Obama At The UN

For those able to read Obama’s entire UN speech without gagging, take heart. It could have been worse. He didn’t say  “pretty please” in his whine to the Muslims to control the terrorists among them. He neglected to mention that the “extremists” he begged Muslim leaders control are … Muslims.

After expounding on how America values freedom of speech he stated: “The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”

But as Erich Erickson points out in his Red State Blog:

Orthodox Christians do not believe that Mohammed is a prophet.

Christians believe that Christ is the only way to salvation. “Believing that is slandering Mohammed. That’s just a fact. If you don’t believe me, you go into the Middle East and proclaim Christ is the way, the truth, and the life and see what happens to your life.”

Referring to Iran, Obama stated:  “So let me be clear: America wants to resolve this issue through diplomacy, and we believe that there is still time and space to do so. But that time is not unlimited.”

Let’s us be clear, every time the president says, “let me be clear” we know from experience that what follows cannot be taken to the bank.

Iranian dictator Mahmoud  Ahmadinejad wants to eradicate Israel and, not incidentally, us if we interfere. Only a few hours after the president’s speech Ahmadinejad told the assemblage that Israelis “represent minimal disturbances that come into the picture and are then eliminated, and called Israelis “uncivilized Zionists.” All in keeping with his previous declarations that Israel “must be wiped off the map.”

Although President Obama said that the U.S. will “do what it must” to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, on the campaign trail he is declaring his faith in diplomacy is unaltered. Having done nothing but “attempt to resolve” the issue of Iran’s nuclear aspirations with diplomacy up to now, the president will still be talking when Iran has the bomb.

Presumably it is necessary to condemn those “who slander the prophet of Islam,” but most people consider vowing to kill Jews a more serious violation of diplomatic protocol than a “crude and disgusting” video. But then the president also said, “Muslims have suffered the most at the hands of extremism.” Perhaps the slaughter of six million Jews does not count as extremist.

Al Qaida has been weakened and Osama bin Laden is no more.

Gee, maybe we ought to take up a collection for all those out of work terrorists.

Bin Laden is certainly dead but Al Qaida is alive and well as its many victims could testify if they weren’t dead.

Never mind, Obama is going to release 55 more from Guantanamo Bay even though the U.S. government estimates the Guantanamo Bay recidivism rate is at least 27%. According to Investors.com “a quarter of them will return to violence.”

Together, we must work towards a work where we are strengthened by our differences, and not defined by them.”

Not sure how one works toward a work (the teleprompter must have hiccoughed) but how are we strengthened by a bunch of fanatics who want to murder us?

The war in Iraq is over. American troops have come home. We’ve begun a transition in Afghanistan, and America and our allies will end our war on schedule in 2014.

Iraq is coming apart at the seams, as is Afghanistan, another casualty of Obama’s belief that “war is receding” and he can now “pivot to Asia.”

New partnerships have been forged to combat corruption and promote government that is open and transparent.

It is said that charity begins at home. Likewise when it comes to combating corruption and promoting openness the president might begin with his administration. Fast and Furious, crony capitalism (as in showering tax dollars on big DNC donors) harassment of Republican donors by federal agencies, not to mention the president’s own shrouded past, come to mind.

Those new partnerships are not working out so well either. The latest indication is that Putin kicked United States Agency for International Development (USAID) out of Russia and told Obama the equivalent of  “go play in the traffic” when asked to stop supplying munitions to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

In short, Obama’s speech was full of the soaring rhetoric for which he is famous. (it causes tremors down the legs of liberal commentators.) It was also full of obfuscations, misstatements and empty assurances for which he is equally famous.