CHANGE REPEATED

CHANGE REPEATED

By R.J. Godlewski
© October 11, 2008, All Rights Reserved

    He stood in front of the adoring masses, marveling over the spectacle of so much support. He enjoyed how they viewed his message of change and they in turn enjoyed his promises to lead them out of the financial abyss of corruption. Both wallowed within the chaos of the near-collapse of the banking industry and all had suffered from the decline of their currency. He drew power from such support; it was what propelled this unknown onto the national political stage.

    He was, after all, a newcomer; someone who was not held in servitude to the “old ways” that plagued his nation for years. It was a constant call for “out with the old, in with the new” and the masses fell for it. They suffered. All had experienced the demerits of rising unemployment, the rapid decline of housing opportunities, and their relative inexperience in handling a new globalized economy.

    He waved his hands over them with acknowledgment. He felt their sorrows; experienced their pains. He had been there. He had suffered through one of the most brutal urban environments and rose up to contend for national leadership against the “old guy” who represented the old order of military, nationalism, and faith in conservatism. He knew that this past was wrong; it destroyed everything great about his nation. He would lead them anew. He would provide jobs for his fellow citizens. He would ensure that the broadening gap between the classes would close.

    However, the local economy was not his sole claim to fame. He would correct the problems associated with the war. Too many of his fellow compatriots died for the invasion of another country. And for what? For imperialism? To fatten those already fattened from excess? It was wrong. He would rebuild his country. He would bring jobs home and employ everyone. He would provide them with healthcare, an education, and the hope for a better tomorrow. Most of all, however, he would emerge as a well-respected and admired leader of the world. All nations would love him; just ask the multitude waving towards him during his recent trip to Berlin.

    These words could very well describe Senator Barack Obama in 2008, but they do not. I wrote these words about Adolf Hitler in his run towards leading his nation. They were not based upon biased contemporary histories but drew upon the work Der Fuehrer by a contemporary of Hitler’s, Konrad Heiden, and published in 1944.  What makes this book so invaluable to me is that it was written when the ‘Hitler Question’ had not been fully answered yet. Surely, he was still in power and the Allies had not even invaded Europe at that time.

    We, today, tend to be too far removed from the implications of solitary individuals. We’ve drifted away from adherence to Christianity, for example, because Christ walked amongst us thousands of years ago and we are, quite frankly, too “enlightened” to consider the implications of God coming down for a visit. We are six decades removed from a period in which our entire nation was committed to fight against absolute evil; a period in which gasoline and bread was rationed and military service was not a service but a requirement. We no longer seem to understand that a mortgage is a twenty or thirty year commitment and that we may be required to endure extreme sacrifices in order to keep our word with our lender. We have become an extremely shallow nation.

    The primary difference between our nation today and that of the Germans during the 1930s is that they actually had things bad. Their country was in shambles and could not defend itself against a flea. We, in contrast, still drive gas-guzzling SUVs, buy tickets to football games, and shell out a few hours’ wages to take our kids to see some movie where couples have sex in cars. Our perspective is shattered. Our intentions misaligned. Our attitudes spoiled.

    Barack Obama’s campaign, here in Michigan at least, is running a twenty-four-hour infomercial on Dish Network preaching his call for “Change”. I say that with some levity for there seems to be very little information coming out from his campaign. Perhaps I should just call it a commercial for he annoys me as much as that guy with the dark beard, Billy Mays I think his name is, who promises that OxyClean can do wonders for me. It might, but it is still not worth the cost in order to try. Neither is Barack Obama.

    What is to “change” about America anyway? Is it that we have a better than average chance of succeeding in our dreams? Or is it because people who want without the effort still complain that they are “left out” of the rewards for struggling? Is it that any American, irrespective of whether they possess health insurance or not, can still walk into any emergency room in the country and have their injury tended to? Or perhaps we need to change because somewhere somehow we have to pay for being injured and, well, happiness is saddling someone else with our misfortunes. Listen, I do not have health insurance myself. Not at the moment, leastways. If I get an ingrown toenail, I simply walk into the bathroom with my trusty knife and pliers and, well, let’s just say that it saves me a $30 co-pay. That‘s not the issue, however. The issue is that I expect to pay for my own healthcare. I know, perhaps better than most people, that a major illness can run up a million dollar tag in a matter of months if insurance is lost through, as one example, layoff. I just prefer to deal with the crisis. It hurts, yes, especially when you lose the love of your life but Sara would probably have died earlier if we could not get into a doctor for the wait associated with nationalized healthcare.

    Barack Obama’s call for change is the same as Adolf Hitler’s, but his predecessor had the fortune to call for change when change was all that existed. America still has a viable government; one run overwhelmingly by liberal Democrats, but a viable government nevertheless. America is still safe with the knowledge that its citizens still have a Constitutional guarantee of self-preservation. Americans can still travel from “sea to shining sea” without showing their “papers” to every community peace officer we come across. In America, I can find the freedom to change my career as many times as I want without prior approval from our leaders. In America, I can write, for the whole world to see, that I personally believe that Islam, for example, is a sham, its leaders opportunist crybabies, and should any U.S. politician decry my stance I can equally call them asinine bastards who do not deserve to be wasting my precious oxygen supply. That is America today. So what does Obama want to “change” and why? God forbid that we should ever find out.

Comments

[Stormwarning]

Excuse me ComOB, the "hippie generation" was and still is a GREAT GENERATION. It was the first generation that question that which was as a given. Given that the current generation (and whatever Gen "x" and Gen "y" are) doesn't have any historical perspective and have demonstrated ability to actually THINK for themselves.

I'm not voting for Obama, but not for any of the reasons that you all have.

The generalizations thrown around here as gospel are simply amazing. This is NOT a statement on what Debbie posts (although much of what is posted is not her own writing), but a comment on what is commented.

[Ortho]

What a silly attempt to impose a Rightist narrative that equates Barack Obama with Adolf Hitler. I laugh at it, just like I laugh at the idiotic Leftist narrative that attempts to equate George W. Bush with Adolph Hitler.

The fact is that we're in a process of transition in which the USA is losing its hegemony. The next president, whomever he is, will not stop this process.

[Skunkfeathers]

When the Left got control of education in this country, the seeds of disaster were sown. When the Left got control of politics in major cities, look at the urban decay, corruption and near bankruptcy of so many of those cities. When the Left got control of New Orleans -- decades before Katrina -- the post-Katrina clusterflock was not only predictable, it was pre-ordained. While NO gets millions upon millions of dollars and still can't rebuild, the entire state of Mississippi rose from the mud and ashes to revitalize.

What the HELL are the voters THINKING?

They're NOT: they're INDOCTRINATED BY MARXIST EDUCRATS WHO PUT THE SEEDS OF THEIR DEPENDENCY ON MARXISM INTO THEIR DUMBED DOWN BRAINS!

The Democrats are no longer a pro-American party; they are the enemy.

[williebill]

R.J. Once again you outdid yourself, great read and oh so true.
I ran across this don't know who to give credit to but I used it on my family Blog. Thanks to whoever wrote it, Enjoy.

Apparently, a self-important college freshman attending a recent football game took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen sitting next to him why it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation. 'You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one', the student said, loud enough for many of those nearby to hear. 'The young people of today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon. Our space probes have visited Mars. We have nuclear energy, ships and electric and hydrogen cars, cell phones , computers with light-speed processing...and more. 'After a brief silence, the senior citizen responded as follows: 'You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were young........so we invented them. Now, you arrogant little shit, what are you doing for the next generation? 'The applause was amazing.......

Thanks, WB

[Engine999]

For backgound on the socialist/communist party connections in south Chicago take a look at:

http://newzeal.blogspot.com/2008/08/obama-file-22-barack-obama-danny-k.html

[old gray mare]

My heart aches. The responsibility for our younger generations current state of mindless adoration for O and acceptance of his leftist egalitarian mindset is on all our geriatric shoulders. We silently watched, acknowledged, even adored and encouraged "me first" in generations that followed. We could not bare the thought that our young ones would ever want for anything: ever "suffer." And they did not. The lack of resolve in teaching "character and responsibility for oneself and to others" in favor of "me, me, me...my wants, my happiness," falls heavy on us all.

I am sad, I am angry, I am fearful. We are media made and bred, "style over substance," rules.

God, help us, our children, their children and their children's children...

[ComOB]

I hate to say this, but I have to say it....

The Greatest Generation saved the world from tyranny.....

But the Greatest Generation gave birth to the Hippy Generation that destroyed the United States of America....

It is the liberal, activist, hippy generation that infected our education system and the media; and spent the last 48 years poisoning our youth with their Marxist and Socialist ideology.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!!!

[Jennifer]

It really is a different world we live in today. It's not just the younger generation, it's all of them. They have this "I deserve the right" attitude, and they DON'T. Personal responsibility, pride, work ethic, ambition....these are all lacking in people because everybody is looking for the easiest and fastest way to get ahead. They don't care what it takes to get it. I'm not sure what happened to working hard for something and the feeling of accomplishment when you reach your goal.