This judgment may seem to be political hyperbole; nevertheless the evidence to support it is robust. To begin with, Obama comes by his anti-Americanism honestly. His father left this country and returned to Kenya in a snit, while his mother manifested her negative attitude by living as an expatriate in Indonesia for most of her adult life.
In any event, our president’s mind-set has had disastrous implications both domestically and internationally. Indeed, in many ways he has done more damage to the United States than would have been inflicted by a full-scale enemy assault. So let us review the facts.
On the domestic front he has brought the nation to the brink of a budgetary catastrophe. He has also lengthened our economic downturn by supporting policies that discouraged private investment. This, coupled with his disdain for the free market and those who drive it forward, has introduced a host of unnecessary uncertainties.
He has also shown contempt for our political institutions by repeatedly subverting them. To illustrate, instead of healing the nation’s political divisions, he has refused to compromise with the opposition. From the beginning he has been a super-partisan whose mantra has been “it’s my way or the highway.”
In addition to vilifying the Republicans, he has refused even to talk to them.
Then too, when it has suited his purposes he has thumbed his nose at the Constitution. By his own admission, he has sought to govern without the cooperation of Congress. This strategy too began right out of the starting gate, when he began to rely on so-called unconfirmed “czars” to implement his policies
We have also witnessed his penchant for employing sleazy backroom deals to achieve his ends. This reached a high-water mark with the passage of Obamacare. Not only were its details unread by those who passed the legislation, but it was larded with special benefits for the president’s political allies.
In general, Obama has undermined the democratic culture of our nation by resorting to demagogic tactics. Thus, he promised everything to everyone, but he has also indulged in dishonesty of a magnitude not approached by his predecessors. Democracy depends on trust, yet time and again he has proved himself untrustworthy.
As to the international scene, he has repetitively fawned over our enemies, while disrespecting our friends. We have seen this with respect to Israel and the Palestinians. We have also seen it in his policies toward Russia and Western Europe. The president has even managed to offend our Canadian and Mexican neighbors, while providing succor for socialists in Honduras and Venezuela.
Perhaps worst of all, he is in the process of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in Iraq and Afghanistan, at the very same time that he is allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. To make matters even worse, he is intent on hollowing out our military, just as it faces greater threats.
But now we have two new pieces of evidence regarding Obama’s underlying attitude. Internationally, he is beginning to make overtures to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. It was apparently not enough to undercut our Islamic friends, but we may soon be asked to get into bed with our Middle Eastern adversaries.
And then there are his recess appointments to the new consumer protection agency and the national labor relations board. Even though the president knew that the Senate was not technically in recess, he did what he wanted — the Constitution be damned. Obama evidently intends to remake the United States along the lines he prefers.
It was not very long ago that our president promised us change we could believe in. Time has now revealed what he meant. Quite clearly Obama did not appreciate the country he inherited and hoped to convert it into something else. While he portrays this as love, it is really scorn.
Calling a sitting president anti-American is surely extreme, but those of us who are fond of the United States must understand what is occurring, that is, if we are to protect our nation from those who would dismantle it.
Melvyn L. Fein Ph.D. is a professor of Sociology at Kennesaw State University.
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This "column" is nothing but a series of lies, distortions, and omissions. Either Fein knows this and doesn't care, which makes him an intentional propagandist... or he doesn't know it, which makes him unqualified to comment.
Stop watching Fox News for just a little while, please. Last night Hannity accused Obama of increasing the debt by five trillion, while Bush only increased it by three trillion. Another amazing lie that even a few seconds of research would reveal.
It's a sad statement on where the GOP is these days. I dare you to consider the debt chart at the link below. Be prepared, however, for reality, which doesn't match Fein's fever dreams...
"This strategy too began right out of the starting gate, when he began to rely on so-called unconfirmed “czars” to implement his policies."
Your notion that the "czars" are unique to the Obama administration is extremely misleading. Was it ok for Bush, but not Obama?
He has also shown contempt for our political institutions by repeatedly subverting them. To illustrate, instead of healing the nation’s political divisions, he has refused to compromise with the opposition. From the beginning he has been a super-partisan whose mantra has been “it’s my way or the highway.”
Senate Republicans under Obama have filibustered far more than Senate Democrats under Bush, but don't let the facts get in your way.
"Perhaps worst of all, he is in the process of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in Iraq and Afghanistan, at the very same time that he is allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. To make matters even worse, he is intent on hollowing out our military, just as it faces greater threats.
What is victory in Iraq? Violence has increased in Iraq, but they were no closer to a political solution under than under Obama. You people complain about Iranian influence in Iraq, but you supported a war that removed an Iranian enemy and gave democracy to pro-Iranian majority. Afghanistan was in terrible shape at the end of the Bush administration. They were/are a narco state with a highly corrupt government. Please give me some examples of how Obama policies screwed Bush's victorious accomplishments in Afghanistan.
"And then there are his recess appointments to the new consumer protection agency and the national labor relations board. Even though the president knew that the Senate was not technically in recess, he did what he wanted — the Constitution be damned. Obama evidently intends to remake the United States along the lines he prefers."
Obama has made 32 such appointments compared nearly 200 during the Bush administration and over 200 during the Reagan administration.
And by the way, compromise assumes that one's opponent is also willing to meet somewhere in the middle. Otherwise it's called "surrender." When has a Republican-controlled Congress offered Obama any legitimate compromise? Oh, I see, they are "standing on principle," aka our way or the highway. That's called a double standard. The Bush years of spending the country into terrible debt are down the memory whole, evidently. Amazing how the Tea Party emerged just as W left office... what a coincidence.
Sometimes Dr. Fein has insights worth sharing. Not so much this time.
While I agree with most of what you wrote, I am not certain that Buchanan was as much anti-American as he was pro states rights. In modern times, the changes in Europe's structures, the break up of Yugoslavia, for example illustrates that there are certain qualities that folks look for in their state and country. I am not at all certain that the USA is not too large to retain its ability to survive as a single government.
History shows the the migration to the urban areas,(see China today, see populations within the USA, results in a citizenship with strongly different attitudes and beliefs about life styles and moral values.
The impact of immigration, particularly, illegal immigration has changed the face of our country immensely. The difference in the cultures from state to state are such, that I believe that separation into North?south or East/West is not far out in our history. We have allowed the balance of opinion to change so heavily in any and all matters that we are at loggerheads on mot issues.
White guilt for offenses of the past combined with black resentment for the same issues has created , in many cases, a great divide in te country. The numbers of us who want peaceful existence with each other are outweighed by special interest groups whose desires are not for quality, although that is what they allege they want. The Hispanic desire for revanchism and a return of many of our states to Mexico divides us even further.
The collapse of moral values, particularly by those who are supposed to be the guardians and guides of our morals, see gay priests, lesbian bishops, NAMBLA, the teaching of our children of pre-sexual age , the various acts of, one hopes, only, adult participants, in our schools at the same time a small group of nonbeliever s put a stop to an display of Christianity, in my opinion has sealed our fate.
If this is equality, then I do not want to be equal with those people. Our politicians, in supposed tolerance of diversity and tolerance have allowed our military, our schools, our halls of learning to become places of debauchery, hooking up, etc.
The only blessing left to me is that I have seen the country when it was great and I will, most probably, die before it finishes its slide into complete Marxist, Caligulan anarchy and sin.
I pray that my grand children and my children who raise them by a code of decency and respect, will prevail and help America to find its path back to decency and respect.
If you fail to see the sneaky, underhanded tricks of the man in the White house, shame on you. If you see and understand the tricks and support them, then you are as wicked as the man in the White House.
Enough of far right and extreme left accusations. The truth is out. It is evident in every non-Constitutional action taken by Obama. The dark of night and the two bit misinterpreting of the rights of the Executive Branch to by pass the Constitution are enough to bring him up on charges of treason.
I do not listen to Rush, hardly ever read Coulter and, for the life of me, seldom see any of the radical right charges against Fox when I watch the news.
The truth is out and it burns and stings , dragging people like you out to attack the truths as exposed by people like Fein.
I believe it is you, sir, that is guilty of massive distortions in your writings, which in turn are nothing more than the regurgitated talking points issued by Matthews, Olbermann, Press, et al, and all the other looney-toons of the left.
The problem with liberalism, particularly as preached by the hard-left, is it is based entirely on emotion rather than on fact. Therefore, not coincedentally, it appears your comments against Dr. Fein are indeed built on emotion, not fact....just as one would expect.
I hope so, for your sake, if you want one.
That doesn't do much for your case, Regus. Please provide support for your argument. Then we'll talk. You and Mr. Foley are clearly cut from the same cloth.
"Calling a sitting president anti-American is surely extreme, but those of us who are fond of the United States must understand what is occurring, that is, if we are to protect our nation from those who would dismantle it."
No apology. The country is, at this time, in a condition, that I, as a 78 year old have never seen it before.Obama spent his youth involved in the learning of dissatisfaction with our country. He is a true racist, Marxist hater of the American way.
Most of the unthinking see him as being able to multiply the loaves and fishes of our economy and that they will never have to work for their daily bread.
If they truly sat back and looked at what they want, they could see it is not the way that built this country. It is the way to destruction.
We are divided as strongly as we were before the Civil War. Unfortunately, I see no Lincoln on the horizon. Even more unfortunately, we could never sustain an armed conflict among us in this day and age.
The election for President and its result will decide if we, like Rome of the old days, have reached our end.
Everybody wants something for nothing. Entitlements, entitlements while our public officials wrap their togas around themselves and destitute our country.
We were wrong to think of Mr. Obama as a socialist: it is more likely that his views trend to oligarchy and autocracy. Overriding the congress, packing the Supreme Court, and shredding the Constitution are not the ways of a pro American president.