favorite signs from the health care debate was one that read "Keep Government Out Of My Medicare," which is essentially like saying "Keep Government Out Of My Government-Run Health Care." For when our government is spoken of as some menacing, threatening foreign entity, it conveniently ignores the fact in our democracy, government is us. We, the people, hold in our hands the power to choose our leaders, change our laws, and shape our own destiny. (Z: There was a big laugh as he talked about that sign obviously from a Tea Party..he chuckled and waited and grinned and got the audience laughing, too........he wouldn't dare talk about the myriad of signs that were thoughtful and clever)

Government is the police officers who are here protecting us and the service men and women who are defending us abroad. Government is the roads you drove in on and the speed limits that kept you safe. Government is what ensures that mines adhere to safety standards and that oil spills are cleaned up by the companies that caused them. Government is this extraordinary public university - a place that is doing life-saving research, catalyzing economic growth, and graduating students who will change the world around them in ways big and small. (Z: "SO, Government is GOOD and you will love big government")

The truth is, the debate we've had for decades between more government and less government doesn't really fit the times in which we live. We know that too much government can stifle competition, deprive us of choice, and burden us with debt. But we've also seen clearly the dangers of too little government - like when a lack of accountability on Wall Street nearly led to the collapse of our entire economy.

So what we should be asking is not whether we need a "big government" or a "small government," but how we can create a smarter, better government. In an era of iPods and Tivo, where we have more choices than ever before, government shouldn't try to dictate your lives. But it should give you the tools you need to succeed. Our government shouldn't try to guarantee results, but it should guarantee a shot at opportunity for every American who's willing to work hard. (Z: this copy of the speech left out his comment about iPods and Tivos..."I don't understand any of that...I HAVE TWENTY-THREE YEAR OLDS FOR THAT")

The point is, we can and should debate the role of government in our lives, but remember, as you are asked to meet the challenges of our time, that the ability for us to adapt our government to the needs of the age has helped make our democracy work since its inception.

The second way to keep our democracy healthy is to maintain a basic level of civility in our public debate. These arguments we're having over government and health care and war and taxes are serious arguments. They should arouse people's passions, and it's important for everyone to join in the debate, with all the rigor that a free people require.

But we cannot expect to solve our problems if all we do is tear each other down. You can disagree with a certain policy without demonizing the person who espouses it. You can question someone's views and their judgment without questioning their motives or their patriotism. Throwing around phrases like "socialist" and "Soviet-style takeover;" "fascist" and "right-wing nut" may grab headlines, but it also has the effect of comparing our government, or our political opponents, to authoritarian, and even murderous regimes. (Z: Clever of him, isn't it, to throw in 'right-wing nut'? And, he sure does like to deflect the fact that many Americans, (MANY) do think he's taking us into socialism, but "that's 'just silly' and I'm priming these kids to think it's silly, too!!" big grin)

Again, we have seen this kind of politics in the past. It's been practiced by both fringes of the ideological spectrum, by the left and the right, since our nation's birth.

The problem with it is not the hurt feelings or the bruised egos of the public officials who are criticized.

The problem is that this kind of vilification and over-the-top rhetoric closes the door to the possibility of compromise. It undermines democratic deliberation. It prevents learning - since after all, why should we listen to a "fascist" or "socialist" or "right wing nut?" It makes it nearly impossible for people who have legitimate but bridgeable differences to sit down at the same table and hash things out. It robs us of a rational and serious debate that we need to have about the very real and very big challenges facing this nation. It coarsens our culture, and at its worst, it can send signals to the most extreme elements of our society that perhaps violence is a justifiable response.(Z: Perhaps, if he WOULD sit fairly, and actually listen to the Right instead of all those close-doored meetings in the senate, House, etc., we COULD bridge differences? Is he kidding with this? Does he think these graduates don't read? has he seen Pelosi and Reid and their power grabs? Oh, ya..never mind..these grads are so indoctrinated they can't see two sides of anything)

So what can we do about this?

As I've found out after a year in the White House, changing this type of slash and burn politics isn't easy. And part of what civility requires is that we recall the simple lesson most of us learned from our parents: treat others as you would like to be treated, with courtesy and respect.

But civility in this age also requires something more.

Today's twenty-four seven echo chamber amplifies the most inflammatory soundbites louder and faster than ever before. It has also, however, given us unprecedented choice. Whereas most of America used to get their news from the same three networks over dinner or a few influential papers on Sunday morning, we now have the option to get our information from any number of blogs or websites or cable news shows.

This development can be both good and bad for democracy. For if we choose only to expose ourselves to opinions and viewpoints that are in line with our own, studies suggest that we will become more polarized and set in our ways. And that will only reinforce and even deepen the political divides in this country. But if we choose to actively seek out information that challenges our assumptions and our beliefs, perhaps we can begin to understand where the people who disagree with us are coming from.

This of course requires that we all agree on a certain set of facts to debate from, and that is why we need a vibrant and thriving news business that is separate from opinion makers and talking heads. As Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." (Z: Yes, Mr. Obama, just WHERE ARE the young investigative journalists who should be looking into your background, who paid for Harvard for you, the truth about your relationships, the truth about your Chicago experiences, the truth about your czars...I could go on and on and so could most of America.........where ARE the young kids who used to believe in investigating the slightest stories which smacked of confusion or lies? But, then, without them because they're too indoctrinated, you slam those who DO have the guts to raise questions, criticize, to raise objection with facts and figures.......)

Still, if you're someone who only reads the editorial page of The New York Times, try glancing at the page of The Wall Street Journal once in awhile. If you're a fan of Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh, try reading a few columns on the Huffington Post website. It may make your blood boil; your mind may not often be changed. But the practice of listening to opposing views is essential for effective citizenship.

So too is the practice of engaging in different experiences with different kinds of people. For four years at Michigan, you have been exposed to diverse thinkers and scholars; professors and students. Do not narrow that broad intellectual exposure just because you're leaving here. Instead, seek to expand it. If you grew up in a big city, spend some time with some who grew up in a rural town. If you find yourself only hanging around with people of your race or your ethnicity or your religion, broaden your circle to include people who've had different backgrounds and life experiences. You'll learn what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes, and in the process, you'll help make this democracy work.(Z: Does he really believe there's been DIVERSE THINKING in U of Michigan's classrooms? Is he THIS out of touch?!:-)

The last ingredient in a functioning democracy is perhaps the most basic: participation.

I understand that one effect of today's poisonous political climate is to push people away from participation in public life. If all you see when you turn on the television is name-calling; if all you hear about is how special interest lobbying and partisanship prevented Washington from getting something done, you might think to yourself, "What's the point of getting involved?" (Z; I'm thinking those Tea Party parents are setting some pretty good examples to their kids about participation in public life....)

The point is, when we don't pay close attention to the decisions made by our leaders; when we fail to educate ourselves about the major issues of the day; when we choose not to make our voices and opinions heard, that's when democracy breaks down. That's when power is abused. That's when the most extreme voices in our society fill the void that we leave. That's when powerful interests and their lobbyists are most able to buy access and influence in the corridors of Washington - because none of us are there to speak up and stop them.(Z: Who's he mean here by "most extreme voices?" Oh...and, oops....does he realize how buying access and influence in Washington is BIpartisan?)

Participation in public life doesn't mean that you all have to run for public office - though we could certainly use some fresh faces in Washington. But it does mean that you should pay attention and contribute in any way that you can. Stay informed. Write letters, or make phone calls on behalf of an issue you care about. If electoral politics isn't your thing, continue the tradition so many of you started here at Michigan and find a way to serve your community and your country - an act that will help you stay connected to your fellow citizens and improve the lives of those around you.

It was fifty years ago that a young candidate for president came here to Michigan and delivered a speech that inspired one of the most successful service projects in American history. And as John F. Kennedy described the ideals behind what would become the Peace Corps, he issued a challenge to the students who had assembled in Ann Arbor on that October night:

"...[O]n your willingness to contribute part of your life to this country...will depend the answer whether a free society can compete. I think it can."

This democracy we have is a precious thing. For all the arguments and all the doubts and all the cynicism that's out there today, we should never forget that as Americans, we enjoy more freedoms and opportunities than citizens in any other nation on Earth. We are free to speak our mind and worship as we please; to choose our leaders and criticize them if they let us down. We have the chance to get an education, work hard, and give our children a better life. (Z: too much to comment on here, plus it's too upsetting to think some of the grads in the audience there actually believe he believes this...or that those voices of criticism have been respected or that he honestly thinks criticism of leaders is a good thing, even criticism toward him)

None of this came easy. None of it was preordained. The men and women who sat in your chairs ten years ago and fifty years ago and one hundred years ago - they made America possible. And there is no guarantee that the graduates who will sit here in ten or fifty or one hundred years from now will enjoy the same freedoms and opportunities that we do. America's success has never been a given. Our nation's destiny has never been certain. (Z:, actually, it was pretty well a given until very recently, Mr. Obama..and some of us believe it was 'preordained')

What is certain - what has always been certain - is our ability to shape that destiny. That is what makes us different. That is what makes us American - our ability at the end of the day to look past all of our differences and all of our disagreements and still forge a common future. That task is now in your hands, as is the answer to the question posed at this university half a century ago about whether a free society can still compete.

If you are as willing, as past generations were willing, to contribute part of your life to the life of this country, then I, like President Kennedy, still believe we can. Congratulations on your graduation. May God Bless You, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Z: I watched the whole thing live. I'm sorry you couldn't see the big toothsome grins, the pauses for the laughs he expected from this DIVERSE and OPEN MINDED GROUP after words like "right wingers." The speech was A CAMPAIGN SPEECH....He might as well said "I JUST DON'T GET WHY EVERYBODY DOESN'T LIKE ME. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE WITH DUMB POSTERS LIKE THAT ONE ABOUT MEDICARE ARE STANDING UP FOR THINGS THEY BELIEVE, DOING JUST WHAT I URGED THESE GRADS TO DO...TO 'PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC LIFE', 'PAY ATTENTION', 'CONTRIBUTE ANY WAY YOU CAN'...NO, THEY'RE JUST STANDING IN MY WAY, DON'T YOU ALL SEE THAT? REPUBLICANS USED TO BELIEVE IN BIG GOVERNMENT, TOO....THEY'RE ONLY PARTISAN NOW WHEN THEY OBJECT OVER SEEING MY ADMINISTRATION BUYING COMPANIES, SETTING SALARIES, TAKING OVER HEALTHCARE AND ENERGY........DON'T THEY SEE THAT IT'S PARTISAN NOT TO GO ALONG WITH MEEEE! MORE PEOPLE SHOULD LISTEN TO MSNBC AND SEE MY SIDE, THAT SHOULD KNOW THAT 'PARTICULAR CABLE CHANNEL' I SINGLED OUT IN THIS SPEECH IS WRONG AND OLBERMANN IS RIGHT!"

I give up...this speech made me very emotional but not the kind of emotional I used to get when I heard graduation speeches from past presidents....not when I felt like that president loved America and loved those kids and actually did encourage open minds and diverse education in college classrooms and honoring all ways of thinking.........no, I didn't feel emotional like that at all.

What do you think of the speech?

UPDATE 3pm EST: I was stunned to see my sitemeter had so many reading this post and checked to see that Google's listed my blog as the first blogger to carry his speech....I hope we can get some good conversation here in the comments section...I'll delete any incivility ASAP but would like to know if anybody didn't think this sounds like a campaign speech or if he might not have wanted to discuss JOBS instead criticism of BIG GOVERNMENT since Michigan's one of the most hard-hit states for unemployment. Of course, many think that BIG GOVERNMENT is the solution to NO JOBS and, let's face it, government (very sadly) is the biggest employer, isn't it? Maybe, in Obama's eyes, this WAS the right speech to make, particularly in Michigan? I guess that verifies my opinion of the speech.

z

52 comments:

FrogBurger said...

Divider, lecturer, small dictator. This guy is a joke. Internet good and bad for democracy because it reinforces our point of view? What a non sense. Actually he's right. It was bad because he was able to raise money via the web worldwide without any credit card address verification. Can't wait for him to get the boot.

Z said...

Hi, FB...I'm glad you took the time...it's important, isn't it, to see his mindset. Such contradiction, such hypocrisy, such blatant pandering to the hearts and minds of kinds so indoctrinated they don't even see it.
He's a punk and spoke like 'one of them'..I keep hoping for a real president who loves America, respects its citizens and believes in THEM more than big government.....and, yes, we could be that way again ...
But, I'm starting to see that the secularist leftwingers might win; they have taught God out of society, insulted Christians and Jews to the point that many are afraid to speak up, have not taught our children the faith and beliefs of the founding fathers ...and capitalism could fail without that goodness, that belief that what your neighbors thought of you WAS important and that your parents were right about kindness and putting the other guy first.
Parents aren't really parents anymore, in general, and so our kids aren't getting that message anymore from ANYONE.
Secularism, tyranny of the minority (another new mantra of the left), not teaching about the constitution...we could all go on and on....this could be the end of the great America most of us were raised in....this downhill turn precipitated by the Left and "Progressivism" will go toward Leftist dream: we won't be the GREAT AMERICA anymore...

Just a conservative girl said...

If you just read the words and didn't pay attention to his actions you would like this speech.

I find it hard to believe that he means it when he and his administration continues to call the tea party people names.

I wish we could find some politicians that would honestly work together to find the best solutions to our problems, but sadly they are no where to found at the moment.

Z said...

Just a Conservative Girl..

I didn't like it as I watched but, maybe you're right, it's because his actions are so hypocritical to what he's said here..it's astonishing.

Of course, there's plenty I personally don't like in the speech, too no matter what he was doing to us from Washington..but, ...

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

This is the greatest speech he's ever read off of a teleprompter.

Until now, I always thought I had a reasonable disagreement with government takeovers of the auto, banking, and health care industries while our government flounders for months to come up with a war strategy that amounts to telling the enemy he's got a full month of Ramadan to hide before we stop looking for him and go home.

But this speech made me realize I'm just not being nice.

Shame on me. Pass the crayons, I'm hungry.

FairWitness said...

I don't know how you forced yourself to watch the whole thing, Z. I had to change the channel after 5 minutes. I couldn't take it anymore.

I have one question; how old did Obama think the graduates were? Because he spoke as if addressing children, rather than college graduates.

Obama is morally bankrupt, corrupt beyond all redemption and utterly incompetent.

Z, the man is made of nothing, an empty suit. I wonder who really installed him in the White House, because it sure wasn't through his own achievements, character or intelligence. He's never done a damn thing in his entire secret life.

Good job in your analysis.

Anonymous said...

Z,
Congratulations on breaking the story.

Interesting that he quoted Lincoln in his defense of big government. It reminds me of some conersations we've had here about Lincoln.

Describing UM as a place to hear diverse ideas...now there's an audacity worthy of being the subject of a book.

tio

Anonymous said...

Hey Z, glad you got top spot on Google. Good job.

Well, I have to say, John F Kennedy wasn't a friend of mine, but Mr. Obama, you're no John Kennedy!

I found it interesting after Obama's making it a point to reiterate Ben Franklin's words; "you have a Republic if you can keep it", the word Republic didn't pass his lips again.

When one want's to be the sole ruler, he tends not to like representative Republics very much.

"And there is no guarantee that the graduates who will sit here in ten or fifty or one hundred years from now will enjoy the same freedoms and opportunities that we do."

Boy, he has that right, and he'll do what he can to help see to it. Ouch!

I can't believe Obama actually said politics is not for the thin skinned!

How could he refer to Presidents who were considered socialist by some, and not mention Woodrow Wilson, the daddy of the progressive movement. Maybe that was a little too close to home.


Beamish, you do make me laugh, and God knows we can use a laugh now and then!

Pris

Ducky's here said...

Government is this extraordinary public university - a place that is doing life-saving research, catalyzing economic growth, and graduating students who will change the world around them in ways big and small. (Z: "SO, Government is GOOD and you will love big government")

-----------------

Are you so beyond the pale that you deny that the public university system in the U.S. has been a big success?

Z said...

beamish...we all have to be nice and just shut up, I guess. (but, it ain't gonna happen)

FW...it was torture...I sat here, I swear, with the occasional tear in my eye, looking at that face and knowing what he's done and wondering if anybody was LISTENING, really listening, to the hypocrisy.
Then I wondered how many parents who've paid taxes, welcomed legal immigrants, made enough success to send their kids there, and been good Americans who learned their history and know better than what they were hearing, etc., had to keep their mouths shut at the after-graduation festivities with their graduates.

Pris, I had that same "You're not JFK moment" and I wasn't even a big fan of his! Tho, with Obama, I'd even vote for Bill Clinton let alone JFK, against him today.
His whole speech was basically whining about being thin skinned and then warns against it..you can't make this stuff up.

A speech dedicated to telling our kids that those people who do not agree with HIM and are fighting for the right to let that be known are WRONG,ANTI DEMOCRATIC, ANTI OBAMA, ANTI OUR FUTURE. Imagine?

Anonymous said...

There's really only one solution. Keep kidding yourselves that it's the Polls.

Keep deluding yourselves that there's someway to turn back the clock. To Howdy Doody and The Masked Crusader. To Lucy and Desi. It's gone. The left and their scumbag racist alphabet organizations far out number Tea Party members. And regardless of what the T Party represents or strives for....they're doomed. Racism is the keynote...the brick in the road that we'll impale ourselves on or more likely...the stake driven through our hearts.

There's no way to win....NO WAY. The ACLU, NAACP, CBC. CHC, the Rainbow this...Code Pink, La Raza, Hispanic Immigration League....all have the center stage.

The law? The constitution? Don't shit yourselves...it's totally meaningless to the masses of pimps, liars and that includes 80% of the congress and the senate.

We hate our government...the lawless and greedy scum that suck our resources dry...love to put it "to the man".

The US...must become a totally different country in order for cherished ideals, liberty, laws to survive.

You're all naive to think otherwise. Your country that you loved and grew up in is GONE. Forever changed by the demographics, diversity and lawlessness that accompanies any society that refuses to enforce it's laws.


Major

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

His whole speech was basically whining about being thin skinned and then warns against it..you can't make this stuff up.

Heh! Sorta like J. Robinette Biden at the 2008 DNC convention relating how his mommy told him to stop coming home from an ass beating with his ass beat.

Z said...

Ducky, you actually asked me :
"Are you so beyond the pale that you deny that the public university system in the U.S. has been a big success?"

First, why "beyond the pale", Ducky? Can't you just discuss, why insult?

And, by the way.. no, I do not think our university system is any longer a "big success" because we have no fairness and no real thinking there anymore.

Naming a few very obvious successes (and he panders by particularly highlighting POLICE, SAFETY, GOOD ROADS, UNIVERSITIES) should not equate to ANY thinking individual that government is always GOOD.

Come to think of it, you made my own point quite well, thanks.

Z said...

Major, I believe you're 100% right in my darker moments. Absolutely correct on every count.
Matter of fact, please read my comment from above on the threat pasted here:

But, I'm starting to see that the secularist leftwingers might win; they have taught God out of society, insulted Christians and Jews to the point that many are afraid to speak up, have not taught our children the faith and beliefs of the founding fathers ...and capitalism could fail without that goodness, that belief that what your neighbors thought of you WAS important and that your parents were right about kindness and putting the other guy first.
Parents aren't really parents anymore, in general, and so our kids aren't getting that message anymore from ANYONE.
Secularism, tyranny of the minority (another new mantra of the left), not teaching about the constitution...we could all go on and on....this could be the end of the great America most of us were raised in....this downhill turn precipitated by the Left and "Progressivism" will go toward Leftist dream: we won't be the GREAT AMERICA anymore...

Ducky's here said...

z, why do we need investigative reporting about "the truth about your czars" when you imply that , as a far right winger I suppose, you already know the truth. Apparently without any investigation at all.

Say hi to Orly Taitz for me and if you visit the planet Mongo be sure to look up Alan Keyes. Best investigative reporters not on the planet.

Z said...

Ducky, this is my blog and I keep asking you to try to stop insulting...why can't you? I will delete, I promise.

As for this:

"z, why do we need investigative reporting about "the truth about your czars" when you imply that , as a far right winger I suppose, you already know the truth. Apparently without any investigation at all."

First of all, I'm not at all a 'far right winger'(tho I have no problem with the moniker) and if you don't know that, you're not awake when you read my blog.
Having said that...you're right, I already DO know the truth...especially about one Van Jones...you're right, the conservative media DID investigate and he had to go. by "Czars", I meant all his thugs and we found out how many of his admin are tax evaders, communists, you name it...real unsavory thugs.
Heck, we don't have to go much farther than Obama himself to get 'unsavory', do we.

You said "Say hi to Orly Taitz for me and if you visit the planet Mongo be sure to look up Alan Keyes. Best investigative reporters not on the planet."

I don't know nor have I ever heard of Taitz and I'm not a big Keyes fan...keep pumpin'...maybe you'll get it right sometime.

Deborah on the Bayside said...

… and so, boys and girls, that’s how a magician uses a deft slight of hand to try to make us believe a colander can hold water. You may believe it too, … until you try it for yourself. Just add the water of reality and watch that glossy coverup of a campaign speech melt away.

Great comments, Z. Such rich diggings, too. There’s enough misinformation to go ‘round that we could have a 100 comment without a repeat.

Here’s 3 I couldn’t resist:

> As for the “Depression, [when] our government put in place a set of rules and safeguards to make sure that such a crisis never happened again.”

Wrong! They transformed (don’t ya just love that word Mr. Obama?) a sharp panic swinging into recovery into that great economic wallow. Using the same methods you’re using, Mr. Obama – “change.” Yeah. Markets love change and unpredictability. Who wouldn't put their nest egg at risk when they have no idea what the new rules will be tomorrow?

> The Republican Eisenhower “ launched the massive government undertaking known as the Interstate Highway System.” Wrong again! He actually called it the “National Defense Highway System.”

If you don’t know the significance of that to the winning general of WW2 who saw the nascent German highway system in use, here’s a hint Mr. Obama: notice the word missing from your speech: “defense.” (In fact, it seems to be missing from your vocabulary altogether.) Gee, now that we’ve corrected that omission, sounds like we’ve got something that’s more the responsibility of the federal government, eh?

And a final whopper:

> “The dangers of too little government … nearly led to the collapse of our entire economy.” And democrats from Jimmy Carter to Barney Frank and – yes, YOU Mr. President – had no small part in this at all? LOL!!!

Anonymous said...

"z, why do we need investigative reporting about "the truth about your czars" when you imply that , as a far right winger I suppose, you already know the truth. Apparently without any investigation at all."

Ducky, many of us know the truth about Obama's czars. Glenn Beck has exposed many of them. You know, the guy you call "psycho". But we also know you wouldn't call him that if he wasn't a threat to the far left who can't argue the facts.

No one has refuted his facts. It's hard to refute a video showing a radical espousing his/her ideology and goals for his far leftist agenda.

Z is referring to the main stream media, who are in the tank for this President. You should ask yourself, why one host of a TV show, has this info, and the media in general, doesn't report on it.

If they have investigated it, why don't any of them come forward to refute it with facts? But, no, they just spew hatred towards this man who has investigated it.

Now, as I have asked you before, what's far right about believing in smaller government, having a Christian or religious outlook, believing in a free market, loving our country, and generally believing in freedom? I'd really like to know.

Could it be you've drifted so far left that we seem to be far right, when in reality, conservatives are generally a pretty decent lot who just want the government to leave us alone to live in peace.


Well Major, I guess we ought to wave the white flag and call it a day, is that it? Thanks for the pep talk, but, no thanks. With stalwarts like you, who needs the jackboots on our necks.

Z, I know what you're saying. But, if you read JFK's Inaugural address, if he was running today, he wouldn't be nominated by the Democrat Party. He was anti-communist, and an American. That's how far astray the Democrat Party has gone.

While I didn't vote for him (my first opportunity to vote), I wasn't worried at all. That was then, this is now. Unfortunate to say the least. What you say is so true. I can't imagine JFK whining about anything.


Pris

Law and Order Teacher said...

Z,
The dangers of too little government? Really? You're kidding right? BO is most of the time, a jerk, and many times a dangerous ideologue. He uses the power of his position to demonize dissent. That's dangerous to the republic. He needs to use that alleged training as a law professor to read and understand the constitution and its roots. Too little government is a threat? I'm incredulous at a statement from the president of the US that shows so little understanding of our founding principles.

FairWitness said...

Z, I hope you forgive me for the following:

WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU PEOPLE?????

WE ARE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

WE ARE AMERICANS!

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS LOSING.

WE ALL READ OBAMA'S LATEST PIECE CRAP SPEECH.

SO THE HELL WHAT?????

I DON'T CARE HOW MANY ALPHABET GROUPS THERE ON THE LEFT!!!!

THEY DO NOT OUTNUMBER US!!!!!

WE OUTNUMBER THEM 70% TO 30%!!!!!

THE ONLY WAY WE LOSE OUR COUNTRY IS IF WE GIVE IN AND GIVE UP!!!

STOP YOUR DAMN WHINING AND GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND GET INVOLVED!!!!

WE CAN TURN THIS AROUND, WE CAN RECLAIM OUR COUNTRY!!!!

WE CAN CHANGE THIS BACK INTO THE NATION WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE.

STOP BEING SUCH WUSSES!!!!

As Henry Ford said, "Whether you believe you can accomplish something or you believe you can't, you're right, either way."

All we have do is believe and then do it!

Anonymous said...

"especially about one Van Jones...you're right, the conservative media DID investigate and he had to go.


I THINK IT IS REMARKABLE THAT THE PRESS CAN FIND EVERY WOMAN WITH WHOM TIGER HAS HAD AN AFFAIR IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WITH PHOTOS, TEXT MESSAGES, RECORDED PHONE CALLS, ETC.
THEY KNOW NOT ONLY THE CAUSE OF THE FAMILY FIGHT, BUT THEY EVEN KNOW IT WAS A WEDGE FROM HIS GOLF BAG THAT SHE USED TO BREAK OUT THE WINDOWS IN THE ESCALADE. NOT ONLY THAT, THEY KNOW WHICH WEDGE!!!


THIS IS THE SAME PRESS (OR IS IT?) THAT CANNOT LOCATE OBAMA'S OFFICIAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE ... OR ANY OF HIS PAPERS WHILE IN COLLEGE.......OR HOW HE PAID FOR A HARVARD EDUCATION....(or Michelle Obama's Princeton thesis on racism.)

TRULY REMARKABLE!!!!!

Ducky's here said...

because we have no fairness and no real thinking there anymore.

----------------

Isn't that a little broad. That's why I say beyond the pale, i.e. given to pathological extremes.

Several of my nieces went through the public university system. They think, they're successful and they're varying degrees left of center. Now we know what the issue is don't we?

Thing with the far right is that after the blatant failure of the last three decades they are extremely defensive trying to defend the most extreme aspects of their philosophy.

Anonymous said...

"main stream media, who are in the tank for this President. You should ask yourself, why one host of a TV show, has this info, and the media in general, doesn't report on it....


"Well Major, I guess we ought to wave the white flag and call it a day, is that it? Thanks for the pep talk, but, no thanks. With stalwarts like you, who needs the jackboots on our necks.


I'd like to see more than a white flag waved...only because I see this sectarian divide proceeding to it's ultimate conclusion. Do you think we're really any different than other cultures that want to hang on to their identities? Nah...I don't. I know where this is heading. The 3rd world illiterate scum...the parasites will not be denied their "rights". What a completely lost bunch of assholes we are. Will we fight back? I seriously doubt it....we still think the lying pieces of shit in DC will save us...rather than their own asses and betray us.


I guess I'll not waste my sarcasm on you any longer. You've made my point....like it was said:

"I THINK IT IS REMARKABLE THAT THE PRESS CAN FIND...etc."

Why is that?

The truth is...the truth can't be told any longer with the scum that labels itself...the unbiased press.With Oberfurher, madcow, matthews, garafolo, odonnell, behr, maher and the crazies they have following them....and in no small part....the blind orthodoxy of the liberal Jews ( used to be Israeli backers but not since Moses died )...we can't win.


Major

Anonymous said...

TIME TO MOVE TO ARIZONA OR BACK IT'S GUTS AND FORTITUDE!!

"After making national headlines for a new law on illegal immigrants, the Arizona Legislature passed a bill Thursday that would ban ethnic studies programs in the state that critics say currently advocate separatism and racial preferences.

The bill, which passed 32-26 in the state House, had been approved by the Senate a day earlier. It now goes to Gov. Jan Brewer for her signature.

The new bill would make it illegal for a school district to teach any courses that promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, promote resentment of a particular race or class of people, are designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group or “advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.”

The bill stipulates that courses can continue to be taught for Native American pupils in compliance with federal law and does not prohibit English as a second language classes. It also does not prohibit the teaching of the Holocaust or other cases of genocide.

Schools that fail to abide by the law would have state funds withheld.


BREWER.....needs to be in the WH....

Major

LA Sunset said...

//Thing with the far right is that after the blatant failure of the last three decades they are extremely defensive trying to defend the most extreme aspects of their philosophy.//

The vast majority of the last century saw the Left in control. Progressive ideology has shaped the country into the mess it is in today. Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, FDR, Truman, LBJ, Carter, and Clinton all tried to push progressive agendas that created more dependency on government.

Each and every time the pendulum swings back to the right, before the right can even make a move, the Left starts with their cries of pervasive victimization and class warfare.

So now it comes as no surprise that the AZ law (which mirrors the federal law) is causing the same kind large scale whining and pushback.

Ducky, you might believe people need government to create a way of life for them to survive. But in doing so, you sell people short on what they can do for themselves. You and your progressive comrades are the creators of victimization, not the capitalist system, nor the system that promotes personal responsibility.

There will come a time in the near future, when the gravy train will end. People will be become even more impoverished than they are now, because the government will collapse under this massive debt the progressives are now amassing at such an accelerated rate. Then, who will help them?

If you have made those who have the means and the work ethic to create wealth (and the jobs that go it) poor, who will pay the taxes it takes to pay back the Chinese and fund the massive entitlements that people like you think is good for the people.

The trouble with liberals like you is you have NO vision beyond the present. You cannot see down the road so you stare at your feet and expect to move in a positive direction. You are given over to delusions that are based in denial.

Opus #6 said...

I am convinced Obama has people feeding his speech writers current criticism from the blogs so he can include catchy phrases like "individual liberty" and "rugged individualism" in his speeches, just as Alinsky taught him. He uses our phrases to lull us into believing his words and hopefully not noticing his actions.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Thing with the far right is that after the blatant failure of the last three decades they are extremely defensive trying to defend the most extreme aspects of their philosophy.

Is that like being hyperbolically redundant for the sake of redundant hyperbole?

Z said...

Opus, when he says we don't want our kids burdened with debt, you KNOW he's delusional and using our phrases...there were several like that, you are so right.

LA Sunset said...

Ducky writes:

//Thing with the far right is that after the blatant failure of the last three decades they are extremely defensive trying to defend the most extreme aspects of their philosophy.//

The Beamish responds:

//Is that like being hyperbolically redundant for the sake of redundant hyperbole?//

The thing the Canard fails to consider (like so many other things) is that 2/3 of those three decades, the Left controlled Congress.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Sunsett,

If it weren't cruel to tease Ducky about his inability to articulate a coherent thought, I would ask what "extreme aspect" of rightist philosophy it is we're "trying to defend" with "extreme defensiveness."

Always On Watch said...

Gah! Almost everything he said is the hallmark of a demagogue.

BHO constantly talked about America's being a democracy. Well, it isn't! We are a republic -- and for a reason.

I also note the man's blatant arrogance and narcissism. He will not brook opposition or disagreement.

The point is, politics has never been for the thin-skinned or the faint-of-heart, and if you enter the arena, you should expect to get roughed up. (Z: then why is he often so defensive in public about the slightest criticism? He couldn't even take a question from Joe the Plumber)

I'm sick his whining about the political arena. He did run for POTUS, after all.

Always On Watch said...

linked

JINGOIST said...

Z I LOVED your comments! :-)

As I read I found myself practically shouting out the obvios answers to the lies spewed by this world class bs artist. He said:

"You will raise your children at a time when threats like terrorism and climate change aren't confined within the borders of any one country. And as our world grows smaller and more connected, you will live and work with more people who don't look like you or think like you or come from where you do."

I could write an article here about the bs. Is there ANY doubt aboput why we DESPISE this provocatuer? (sp?)

Historyscoper said...

See how deep Obama's rabbit hole goes

http://historyscoper.angelfire.com/obamascope.html

HoosierArmyMom said...

(Z: Does he really believe there's been DIVERSE THINKING in U of Michigan's classrooms? Is he THIS out of touch?!:-)

Z, I think it is hard to ascertain exactly what Kenyan Marxist believes. Like so many Narcissistic personalities, he is so out of touch with reality and has so many leftistas pulling his strings, we never get much more than defensive posturing and campaign speech defensiveness from the knucklehead. I'm surprised he doesn't have a mirror installed on his teleprompter. But I guess it would prevent him from focusing on reciting all of those pretty, empty words he spews!

Ducky's here said...

Well as we've seen, La, "control of congress" means 60 in the Senate.

Dems have been less willing to use the filibuster and with the likes of Nelson, Lieberman, Landrieu ... etc. it becomes difficult to call the Dems a functioning progressive party. So go back to your aphorisms but do give this some real thought if you have a chance.

Remember, you are the product of severe indoctrination and the need to be circumspect is higher than it is with others.

Z said...

Ducky, indoctrination? We're adults, we think, we read EVERYTHING, I even watch Olbermann from time to time...all of it's important.
That we have different opinions than you is probably the result of the reading of all sides, matter of fact.

The indoctrination your side is giving our children is a sin, should probably be illegal as it's harming America THAT much, and you have a lot of nerve even mentioning the word indoctrination.

Anonymous said...

"Remember, you are the product of severe indoctrination and the need to be circumspect is higher than it is with others."

Ducky, occasionally you're good for a laugh, but you outdid yourself with this one. Too funny!

Pris

Anonymous said...

" Bodily decay is gloomy in prospect, but of all human contemplations the most abhorrent is body without mind."... Thomas Jefferson

Was Jefferson clairvoyant??? It would appear he was speaking about Ducky!!!

HAM

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Dems have been less willing to use the filibuster and with the likes of Nelson, Lieberman, Landrieu ... etc. it becomes difficult to call the Dems a functioning progressive party. So go back to your aphorisms but do give this some real thought if you have a chance.

See! We'll never be a progressive enough country for Ducky as long as there's no death camps for Jews. He's rather all or nothing.

Remember, you are the product of severe indoctrination and the need to be circumspect is higher than it is with others.

Meanwhile, in Duckyworld, everything to the right of Stalin is "far right."

Ducky's here said...

That's a very impressive retort, Beamish. I don't imagine I should expect much better from someone who believes a string quartet plays under a conductor.

Being lectured by someone whose choice of music serves the singular function of periodically reminding him that he's conscious really doesn't have a lot of impact.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Again we sidetrack to Ducky's forte of making an ass of himself with bizarre concoctions derived from his lack of reading comprehension skills at my blog rather than further exploration of his mindless "30 years of extreme right wing govermnent" trope here.

Maybe we're missing a singing, bouncing ball for Ducky to keep up with.

LA Sunset said...

//Dems have been less willing to use the filibuster and with the likes of Nelson, Lieberman, Landrieu ... etc. it becomes difficult to call the Dems a functioning progressive party.//

Nonsense. The Dems held up judge appointments during the Bush years, up until McCain the closet progressive led that wonderful compromise. They did with the threat of the filibuster.

And how you cannot consider Nelson and Landrieu progressive when they sold their votes to the progressive causes that were just rammed down our throats, is way beyond my comprehension.

And besides his support for killing terrorists before they can kill innocents, Lieberman is a progressive on almost every other issue. He caucuses with the Dems.

So save your bogus analysis for the tavern, where the regular drunks will believe your faulty assessments ....after yo buy them a round.

LA Sunset said...

//Being lectured by someone whose choice of music serves the singular function of periodically reminding him that he's conscious really doesn't have a lot of impact.//

This is how we know Ducky has lost the argument.

Anonymous said...

Obama is a TYRANNIST pure and simple.

Never heard the term before?

That's because I made it up, but it suits him. ALL leftists -- and many on the opposite side too, I sadly have to add -- favor TOTALITARIANISM, whether they KNOW it or not.

I know many NICE people who support out-and-out MARXISM, but they have no idea that THAT is what they favor.

From the Left it's all about promoting "Fairness" -"Safety" - "Human Rights" - and "Ending Bigotry and Racism" - and ceding more and more control to an ever-expanding Central Government.

From the Right it's all about keeping the sanctity of private property, the accumulation of personal wealth, protecting religion (especially Christianity) from an aggressively atheistic, know-it-all Nanny State, promoting Competition and Freedom of Choice in the Marketplace, Freedom of Association, protecting the right to individual Gun ownership --- all good things. BUT the Right is ALSO about Preventing Homosexuals from Entering the Mainstream as much as possible, and Criminalizing Abortion and Assisted Suicide in any and all cases.

The LEFT wants to tell you how to live and wants control of all your MONEY in exchange. The RIGHT also wants to tell you how to live, but they only want control of your MORALS.

Both Left and Right are "Tyrannists" in their own way.

The FOUNDING FATHERS, however, were LIBERTARIANS.

I'll take liberty over safety and fairness any day. The freer people are the better off they will be.

~ FreeThinke

Anonymous said...

PS: And the more highly developed their character is apt to be.

Treat people like children, and they will ACT childish and irresponsible. Free them to fail and learn from their mistakes, and they will grow strong and wise.

DISMANTLE THE WELFARE STATE.

~ FT

Anonymous said...

JINGOIST inspired me to realize

OBAMA is a WORLD-CLASS ASS!

Make a nice bumper sticker, wouldn't it?

Unless you value the safety and bodily integrity of your automobile that is.

~ FreeThinke

Z said...

FT...good point about the integrity of your car!
Tyrannist...tyrant....he IS one, no matter WHAT he's called. TYRANNIST sounds more nefarious...I LIKE THAT!:-)

Did you hear his speech at the Wash. Correspondents Dinner? Somebody wrote him better lines than Leno's, really.....He's got QUITE a team propping him up.
What would happen if someone actually cut the strings? YIKES

I was also wondering if they've always given special scholarships for journalism at Howard University? I found that odd. Great that they do honor kids like that, but..........they don't single out other colleges, just gave good scholarships..

Karen K said...

EXCELLENT and important post, Z. I truly think this guy has narcissistic personality disorder.

Z said...

Karen, thanks..it IS important more people know what this narcissist is saying.

STAY TUNED, EVERYBODY: I'm publishing another speech to our kids, but this one will be from our faithful commenter and good friend Priscilla...it's going up at midnight PST tonight.

x

HoosierArmyMom said...

"That's a very impressive retort, Beamish."

All of Beamish's retorts are impressive and based on facts... something we will NEVER expect to come from Ducky!

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Thank you, Hoosier Army Mom.

I just approach discussions with leftists with the very easily defended premise that leftists are incapable of rational thought.

Ducky is one of my favorite examples, going the extra mile as he does to verify my premise.