Tuesday, August 21, 2012

What Have We Learned About Barack Obama?


Tonight I went to see the newly released movie 2016 Obama’s America. The previews leading up to the movie promoted a tag line - ‘Love Him, Hate Him – You Don’t Know Him’. In summary let me say this – the movie makes a compelling case of offering a window into the mind and ideals of Barack Obama. In the movie Dinesh D’Souza is sharing his ideas – the conclusion he has come to as an explanation of why President Obama has governed the way he does; and why he makes the decisions he makes.

The movies producers and director (Gerald R. Molen, Producer of the Academy Award Winning Schindler’s List); go to painstaking levels to present a thoroughly researched and documented compilation of interviews, information, and records. Whether you plan to vote for President Obama or not in the next election – this movie is a must see.

From the beginning of the primaries and leading up to the 2008 elections; I remember a sense of bewilderment – not knowing very much about Barack Obama. Being a little bit of a Political Wonk, I began searching online for information about the Political Rock Star; that freshmen senator from Illinois.

You see I was raised in a family that did not hesitate to talk politics at the dinner table. I remember conversations with my Mother and Father through the 1970’s and 1980’s. My father; a public school teacher with great command of the English language and love for argumentation; trained me from an early age to be a critical thinker. Little did he know that the love for critical thought he implanted in me would lead me to research life’s many pressing issues to great lengths.

My early research of Barack Obama uncovered his voting record with the Illinois State Legislature, and how he was quickly able to jump to the Federal Level as a Senator from Illinois. Learning about his experience outside of politics, I was not all that impressed considering he was running for the most power office in the land. He had been a professor, an attorney with services to groups like ACORN and a community organizer. Outside of this, there was very little I could find that had prepared him for the oval office.

I replayed his speech at the DNC National Convention in 2004. I was highly impressed at his ability of oration and his command and comfort in front of an audience. After playing back the speech I find myself wondering – if he becomes President; what will he do? What has he accomplished and what experience does he have that qualifies him to be president?

Pretty soon – reports came out about his affiliations. People such as Frank Marshall Davis; an outspoken Black Labor Activist and journalist within the Socialist movement in Hawaii. Barack Obama’s maternal grandfather Stanley introduced Barack to Frank Marshall Davis. Stanley was looking for someone to mentor young Barack. Davis as an "early influence" on the young Obama, and confirmed that the character "Frank" from Obama's memoir, Dreams from My Father, is certainly Frank Marshall Davis.

There were others that were uncovered in the public vetting of Barack Obama:

William (Bill) AyersWho co-founded the Weather Underground, a self-described communist revolutionary group that conducted a campaign of bombing public buildings (including police stations, the U.S. Capitol Building, and the Pentagon) during the 1960s and 1970s in response to U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright – Reverend Wright was The Obama family pastor for twenty years. Barack Obama first met Wright in the late 1980s, while he was working as a community organizer in Chicago before attending Harvard Law School.

Roberto Unger - Obama’s Former Harvard Law School Professor; who said during the 2008 election that he would keep a low profile or run the risk for be a liability to Obama. Why? Because professor Unger is a devout socialist. Now however, Professor Unger has been posting video urging that President Obama must be defeated in 2012 because he is not leftist enough.

Dinesh D’Souza; born in India and from a family background that experienced and understands Colonialism; offers a compelling explanation of Barack Obama’s ideas and views of America. He artfully shows how these views were handed down to Barack Obama by his mother, father, step-father and the various professors and religious leaders of his college and adult years. Probably some of the most compelling portions of the film were a mix of hearing Barack Obama in his own words; reading from his book – Dreams from My Father. This was supported by interviews Dinesh D’Souza conducted with people who were close friends of Obama senior; family members in Kenya as well as family and friends in Indonesia and the United States. They say that the dreams and ideals that lived in Obama Senior are being lived out and brought to pass in the life of the son – President Barack Obama. These are not the words of the director or producers; they are directly from the mouths of those people who knew Barack Senior; close colleagues and family. A Quote – “the father and the son – they are the same”.

In the end – the tagline was correct and appropriate - ‘Love Him, Hate Him – You Don’t Know Him’.

Everyone in America needs to see this movie and come to their own conclusion before the November elections.


1 comment:

  1. To me, the Anti-colonialism really made sense as the M.O. for what he does...Dinesh draws a real good contrast to his background vs Obama's background. I completely got what Dinesh felt when he visited Indonesia, contrasting his childhood in India...The comparison between the now Developed Nations of South Korea vs still Developing Indonesia...What George Obama said about South Africa and Kenia...it IS the dream from Obama's Father, and the twisted child psychology, fueld by people who he has surrounded himself with... shivers. I think the couple who sat next to me in the theater, who are immigrants from Asia and I felt deep chills because we can see from outside in, and from inside, what America was, what America is and the fear of where America is heading, from a bit different perspective... Total chill.

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