Idols of Crowds / The Gathering Storm

[libertyworld 0]

By Thomas Sowell

September 16, 2008

‘A human group transforms itself into a crowd when it suddenly responds to a suggestion rather than to reasoning, to an image rather than to an idea, to an affirmation rather than to proof, to the repetition of a phrase rather than to arguments, to prestige rather than to competence.”

Jean-François Revel was not referring to the United States when he wrote those words, nor to his own France, but to human beings in general. He was certainly not referring to Barack Obama, whom he probably never heard of, since Revel died last year.

To find anything comparable to crowds’ euphoric reactions to Obama, you would have to go back to old newsreels of German crowds in the 1930s, with their adulation of their fuehrer, Adolf Hitler. With hindsight, we can look back on those people with pity, knowing now how many of them would be led to their deaths by the man they idolized.

The exultation of the moment can exact a brutal price after that moment has passed. Nowhere is that truer than when it comes to picking the leader of a nation, which means entrusting that leader with the fate of millions today and of generations yet unborn.

A leader does not have to be evil to lead a country into a catastrophe. Inexperience and incompetence can create very similar results, perhaps even faster in a nuclear age, when even “a small country” — as Senator Obama called Iran — can wreak havoc anywhere in the world, when they are led by suicidal fanatics and supply nuclear weapons to terrorists who are likewise suicidal fanatics.

Barack Obama is truly a phenomenon of our time — a presidential candidate who cannot cite a single serious accomplishment in his entire career, besides advancing his own career with rhetoric.

He has a rhetorical answer for everything. Those of us who talk about the threat of Iran are just engaging in “the politics of fear” according to Obama, something to distract us from “the real issues,” such as raising taxes and handing out largesse with the proceeds.

Those who have studied the years leading up to World War II have been astonished by how many people and how many countries failed to see what Adolf Hitler was getting ready to do.

Even though Hitler telegraphed his punches, few people seemed to get the message. Books about that period have had such titles as “The Gathering Storm” and “Why England Slept.”

Will future generations wonder why we slept? Why we could not see the gathering storm in Iran, where one of the world’s leading oil producers is building nuclear facilities — ostensibly to generate electricity, but whose obvious purpose is to produce nuclear bombs.

This is a country whose president has already threatened to wipe a neighboring country off the map. Does anyone need to draw pictures?

When terrorists get nuclear weapons, there will be no way to deter suicide bombers. We and our children will be permanently at the mercy of the merciless.

Yet what are we talking about? Taxing and spending policies, socking it to the oil companies and rescuing people who gambled on risky mortgages and lost.

Are we serious? Are we incapable of adult foresight and adult responsibility?

Barack Obama of course has his usual answer: talk. Rhetoric seems to be his answer to everything. Obama calls for “aggressive” diplomacy and “tough” negotiations with Iran.

These colorful adjectives may impress gullible voters but they are unlikely to impress fanatics who are willing to destroy themselves if they can destroy us in the process.

Just what is Senator Obama going to say to Iran that has not been said already? That we don’t want them to develop nuclear weapons? That has already been said, every way that it can possibly be said. If talk was going to do the job, it would already have done it by now.

Go to the United Nations? What will they do, except issue warnings — and when these are ignored, issue more warnings?

But what does Obama have besides talk — and adoring crowds?

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NjQ1N...MDg=&w=MA==

[Incorrigible1 11]

Barack Obama is truly a phenomenon of our time — a presidential candidate who cannot cite a single serious accomplishment in his entire career, besides advancing his own career with rhetoric.

But what does Obama have besides talk — and adoring crowds?

Hey, he's got his own nifty presidential seal!

[Cradle of Fish 173]

To find anything comparable to crowds’ euphoric reactions to Obama, you would have to go back to old newsreels of German crowds in the 1930s, with their adulation of their fuehrer, Adolf Hitler. With hindsight, we can look back on those people with pity, knowing now how many of them would be led to their deaths by the man they idolized.

What about Ronald Reagan? JFK? There's countless of people that could be compared to Obama before Hitler.

[Nxt2Hvn 6]

He has this Clowns endorsement!

Edited September 17, 2008 by Nxt2Hvn

[AROCES 2]

Hey, he's got his own nifty presidential seal!

Obama is a very good speaker, but not a man with a great mind or a natural leader.

He is just a product the Democrats decided to use to get the White House.

Edited September 17, 2008 by AROCES

[Startraveler 162]

Are some just incapable of reason and adulthood?

P.S. Obama is Hitler.

Just when I thought there were limits to idiocy.

[Nxt2Hvn 6]

Obama is a very good speaker, but not a man with a great mind or a natural leader.

He is just a product the Democrats decided to use to get the White House.

Just to prove this, (in my opinion anyway), look at his choice for VP .... talk about a career ending decision.

If this is the kind of decisions he will make in office...

[Fluffybunny 51]

...and the right wing drooling over palin is any better? Please... At least be honest enough with yourself to see that it happens on both side of the aisle.

To put someone in a position where they are a heartbeat away from the presidency(to a 72 year old man who has had cancer 4 times) who cant even manage to be interviewed openly because she is too wet behind the ears, or give a speech that is scripted to the last comma because she apparently hasnt got a grasp of the issues well enough to speak openly, or god forbid answer a question from time to time is clear that she as a choice was a hail mary.

I used to really really respect mccain, he blew that with this joke of a vp choice and his recent actions. He is now willing lie cheat and steal his way to the presidency. So much for the honor he once had. I hope becoming president is worth selling your soul.

This is like a bad SNL sketch, sadly it is really happening, and people are falling for it...because they can "relate" to her. I dont want a VP or president I can relate to, I want a president and VP that can run the country successfully, interface well with the rest of the world, and fix the problems that we face everyday. I dont want a joe blow hockey mom moose shooter to relate to... If I want someone to relate to I go see a friend down at the fire station. I can relate to them. They are not people that can run this country, nor should they try.

The fact that nearly half this country somehow makes choices for the leadership of this country based on how much they can relate to a candidate, or worse yet because of her gender simply saddens me. I fear that in 2012 we are going to see a blue collar political tour with "you know you are running for president when..." jokes on bumper stickers.

[Nxt2Hvn 6]

...and the right wing drooling over palin is any better? Please... At least be honest enough with yourself to see that it happens on both side of the aisle.

Hey Fluffy .. how the heck are ya?

I agree that if someone votes for McCain because Palin is a white or is a hotty ... is just as bad as someone not voting for Obama because he is black ... either way it's wrong.

Hopefully actual voters will be more intelligent in their choice!

Edited September 17, 2008 by Nxt2Hvn

[Bella-Angelique 216]

I used to really really respect mccain, he blew that with this joke of a vp choice

PALIN IS THE MOST POPULAR EXECUTIVE OFFICE HOLDER IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES

SHE HAS THE HIGHEST JOB APPROVAL RATING OUT OF ALL FIFTY GOVERNORS OF THE USA

BEING A WOMAN IS NOT A ****ING JOKE TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eqgumby 10]

PALIN IS THE MOST POPULAR EXECUTIVE OFFICE HOLDER IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES

SHE HAS THE HIGHEST JOB APPROVAL RATING OUT OF ALL FIFTY GOVERNORS OF THE USA

BEING A WOMAN IS NOT A ****ING JOKE TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If the presidential race was a popularity contest, then that would be...'

Oh crap. It IS a popularity contest. Substance is not the issue, popularity is.

Face it, we're doomed.

That aside.....this is on my top-ten list of lame-*** responses to criticism of Palin/McCain. OOps. I meant McCain/Palin.

[Tiggs 7,034]

Ahem.

One of the various rules of thumb that moderator's use to determine whether or not a thread is going nowhere, is Godwin's Law.

In short, Godwin's law states that:

"As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."

From the Wikipedia Article:

There is a tradition in many newsgroups and other Internet discussion forums that once such a comparison is made, the thread is finished and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically "lost" whatever debate was in progress.

Congratulations, libertyworld. That's quite possibly the best example of self pwnage in an opening post I've seen this year.

Thread closed.

Tiggs

[Forum Mod Team]