When President Obama called for a new civility, I was somewhat confused. In 2004–7, the uncivil demagoguery of the Left damaged Bush; immediately after Obama’s call for civility, someone wrote an “I hate Joe Lieberman” column; now, Governor Walker–Nazi signs have appeared in Madison. Given that the country polls center-right, the hysterical style is something that the modern Left uses to counteract public opinion; Obama has condemned a methodology that is predominately embraced by his own hard-core base. (Indeed, swarming someone’s private home, or using terms like “enemy” and “punish,” are not unknown to either the younger or older Obama.) The result is the hypocrisy of condemning the incivility that will only become more useful to the Left as the election nears
In the Middle East, Obama seems not to grasp the central paradox, analogous to Jeane Kirkpatrick’s in the Cold War: The relatively pro-American authoritarians (in Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, and the Gulf) are more vulnerable than the anti-American and far more savage totalitarian regimes (Iran, Syria, Libya, etc.), at least for now, because the latter are more willing to blockade the international media and to use brutal force to crack down on popular protests. Not only has the administration not appreciated how this paradox may change the strategic map of the Middle East to the detriment of U.S. interests, but it almost seems to consider the more anti-American regimes more sustainable, untouchable, and authentic, and their protesters tainted with Westernization. I don’t know how else to explain the administration’s otherwise inexplicable failure to support Iranian dissidents in 2009, or its harsh attitude toward Mubarak versus its mild treatment of Ahmadinejad, or its efforts to reach out to a rogue Syria while pulling back from a democratic Israel.
At some point, Obama will have to see what Gov. Jerry Brown here in California has already realized: Out-of-whack public-employee compensation and pensions drain the treasury and preclude grandiose green projects and other dubious liberal programs. To put it rather crassly, the liberal calculus often works out as mostly older white guys wanting their unsustainable pension and benefit payouts while the “other” and the more needy are shorted from receiving proper public attention. Since the states cannot print money and often lose population to other states when they raise taxes, the reality is that the well-off are enjoying perks that younger and private-sector workers lack while social services and the green visions of an Al Gore or a 2008 Obama are defunded.
Finally, what distinguishes Obama’s homespun platitudes about public-sector jobs from state governors’ more honest worries is just that ability to print cash — together with the fact that Americans cannot migrate to a kindred but lower-tax nation, in the fashion overtaxed Californians flee to Texas or Utah. But pass a law that the U.S. must balance its books like the states must, or have something like a workable, low-tax Singapore off our shores, and Obama would start sounding like a Governor Brown, Christie, or Walker.
Thank you VDH for killing my productivity! I love the professorial thoughts laid out so clearly.
My standard response to "calls for civility" has become: "You first."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseObama's 2011 budget is the home version of Wisconsin State Senator's game of fleeing their capitol.
Also, "the anti-American [regimes] are more willing to blockade the international media". It's worse than that, these regimes are willing to threaten and physically attack the media. Reporters are free to criticize Israel all they like, in Israel. Those who report what the PA or Hamas don't like endanger themselves and their co-workers, to say nothing of Syria or Hezbollah.
The press are all too willing to enter a docile embrace of their terrorist overlords.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's only a "paradox" if you actually believe anything the man says about moderation, common sense, or civility.
In the good old days he'd just be called a two-faced phony who presents a "pleasant face" to the public in order to accomplish unpleasant ends.
Nice to see him break out the bellows to stoke up the flames in WI this morning. He is doing the same thing in Egypt too, if you haven't noticed. Stoke the fire, encourage the extremists, talk nicey, nicey to the public in empty platitudes about "democracy" and "freedom" while abadoning the one true Democratic Ally we have in the region.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"A paradox is a true statement or group of statements that leads to a contradiction or a situation which defies logic or intuition."
If what the President says is not the truth, then you cannot have a paradox.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseVDH. With all due respect, you are still "confused". Stanley Kurtz' post today, titled "Who's Polarizing America", is the best explanation for what is going on.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhy ask why? Obama and the Left are all 'Do as I say, not as I do.'
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"My standard response to "calls for civility" has become: "You first.""
This is wisdom.
In order to repair the damage done by an out of control pension system, the States need only do what the Federal Government did during the 1990s. Federal employees starting after the mid 1990s don’t get anything more than a nominal pension, and pay for their own health premiums. Migrating state workers to a 401(k) type retirement system is a no brainier.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI was with you until the very last phrase. Obama won't change because he can't. Can a "leopard changes its spots?" Pass a balanced budget law or amendment and the admin will ignore it, executive order it out of business, or otherwise obfuscate in order to blow what's left of the future of the national treasury.
It's what they are. They cannot change.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI wish the real problem with Obama were his 'not getting it' about public employees or preferring hostile tryannies to slightly less so ones.
The problem is at a deeper level. The problem is that there does not seem to be any respect for democracy *here*.
How else to explain this:
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Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnother good column from VDH, although one slight correction is needed: it's not just the older white guys with the unsustainable pension and benefit programs. Many public sector workers, including highly compensated ones, are "people of color."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHe is not a paradox, none of this is unintended, it is all by design and intention of the Obama Administration. He is not going to have an epiphany and realize what Jerry Brown in California realizes. President Obama is full steam ahead to $1 trillion a year in debt until we simply collapse, period. Add to that all of the other destructive actions, such as Obamacare, alienating our allies, wasting our treasure so quickly we will never be able to repay it.
This is a grand plan by design, not some episode of trying but failing, I'll figure it out eventually. You give him too much credit and respect. I still respect the office of the President, but the man in it at the moment is hell bent to destroy the nation as it was and replace it with a Venezuela lite ideology.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMr. Hanson is so out of touch it's laughable. Where does he get the idea that state employees in California are 'old white guys'? Has he ever been in a state office? In the 1950s, he statement might have been true. Nowadays, white are being crowded out by Mexicans, blacks, Asians and every other group possible. The state is huge on 'diversity'. We had Mongolians, Iranians, Kenyans, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Ivory Coasters (or whatever they call themselves), African-Americans, Russians, and Romanians.
Women make up a majority of state offices in many cases.
A recent study by University of Wisconsin researchers found that, adjusted for age and education, public employees in California earned LESS than their private sector counterparts, even when benefits were included.
State employees pay about 1/3 the cost of their health care, and pay 8-10% of their salary to the pension program.
I know Hanson used to teach at Cal State University, Fresno. He needs to get out a bit more.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseObama doesn't believe most of what he says. He doesn't say things because they are true or he believes them to be, he says them for political advantage of some sort - usually either to fool the middle or appease his base.
The left doesn't have a coherent philosophy to guide policy, foreign or domestic. At home they seek to confiscate property to benefit their constituencies and pet utopian projects, and abroad they allow their intrinsic distrust of America and capitalism to inform their choices (essentially, to be friendly to the US is to ensure the emnity of the left forever unless the nation is also harshly critical of the US in ways pleasing to them). Since our enemies oppose our interests and often capitalism itself, the left tends to treat them far better than allies.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Given that the country polls center-right" and given that Rush Limbaugh is "the most listened-to radio broadcast in the country" and "Fox News is the most watched cable news network", ...
Given all that conservatives proudly proclaim, will they finally stop flogging that dead horse about the "lame-stream media" and the left-wing media, etc etc etc? In a nationwide poll, only 2 politicians admitted to not being religious and one of them was a Berkeley city council member. When will NRO stop trumpeting how sad and lonely it is to be a conservative?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIs there any particular reason why one man should pay for another man's health care?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"At some point, Obama will have to see what Gov. Jerry Brown here in California has already realized: Out-of-whack public-employee compensation and pensions drain the treasury and preclude grandiose green projects and other dubious liberal programs."
He knew this before he, and the Democrat controlled legislature, started spending in 2009. Remember the never waste a crisis comments? If the goal is to collapse the economy, compromise the dollar, and force a majority of the voters on the dole or into the arms of public sector unions, he is right on track.
I know that usually it's more accurate to assume incompetence than malfeasance. However, I can not square mere incompetence with the policies and actions of the last two years.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse".... will they finally stop flogging that dead horse about the "lame-stream media" and the left-wing media, etc etc etc?..." "We" will stop flogging that horse when we see some semblance of objectivity being presenting in any so-called "News Source." When any "con" side is presented alongside all the "pro" presentations. The era of Cronkite is over. Media can no longer control the news. As a result, only the willfully ignorant continue to rant against Bush, Palin, the 'rich Republicans,' the state of Arizona and now Wisconsin. It's coming to an head, one way or another.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseReporting in from Madison . . . I was talking to a lefty friend the other night, and here was the explanation for the current situation I got:
"There is no budget crisis -- there is actually plenty of money, only the Republicans gave it all to the rich in form of tax breaks. They want to bust the unions so their rich friends can stay rich."
Also, apparently Wisconsin was running a surplus until Walker got elected and gave all that money to the rich people (that certainly doesn't jive with the last 10 years of news reports about the state budget that I've read! And, um, Walker's been in office for about a month and this is his first budget, so when exactly did he have an opportunity to "cut taxes on the rich"??)
But of course the protest is not about something as crass as "money" anyway, it is about RIGHTS! The dictator wants to make us all work 84 hours a week (I will barf if I hear the "without unions we'd all have to work on the weekends" line again.)
. . . so there's your ground-level view from inside the bubble.
My take is that hippies and union stooges are carrying water for democrats, and this movement is entirely "organized" and not broadly popular (except in Madison, which is of course full of state workers, hippies and college students -- Obama's core supporters.)
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