Being All Things To All People Won't Work Forever

We had to drive to Pullman today to get another month's supply of medicine for Bacchus. During the time we listened to Ingraham, Limbaugh and Hannity dissect Obama's speech.

I found from the actual sound bites that nothing much of substance was said. It seemed to me to be mostly platitudes. Considering where he was that was probably prudent, but I'm wondering how it will be received in the rest of the world.

For some time now, in his major speeches, Obama seems to be an apologist for things that have happened before his watch. It has been happening so often it's beginning to sound like we've never done anything right. Which of course, is incorrect, even under George W's administration.

Something else that seems to be more and more prevalent is how Obama is trying to be all things to all people. He involved his Muslim heritage to a fare-thee-well in today's speech yet he ran from it during his campaign. He reiterates our bond with Israel yet defends the Palestinians right for their own state. Never mind that they had one before it was split up to form Israel. He defended Iran's right to have nuclear power yet while elsewhere insists they will never be able to develop a bomb. He does not believe they intend anything else. In other words, every word that was uttered was parsed for the audience which may cause more skepticism than anything else.

What he is doing is not exactly what I would call diplomacy. That concerns me. Diplomacy is when two sides have differing views and negotiate to find a common area of agreement from which to build.

He speaks of how we can all live in peace if only we can find that common starting point. Therein lies the fallacy. Take the government out of the equation, there is little common ground between the western and Islamic worlds. They beat their women, behead their captives and thumb their nose at the world order. We stew. Let's face it. The Islamic world does not like us. It's not because they don't understand us; they do. It's because they believe, and rightfully so, we (the west) want to change the way they live and what they believe. As it stands the chance of the two sides ever seeing eye to eye is remote.

I don't think I will ever see in what's left of my life, Americans embracing the Muslim community that resides within our border what's more around the world. There is too much bad water under the bridge and too much instilled fear.

It's time for Obama to come home and listen to the growing concerns the people he was elected to serve have concerning too many of his policies. He's had his say. W's administration was bad and we're sorry. Okay. Enough said. If there is any additional placating to be done, have Islamic leaders come to us and explain why they cling to their beliefs and justify them to us. The same for Israel. Come on over and explain to us why you won't budge on the illegal settlements which is a huge roadblock in the "peace" process.

No one seems to care how we, the people, feel about any of this. We're not as uninformed nor complacent as may be thought. We understand our culture is slowly being changed without our stamp of approval. Car companies being saved because of a "brand" that will be forced to build cars we don't want, won't buy and in no way will begin to resemble what the "brand" was initially representing! We understand the Republicans are providing no counter argument nor action nor leadership. We understand that soaring rhetoric that can't be delivered without the aid of teleprompters does not mean a thing without some substance behind it yet none is forthcoming.

We understand. Oh, yes we do. That's why, as innocuous as it may seem today, a new militia is being formed in upstate Idaho and gun sales are soaring. That, my friends, is the real handwriting on the wall of what's brewing barely beneath the surface in this country. We understand. We are not the ones who are tone deaf. One can only hope those in power are not totally blind too.