The Global Pottersville

Where previous presidents fostered American strength, Obama revels in weakness.

by Victor Davis Hanson // National Review Online
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15 thoughts on “The Global Pottersville

  1. Your absolutely brilliant article of mocking Obama’s quest for weakness as his new normal of “good” both foreign and domestic; and then following it out to its natural conclusion of chaos, crime, and ultimate catastrophe should earn you a Pulitzer in my book.

  2. Dr Hanson,

    In your book on Obama – published ca. 2009 – you included a lot of material not published elsewhere by any writer or publ.company(Little,Brown, Random House or other company).
    Any chance that some of this material has been forgotten or outdated since it came out?
    By the rate Mr Obama has been going methinks a new volume since 2009 should find an audience – naturally outside the media and Hollywood..

  3. A very striking and apt comparison and a very good read. The sentence that stood out for me began the last paragraph; “The aim of Capra’s fable was to remind us that the easily ridiculed, so-so status quo often hides Herculean efforts by those whom we take for granted, and who, working in the shadows, guarantee civilization instead of chaos.”
    In the movie we understand and feel the intensity of George Bailey’s frustrations as he struggles (Herculean efforts for sure) with his own desires for a different life, one that would focus more on HIS needs and wants. Instead, he ultimately finds a deeper, more lasting joy in serving others, his family and community – his greater Self. Unfortunately, in our current “Me first” culture the pendulum has swung too far from personal responsibility to correct easily. I believe there are more “Clarences” out there, waiting to come to illuminate all the “George Baileys.” But it may be a rough road for awhile. Clearly leaving our futures and fortunes to either “greedy businessmen/corporations” and/or inept/corrupt governments/bureaucracies inevitably ends in a “run on the bank.” Thanks for your constant erudition and inspiration.

  4. I am always depressed to think that it will take more years to right the wrong of the past 100 years of liberal destruction of America than what people could withstand of the strong medicine to correct the ills. People will simply vote out the strong medicine, and it is much easier to demagogue the populace than to discuss the merits. The huge decline in America will make it much more difficult to rebuild, it is easier to tear down a hill than to build it up. I believe Obama’s plan to Balkanize America with the huge Muslim and Latino influx is another tactic to ensure America remains divided and weak to enable more central government control. Therefore, America is destined to further decline, and the world will continue to become more dangerous, perhaps we enter into a new Dark Age.

    1. Yes. Perhaps it is time to defund Progressive K-12 and Progressive University education.

      In all education funding budgets, a junction switch needs to be in place. Are Federal or local funds going to teach Progressivism? Then No, hell NO to any funding. Are funds going to teach “Tragic-Liberty” worldview education? Then yes, by all means yes to funds. This brings back the Spirit of ’76.

      Progressives have been yucking it up with endless laughter, because this is their 115 year old trick.

  5. Obama’s, and America’s foreign policy, is turning toward a comprehensive diplomatic approach and away from naked armed force, that is if you discount over 2,000 drone strike, the execution of OBL, and ongoing airstrikes agains ISIS. Mr Hanson watches too many movies and remains in the era of blunt force militarism of the 1950s, either AD or BCE. Encouraging other nations to do their fair share of the fighting is more than reasonable. The French, English and Germans have excellent and storied military establishments and are more than capable of fighting and defeating AQ, ISIS, and other brands of fascism. Just as Russia is quelling rising Euro-Fascism in the Ukraine.

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