Frightens the BBC's Matt Frei.Frei, like the just departed Justin Webb, epitomize the far left BBC and for them, Obama truly is "the one". Those that would oppose Obama are merely far right loons or worse, racists.
"He redefined America's relationship with the world.
Troubled independents
With a flick of a pen he declared the intention to close down Guantanamo Bay. He reached out to staunch enemies like Iran without sounding craven. He began to talk to the Muslim world rather than at it.
And in case anyone thought he was going soft, he also had some Somali pirates shot who had dared to take an American sea captain hostage. "
Well Frei, how did that redefinition of America work out? When Obama asked NATO for more troops in Afghanistan they said no. Ditto the Europeans when he asked for more economic cooperation. North Korea responded by reopening its atomic reactors and firing missiles towards Japan. Iran increased nuclear production and fired longer range missiles. But hey, Chavez said Obama was more to the left than he or Castro. Is that what you meant by redefinition Frei?
When Obama reached out to Iran they practically bit his hand off. And as for not sounding craven, please, Obama was on the apologize for America tour.
Frei, on the closing Gitmo thing, only four months to go so it won't be done this year. Intentions are good things. But what's interesting is what, as Frei and the BBC usually do, Frei fails to mention - Bagram in Afghanistan. Obama has no intentions of closing it.
And to Frei, shooting a few Somali pirates is a sign Obama is not weak. Pretty weak argument I'd say.
In case you're still not on board with Frei, he uses the oldest trick in the book - the race card.
"This summer has seen the rebirth of the angry white man and woman."
Unlucky for Frei that many of those pictured at the town hall meetings and the tea parties, are black. And with one brush stroke Frei tries to dismiss their concerns.
"Their fear and anger, some of it legitimate, much of it exaggerated..."
Interesting Frei doesn't identify what is supposedly being exaggerated.
Frei seems to have latched on to Obama's chief of White House staff, Rham's, mantra of don't waste a good crisis.
"The panic is over and the market is up - that is good. But the dark days of February and March, when America was curled up in the foetal position, baying for help, were a great opportunity to push through a radical agenda.
If you are hurling billions at the bail-out, why not rearrange policy on the environment and healthcare? If you are giving Uncle Sam CPR on the operating table, why not use this golden opportunity to give him a stomach pump, a skin graft and, yes, a nose job?"
Sure Frei, instead of having a normal democratic political debate about the issues, let's use this crisis to ram through "a radical political agenda". To Frei, like Obama, a crisis is a "golden opportunity" to side step democracy.
Frei leaves you no doubt how he feels about those that oppose Obama.
"Perhaps Mr Obama will still succeed. But what counts against him is that the majority of Americans still believe that the risks of overhauling the system are greater than its faults.
The fact that 46 million Americans are uninsured and half as many under-insured is an outrage, but one that affects the lives of others. "
Why, those heartless people! The fact is most, if not all, Americas favor fixing some flaws in the system. Flaws like tort reform, pre-existing condition exclusion and portability. What Frei doesn't address, is the huge numbers of Democrats and Independents who have joined Republicans in opposition to an "American NHS".
Frei also fails to note that the 46 million quoted above includes approximately 12 million illegal aliens, an unknown number of the rich who don't buy health insurance and an unknown number of the young who don't buy it.
Frei ends by telling Americans to stop participating in the democratic process and to stop exercising their democratic rights.
"Oh yes, and no more town-hall meetings please. "
Yes, to all of those dumb Americans that don't know what's good for them, sit down, shut up and follow the dear leader for he knows what's best for the collective.
Here's an idea for you Frei from an American, you and the BBC can go to hell. How's that mate?
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