Oba-Mao? Are they kidding? If Anita Dunn’s open admiration of Mao wasn’t enough, we’ve got Chinese worshipers peddling souvenirs to the Obama Faithful. Sheesh.
'Oba-Mao' t-shirts in the tourist Houhai district of Beijing (Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)
(The Atlantic) — /SNIP/ On Sunday, President Obama arrives in Shanghai for a four-day visit that is among the most anticipated by a foreign leader to China in more than a decade. No doubt, such major diplomatic concerns as rising trade tensions and the upcoming Copenhagen climate-change summit are factors in the frenzied attention being lavished on Obama’s impending arrival. But equally important is the intense, rock star-like popularity that Obama enjoys among average Chinese. In my Shanghai neighborhood, and in large cities up and down China’s East Coast, Oba-Mao T-shirts are readily available the Beijing authorities rounded up supplies of the T-shirt in that city, early this week, and copies of his books can be found in pirate DVD shops, subway stations, and on street corners.
Obama-mania, indeed. No doubt, Barry will have a wonderful time soaking up the admiration. Meanwhile, the American people are getting soaked. Aren’t you glad that God is the one Who is really in charge? Enjoy your temporary ‘reign’, kings of the earth. That vain thing you’re imagining hasn’t sneaked past the One Who Never Slumbers Nor Sleeps.
Obama told the U.N. “the time has come to re-launch negotiations — without preconditions — that address the permanent-status issues: security for Israelis and Palestinians; borders, refugees and Jerusalem.”
The U.S. leader added that “the goal is clear: two states living side by side in peace and security — a Jewish State of Israel, with true security for all Israelis; and a viable, independent Palestinian state with contiguous territory.” [emphasis SKG]
Isn’t it a bit, shall we say, disingenuous, to state that there would be ‘no pre-conditions’ and then state a pre-condition? Apparently, President Obama intends that only Netanyahu cannot state any pre-condition. And how curious that President Obama would employ the phrase, ‘peace and security’. The people of Israel and their leaders would be wise to consider I Thessalonians 5:3:
When people say, “There is peace and security,” destruction will strike them as suddenly as labor pains come to a pregnant woman, and they will not be able to escape.
Contiguous territory? According Merriam-Webster, contiguous implies an unbroken line of connectivity. How can the West Bank and Gaza strip join to form a Palestinian state that is contiguous? Here’s a map (from globalsecurity.org): Read the rest of this entry →
Recently, Gerald Posner, The Daily Beast’s chief investigative journalist, interviewed former President Jimmy Carter’s National Security Chief Zbigniew Brzezinski. In the ‘telling’ interview, Brzezinski offered candid responses to numerous questions about President Obama’s foreign policy choices so far. Several questions stand out as regards Israel. Here are the questions and Brzezinski’s revealing answers:
GP: Is the fallout as bad if Israel preemptively strikes Iran?
ZB: Absolutely. That is the way, more importantly, how the Iranians would view it. They really can’t do much to the Israelis, despite all their bluster. The only thing they can do is unify themselves, especially nationalistically, to rally against us, and the mullahs might even think of it as a blessing.
GP: How aggressive can Obama be in insisting to the Israelis that a military strike might be in America’s worst interest?
ZB: We are not exactly impotent little babies. They have to fly over our airspace in Iraq. Are we just going to sit there and watch? [Emphasis SKG -- 'Our airspace' -- gee, I thought Iraq wa a sovereign country]
GP: What if they fly over anyway?
ZB: Well, we have to be serious about denying them that right. That means a denial where you aren’t just saying it. If they fly over, you go up and confront them. They have the choice of turning back or not. No one wishes for this but it could be a Liberty in reverse. [Israeli jet fighters and torpedo boats attacked the USS Liberty in international waters, off the Sinai Peninsula, during the Six-Day War in 1967. Israel later claimed the ship was the object of friendly fire.]
Brezinski served as Candidate Barack Obama’s foreign policy advisor in 2007 and 2008. Though I can’t find proof that Brzezinski has relinquished that position, it’s safe to say his opinion still matters to Obama. Brzezinski is now and has always been a major player and a major hawk. He has a reputation for being anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian and even pro-Russia.
Below is a video (actually an audio track with a still image of Brzezinski) that reveals much about this presidential advisor’s worldview. Pay close attention to the language — ‘shift’, ‘awake’, ‘transformation’, and particularly the chilling statement near the end that ‘now it is easier to kill a million people than it is to control them’:
Joe Biden is complaining today that South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson shouted out “You lie!” to President Obama during last night’s speech to the joint session. Coincidentally, both Derek and I shouted out the very same thing at the same time. Sadly, Wilson is now apologizing for his outburst.
What this country needs is a weekly “President’s Questions” to mirror the “Prime Minister’s Questions” in the UK:
(DAILY MAIL) — Doctors left a premature baby to die because he was born two days too early, his devastated mother claimed yesterday.
Sarah Capewell begged them to save her tiny son, who was born just 21 weeks and five days into her pregnancy - almost four months early.
They ignored her pleas and allegedly told her they were following national guidelines that babies born before 22 weeks should not be given medical treatment.
'Mad Scientist Sharon' working at IU in 1997 -- note the cool pocket protector!
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