{"id":1258,"date":"2015-02-26T22:21:51","date_gmt":"2015-02-27T03:21:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/attheintersectionoffaithandculture\/?p=1258"},"modified":"2015-02-26T22:24:26","modified_gmt":"2015-02-27T03:24:26","slug":"1258","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/attheintersectionoffaithandculture\/2015\/02\/1258.html","title":{"rendered":"Myron Pauli: “Barack Obama: All American”"},"content":{"rendered":"

In what follows, all-around bright guy, Myron Pauli,\u00a0weighs in on the brouhaha surrounding\u00a0Rudy Giuliani’s\u00a0judgment that\u00a0President Obama doesn’t “love America.”\u00a0 Dr. Pauli provides some real food for thought.\u00a0 If he’s right–and, tragically, it’s tough to show that he isn’t–than\u00a0America’s problems are much, much larger than this president.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In scientific research and on Jeopardy<\/em>, it is essential to ask the right question.\u00a0 However the American media consistently ask the dumbest questions.\u00a0 Hence, we are treated to discussions of \u201care the 9\/11 hijacker-murderers \u2018brave\u2019 or \u2018cowards\u2019\u201d?\u00a0 Another idiotic debate is: \u201cAre the millions of Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites, Sufis, Salafis, and Wahabbis who hate our guts \u2018real Moslems\u2019\u201d?\u00a0 Alternatively, \u201cIs Barack Obama a Christian?\u201d (Should I care?).<\/p>\n

Now, the latest stupidity of the week, thanks to Rudy Giuliani – \u201cIs Barack Obama Anti-American\u201d?\u00a0 Well, let\u2019s look at which American Presidents received over 51% of the popular vote in TWO Presidential elections \u2013 in order of popularity (envelope please):\u00a0 Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Andy Jackson, Ulysses Grant, and rounding up the top 5 is Barack Obama!\u00a0 Are American voters \u201cAnti-American\u201d?<\/p>\n

How about our government \u2013 all the civilian employees and contractors working for TSA, BATF, INS, Education, Agriculture, State, Commerce, Labor, Post Office, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Federal Reserve, HUD, EPA, IRS, GSA, GAO \u2026 – they work for him and carry out his executive orders.\u00a0 Are they \u201cAnti-American\u201d?\u00a0 How about the taxpayers who support the government \u2013 \u201cAnti-American\u201d?<\/p>\n

How about \u201cthe troops\u201d?\u00a0 Don\u2019t they wipe out 13 year old foreigners and 16 year old Americans on the say-so of prosecutor, judge, jury, and Chief Executioner Obama?\u00a0 Don\u2019t they drop bombs on Syria, Yemen, Libya, Pakistan, etc. on his say so without a declaration of war?\u00a0 Don\u2019t they snap their heels and salute when HE walks into the room?\u00a0 Are the troops \u201cAnti-American\u201d?<\/p>\n

Of course, Giuliani and McCain think that Obama is \u201cAnti-American\u201d because he hasn\u2019t bombed, sent troops, and messed around in enough countries \u2013 Iran, China, Russia, and Ukraine \u2013 maybe one day Liechtenstein?\u00a0 George Washington said that \u201cEurope has a set of primary interests which to us have none, or a very remote relation. Hence, she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves by artificial ties in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities.\u201d Was Washington Anti-American?<\/p>\n

Now one might <\/em><\/strong>ask instead whether Obama is Anti-Liberty?\u00a0 After all, America was founded in 1776 \u201cto secure our rights\u201d and it is difficult to point out how our liberties have improved under Obama.\u00a0 As Franklin noted in 1787, the Constitution \u201ccan only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other.\u201d As for Presidential powers, Washington noted: \u201cBut let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed.\u201d Dead white Protestant slave owners don\u2019t count.<\/p>\n

Well, folks, the solar system has traveled 2 light-months around the galaxy since 1776 \u2013 that is a long distance. In 2015, Americans who advocate for the 2nd<\/sup> Amendment or the 10th<\/sup> Amendment are put on watch lists. Fight with the TSA over \u201cdon\u2019t touch my junk\u201d lands you in jail. Expose NSA spying on Americans and you are Edward Snowden, traitor exiled in Russia.<\/p>\n

And what of the \u201cTea Party Patriots\u201d who wave their flags, support the troops, and denounce Obama? They (correctly in my opinion) denounce \u201cunelected judges\u201d who want to impose gay marriage but then insist on a \u201cBalanced Budget American\u201d which would remove budgetary authority from the (corrupt Republican) Congress and hand it over to Sonia Sotomayor! If the police SWAT team force an Orthodox Rabbi to perform a transgendered wedding and a sniper shoots a Catholic nun who refuses to perform an abortion, will the Tea Party Patriots applaud the SWAT team and the sniper? If there is a difference between America 1776 and America 2015, you\u2019d better make up your mind! It is as if Sam Adams paraded around with a King George T-Shirt, waving the British flag, and shouting \u201cSupport the Redcoats\u201d! You cannot serve both G-d and Mammon, folks!<\/p>\n

In 2012, 99% of Americans chose Gruber-inspired-Romneycare or Gruber-inspired-Obamacare, Leave No Child Behind, Bailouts, Patriot Act, Student Loans, etc. Only 1% voted Libertarian. Barry Goldwater talked about making Social Security optional and he was considered an \u201cextremist nutcase\u201d. The Senators who opposed the (phony) Gulf of Tonkin resolution were promptly defeated. Dissent is allowed but the voters will ignore or denounce you. Grover Cleveland remarked: \u201cThe lessons of paternalism ought to be unlearned and the better lesson taught that while the people should patriotically and cheerfully support their Government, its functions do not include the support of the people.\u201d Cleveland would flop in 2015. America loves its Welfare-Warfare State and in 2015, Obama is the quintessential American.<\/p>\n

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In what follows, all-around bright guy, Myron Pauli,\u00a0weighs in on the brouhaha surrounding\u00a0Rudy Giuliani’s\u00a0judgment that\u00a0President Obama doesn’t “love America.”\u00a0 Dr. Pauli provides some real food for thought.\u00a0 If he’s right–and, tragically, it’s tough to show that he isn’t–than\u00a0America’s problems are much, much larger than this president.\u00a0\u00a0 In scientific research and on Jeopardy, it is essential…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":399,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nMyron Pauli: "Barack Obama: All American"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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