Europe Rooting for Obama
In Europe, which I’ve been visiting for the past month, no American presidential election since 1960 has been followed with such interest, passion even, as this one. All over the Continent, with the irrelevant exception of Georgia, the elite class is rooting for Obama and hoi polloi are following the lead. When Obama toured Europe last July he was courted by political leaders as if he were already in the White House, while a crowd of 200,000 in Berlin gave him a frenzied welcome not seen since that Ich bin ein Berliner speech.
That leftist radicals and neo-Marxists who run the European Union adore Obama is normal. They, too, are dirigiste statists and therefore like his desire to tax and redistribute wealth and create an ever more dependent welfariat. They share with him the assumtions about man and society – especially a society based on European heritage – that are essentially revolutionary. After eight years of “the culturally alien” Bush, “the transatlantic relationship needs a positive figure with which it can identify,” says Thomas Klau of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Western Europe’s political leaders and bien-pensants can identify with Obama and especially the color of his skin because they are ashamed of their whiteness. They share his hostility to any form of European or, in America’s case, Euro-derived ethnic or cultural coherence, which is flatly equated with “racism.” Even the Economist of London subscribes to this view. Obama’s victory, it opined, “would salve, if not close, the ugly wound left by America’s history.”
According to Dominique Moisi of the French Institute for International Relation, the perception in Europe is that Obama can transform the view that the U.S. and the West have of themselves: “For many Europeans, a reinvention of America is Europe’s last hope.” Obama’s role thus becomes that of a secular Messiah who will redeem the guilt-ridden heirs of a morally unsustainable Western civilization by helping liquidate it.
In the eastern half of Europe – in Russia, and less importantly in Serbia, Belarus, Armenia, and the anti-Yushchenko half of Ukraine – the sentiment is anti-McCain, rather than pro-Obama. McCain’s visceral Russophobia, his services to the Albanian lobby over Kosovo, his insistence that Ukraine’s future is in NATO, and his unrestrained support of “Misha” (Saakashvili), make him loathed on realist grounds of old geopolitics. Obama’s ideology and domestic agenda appear relatively insignificant to those who feel existentially threatened by McCain and all he stands for.
The European Right (or, rather, its smouldering remnant) is staying quiet, aware that there is little to commend McCain except alleged domestic lesser-evilism. Paul Johnson, the conservative British writer and historian, rightly points out that “Obama is not the man to sort out America's problems. He’s full of high-falutin waffle. We just do not know what he stands for. Americans have a lot of common sense and know rough times lie ahead. That is why America needs a leader from the right.”
Johnson is wrong, however, to assume that John McCain is either “a leader” or “from the right.” He is neither, and tonight the GOP and the nation will pay the price.
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It seems clear that regardless of who wins tomorrow, America is destined to be lead by one of the most inept presidents in its short history. Perhaps this will finally put an end to the cult of the American presidency with all of its stupid trappings such as presidential libraries--the modern-day equivalent of Roman temples of the deified emperors.
"It seems clear that regardless of who wins tomorrow, America is destined to be lead by one of the most inept presidents in its short history."
Surely that particular booby prize has already been awarded to George Bush. The next president will spend his time trying to extinguish fires set by the last 3 or 4 administrations. Hopefully things will be so bad that Obama won't have the time or inclination to implement some of his more feverish dreams of wealth redistribution and destruction...cause their ain't much left to redistribute or destroy anymore.
"that particular booby prize has already been awarded"
Don't count your boobies before they're hatched.
"Surely that particular booby prize has already been awarded to George Bush. The next president will spend his time trying to extinguish fires set by the last 3 or 4 administrations"
Both candidates are advocating an escaltion of the Bush doctirine.
I take it Russians haven't seen the Obama TV ad of "Russian aggression" he would worse choice for Russia as it would be a Brezinski presidency, Obama is just a clueless puppet.
Democrats have also recieved KLA drug money.
Then let's send him over there to be head of the EU, while back here we make Ron Paul president.
For what it is worth... the Canadian CBC is definitely pro Obama. The Canadian left is in love with the man. The only relevance here is that a lot of voting Americans live in Canada.
If football results are any indicator, the Redskins home loss last night has statistically meant that the Stupid Party is out of the White House and the Evil Party is in. Not really any surprise judging from the warped poll numbers that we've been spoon-fed since August. I'm going to the polls to cast my no vote on a $70 million bond issue, and I'll pop my cross in the bin for Chuck Baldwin.
Pending some fine Chronicles Mag. insight on Obama's cabinet.
Trifkovic: "Western Europe’s political leaders and bien-pensants can identify with Obama and especially the color of his skin because they are ashamed of their whiteness. They share his hostility to any form of European or, in America’s case, Euro-derived ethnic or cultural coherence, which is flatly equated with “racism.”"
I agree, but don't you think that Obama could fuel a right-wing reaction in Europe? Europeans often define themselves against the U.S. If they suddenly have a black U.S. president shoving political correctness down their throats (e.g. saying they need to allow more Third World immigrants into Europe, as Obama implied in Berlin), wouldn't they react?
… “tonight the GOP and the nation will pay the price….”
You are right again, Dr. Trifkovic. Obama succeeded in convincing majority of American voters that he is the one who will bring (long desired ) CHANGE (for better) to the USA . That combined the fact that he is black and of Muslim faith (by father’s side) has had impact of people’s psyche that he is the man who can stand up to corporate America and the war-happy military establishment in the world. This is the rational of ordinary people. The truth is quite the opposite.
Having also exiled myself for much of this election season, I agree with Dr. T in some respects but I find European fascination with Obama is not necessarily a reflection of self-hatred but rather a novelty. They project on Obama's candidacy quintessentially American traits - entrepreneurial nature, ability to create and invent, etc. I get the sense that many Europeans marvel at the notion of a President Obama because it reminds them how much they ultimately still admire America (despite their hatred of Bush) for its meritocracy and level playing field - be it in society, business, or politics.
So many of the people with whom I've spoken seem intent on "punishing" the Republicans by supporting the Obama ascendancy. While disgust with Bush is certainly a reasonable reaction to his years of misrule and utterly destructive foreign policy, it saddens me to think that sensible people would cast their lot with this foolish purveyor of warmed-over Marxism.
I watched a local news program here interview people this morning standing in line to vote who gleefully peered into the camera and announced they were "still deciding" and/or "wanted to be a part of history." With an electorate so lobotomized should we be surprised at the results we'll get? Or more properly,perhaps, the choices we are offered?
Europe's elite, certainly the Western European versions at least, have already opted for self-destruction with birth rates below replacement levels. They seems eager to have the US join fully in the race to extinction by electing a politician who has voted to preserve the "right" to infanticide even when an abortion procedures doesn't intially murder the baby. This same pol found it expedient to vote "present" on many other issues -this should tell us something of his priorities.
True European patriots have been marginalized or eliminated and no deviation from the collectivist camp is tolerated. The US is poised to "join in the fun."
Obama is the most pernicious development in American since Dubya said "you're either with us or against us".
But fear not, the backlash has begun already. There has been a surge in guns sales, which means Americans are re-affirming the proper relationship between a state and it's (armed) citizens.
The very worst thing that could happen would be a McCain victory. Both in the short term (riots), medium term (false belief in having escaped what Obama stands for) and long term (continuation of the Bush doctrine).
FTA: "After eight years of “the culturally alien” Bush, “the transatlantic relationship needs a positive figure with which it can identify,” says Thomas Klau of the European Council on Foreign Relations."
While the European obsession with Obama alludes me, I do understand why they will be glad to finally have someone in the White House who talks as if he made it past the third grade. In his attempt to appear "genuine," Bush made himself look like a hillbilly.
There is a revealing comment on Obama made by François d'Orcival in the rightist Valeurs Actuelles (30 Oct). Responding to the claim (made not only on the Left) that Obama represents an American turn away from selfish imperialism toward kindness, he observes: "La "crédulité n'a pas de limites. On a besoin de lui pour sauver l'humanité et l'environnement, faire disparaitre le chomage et les inégalités, le raismm et la pauvreté. Soeur Obama!" (They need him to save humanity and the environment and make unemployment and inequallities and rqacism and poverty disappear. Sister Obama!). The notion that by electing a negro, the US will become kind is a fantasm, he says, and America will remain an imperialist nation and Israel will remain the privileged ally. In a backhanded way, then, and coming from the right, F. d'Orcival explains some of Obama's attraction--namely, that he will lesson the threat to world piece posed by the Bush-Clinton-Bush administration.
Either way, the USA is in a steep downward spiral that no president, be it McCain, Obama or whoever, can pull us out of.
With the weak economy, perpetually lopsided trade deficit, huge national and personal debt, rampant illegal immigration, disappearing manufacturing ability and the ever-growing military, economic and geo-political adversaries, bleak times indeed are ahead.
Regardless, the American president has become only a puppet with its strings pulled by the globalist oligarchy puppet masters. Obama, I believe, will make things worse however. The ultimate goal is to beat down the American public, namely the white, Christian, European into submission and Obama should do a fine job of this!
"he will lesson the threat to world piece posed by the Bush-Clinton-Bush administration."
No. He makes it much worse. He has the demagogic charisma to pull off the most outrageous and extreme of things.
Perhaps it is revenge of the passive-aggressive voter that Obama wins today. The people I know personally who are pulling the lever for Obama are the P-A types.
HH should read the post again.
I still think the only reason (other than Bush) that Obama is up and McCain is down is 'the economy'. Americans, especially those that go to public school, are spoon-fed the myth that, "The New Deal saved the Economy". So, being that Obama is about as close to European social democrat as we will ever get, there is the assumption that he will 'fix' the economy like FDR 'fixed' it. Even supposed conservative commentators like Bill O'Reilly and Newt Gingrich trumpet the FDR the Great line. So it is no wonder Obama is doing better than McCain in Virginia, Florida, and my own state of Ohio.
As it relates to Europe, I have noticed on German TV they are approvingly echoing a line about this being the end of the 'Reagan minimal regulation' era.
HH @ 12
Gun sales are booming in some parts of Louisiana. Ammo, while more expensive than I would like it, hasn't gone up that much in my area--at least not like I feared.
Some of it's the European preference for leftish, internationalist American leaders, and some of it is just "throw the rascals out, elect new rascals."
Should we care what Apache dancers, surrealists and exiled counts think of us? Who cares, really, so long as they sell us their wine and their academic fads? ;->
It is remarkable that both of the major parties nominated such poorly qualified candidates. And I don't mean only qualifications that one finds on a resume. Neither of these candidates could carry on a sensible conversation about ideas embodied in the documents of the founding fathers. As for the causes of these nominations, the media are largely to blame since they treat the campaign season like a sports event or a fashion show.
It's incredible to say the least. A crowd of 200.000 idiots can give him a royal welcome. I can see now how anticristos will take over that place first with the masses already so zombiefied.
Obama reminds me of Jimmy Carter when he was supporting Howard Dean in 2004 and the myth that during his administration he put human rights at the forefront of US foreign policy.
Yet during his administration he covertly started the Afghan war training Islamic militants 6 months prior to get the USSR to invade and toppled a Latin American country in a CIA coup (forgot which one).
Has anyone noticed that Obama’s backers are the people in Clintons administration who helped draft US Balkans war policy Richard Holbrooke, Madeline Albright, etc.
We have heard so many times that it isn't important who occupies the White House. The decision makers live outside that premises.
Masses tend to choose appearance over quality and make-belief of reality. There are enough jobless, homeless, desperate and illeglas in the USA to be able to elect the one who promises them “better tomorrow” even though that CHANGE may come with Godot.
Americans don't care really who or where we bomb, as long as they don't have to see the nasty consequences/reality on the boob tube. The GOP is going down because: First of all, they went to the left via the neocon way, and secondly let the FED go nuts with the bubble monsters they created under both Clinton and Bush, wrecking the economy as a result. Americans are so insulated from the damage we do around the globe(primarily in the ME) that they simply can't comprehend why folks hate us. Don't worry, once Barack escalates the wars in the ME and the economy stays in the tank, folks on the left will wake up just like the folks on the right, the true conservatives woke up to the fact that Bush is a liar and an incompetent fool. The sham that is the US electoral system is quickly going to be revealed!!!!
@8 Michael
I'm surprised at you!
Obama will dip into the same Council of Foreign Relations cesspool that every other president-elect has done since the 1950s -- at least for the "international affairs" crew. The money end of things will be tackled by the Wall Street revolving door crowd of crummy financiers that just got bailed with your money. K Street spivs and other 5th Street lawyers will fill in the blanks on the legal end. The rest of the do-nothing "plum jobs" will be filled in with assorted campaign toadies who will buy houses in Ward 3 and who will never go home to Flyover Country.
@11 George
Great insight there George, and I thought your expertise was selling 4 wheelers to Africa. I'd like to hear from you what the Senegalese and other Africans think about our very first half-Kenyan president-elect.
History in the making and not much more than acceptance of the West crumbling into the hands of a Third World leader. The acceptance of the decline is disheartening at best, in fact there are no true voices of defense, only of appeasement. Please wake me up when we have true political discourse and defense of Christianity,... until then I will sleep very deeply. My poor Father who has to live to see all this degradation, ... I am ashamed.
Level playing field? Wow, hey George do you think Joe the plumber could actually run for President someday? I doubt it, he doesn't have the money, or the blue bloodline or th e connections to actually have the "owners" of the US let him run.
Europeans love Obama for one simple reason in that he is going to bring us down to their level. White America will no be longer be welcome in the nation it has created, just like those in Western and Central Europe. With this vote, Western Civilization has just hammered the last nail in its coffin. This victory will have solidified the victory of socialism over liberty and free market capitalism. Marx and Engels must be overjoyed down in the depths of Hades!!!!!!
"White America will no longer be welcome in the nation it has created, just like those in Western and Central Europe".
Many of us have long felt that way already. Where have you been for the last 40 years or so?
"This victory will have solidified the victory of socialism over liberty and free market capitalism"
Oh , so you mean "free market capitalism" was heretofore the rule in America, but now Obama is going to overthrow it? Please, do tell us when exactly this wonderful economic system existed in America. I can't seem to recall it.
We lost the Cold War because we failed to defeat the enemy within.
I wonder how much Europe will admire Barack Obama if Vladimir Putin decides he wishes to take the Crimea by force and return it to Russia and Obama decides to do nothing but posture.
Derek # 30
Not to do anything will be right thing to do. Crimea belongs to Russia and the USA has no business there anyway.
Mr. Borojevic, I agree with you. Russia should ask for a plebiscite for Crimea. Those who live in Crimea should determine which nation they wish to be part of, Russia or Ukraine. And if a plebiscite is refused by Ukraine, it would be within Russia's right to use military force to free Crimea. However the nations of the European Union, soft and jelly-bellied, would not be sympathetic to any aggressive Russian act, not that they would use military force to oppose any Russian move on Crimea. But they would expect something out of a President Obama, I would suppose. That's my point.
@30Derek Leaberry
If any manoeuvres happen in the Crimea it won’t be Russia that initiated it although like with Georgia it will get the blame regardless.
Obama would jump at the chance to flex US/European muscle against Russia.
Russia does not want the Crimea to join Russia and recognised it as part of Georgia long ago as stated in a an August 29 2008 interview with Putin conducted by Thomas Roth of the National German Broadcast Services . mainstream media in the West has banned Even in Germany, the interview was censored.
http://www.realjewnews.com/?p=270
Quite right, Mr. Leaberry, quite right.
My fear is that Obama, like Clinton in Kosovo, will want to bomb his way into the hearts of European leftists (though it appears they already idolize him).
Need to correct an error.
Russia does not want the Crimea to join Russia and recognised it as part of UKRAINE long ago as stated in a an August 29 2008 interview with Putin conducted by Thomas Roth of the National German Broadcast Services mainstream media in the West has banned.
Why should we Americans care what European leftists think about anything? We must support the European Far Right, but otherwise, the whites there are like our own liberals: worthless.
Ralph Nader on Barack Obama:
http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/32884
On another discussed matter, pushing for Kosovo's independence and encouraging Russia unfriendly forces in Ukraine serve to provoke instability in Crimea.
"The notion that by electing a negro, the US will become kind is a fantasm, he says, and America will remain an imperialist nation and Israel will remain the privileged ally."
Are you quite sure about that last part?
The Zionists can't even stop GE from helping Iran build a Nuclear Weapon. You think they'll be able to control a President Obama who has deep connections to the most potent anti-zionist sectors of the American power structure?
Since JFK, I admit no one has broken free from them besides (oh so briefly) George H.W. Bush.
But here's the thing, since JFK we haven't had a President with anything resembling the anti-zionist background and voting coalition that Obama has.
Some dirty Jew fell asleep at the switch, methinks.
@43 Bob
Then how do you explain the cast of usual suspects to be put in charge of things? All 5'6" of pit bully Rahm-BO Emmanuel (son of Irgun terrorist) as BO's new chief of staff, Larry Summers and Robert Rubin handling the money, it just keeps gatting better and better. The Zionist helped put the illegitimate mohammedan into the White House with their massive, laundered Wall Street contributions and discounted television airtime for his ubiquitous propaganda. They are not asleep at the switch.
There's an entirely plausible scenario playing out in my head. A mohammedan president, goaded by his atheist-zionist courtiers, orders confessing Christians into re-education camps. The agnostic left will only read about it in the gutter press, and go off to work as usual.
@42 Michael
It's funny to hear Ralph Nader sounding like a right-winger. I think he realizes that shoppers' remorse has set in. Maybe he reads Chronicles.
@8 Michael
I told you so! I told you so! Rahm Emmanuel, Robert Rubin, Larry Summers. Same old same old. Nothing has changed. Maybe the best we can hope for is that women will throw themselves at him and that he'll be weak enough to yield to his passions.
Mr. Gervaise, one of my older customers is a confidante of Ralph Nader's. Although there are many issues in which the Nader and Kunstler Left have broad disagrements with the paleo-Right, there are some issues where we will agree- dislike of multinational corporations, contempt for Wall Street, dislike of neo-conservatism, preference for localism.
EG
S. Smith of Fox News gave Nader a hard time for suggesting that OB can turnout to be an "Uncle Tom."
Quite a way for Fox News to be PC.
Shorlty after I posted 42, ST posted his refrence on Nader's commentary.
Fox News' release of the latest on SP is a mix of objective journalism, coupled with utilizing the often times questionable practice of not naming sources.
interesting, very interesting
......that we know who we are