This morning President Obama gives a pep talk to Wakefield High School students in Arlington, VA, and on national TV networks.. Conservatives all over the U.S. of A. have made a big hoopla about it. The socialist was getting at the students to spread his hated agenda and corrupt their malleable minds. Hitler and Stalin, they said, had done the same. In Texas, parents were planning to keep their children home to shield them from that propaganda stunt. Schools were planning to unplug their TVs.
As Shakespeare would have said: "Much ado about nothing". This morning, the CNN website publishes, in PDF form, the prepared remarks of President Obama's back to school events. I read and printed them. They are just what our classic college superior, Father Allard, would have said in his welcome speech each September, and believe me he was no socialist. The school principal in Arlington must have helped in writing this piece.
Come to think of it I would not be surprised if the paranoid right would now spin it as a devious machiavellian socialist softening approach for a more deleterious intervention when they will have lowered their guard.
The media seems to fuel this stupid little fire. Schools are run by local boards. As a member of my board I represent the local views. If I thought my community would object to the President's speech, I would remind them that he is by legitimate right the ultimate chief of all our institutions, representing a collective will. Board members take an oath to uphold all laws.
RépondreSupprimerIndeed, Rosaria, you are right. I find the whole episode rather distressing amd worrisome also. It reminds me of that young man in North Carolina who told me that the Secession war was not over back in 1967.
RépondreSupprimerRosaria, I really hope this is a little fire, since here we have the impression that Obama and his reforms are attacked beyond any possible decent behaviour (not that here the political strife is milder or more decent, quite the contrary.)
RépondreSupprimerPaul: schools planning to unplug their TVs? Etc. etc. I hope Obama's is tough enough to resist and continue on his path, or - pardon my language - that his balls are firm enough.
MoR, we will know when he addresses Congress today.
RépondreSupprimerThis whole American exercise has taken on so much passion and so little reason that I'm almost afraid that it will shape Canadian politics in the future. Our current Prime Minister seems to like this approach.
RépondreSupprimerPaul, I watched the joint Congress speech on Youtube. A great speech as usual, which left so many energized. He proved again to be an excellent 'orator' plus one who really believes in what he says. I'm also glad he stigmatized all the lies against his plan. I think he was very bipartisan and offered a compromise, to unite Americans. Some liberals might not like this. But I think he is the president of all Americans.
RépondreSupprimerTime will say what will happen now.
I have not yet read his speech to Congress but heard some good about it. I hope he succeeds.
RépondreSupprimerAnd yes Rob-Bear, our own Harper is going the Limbaugh way, at least in private as a clandestine video seems to demonstrate. That upcoming Fall election could be one of our dirtiest ever...and with so little choice of credible candidates.
HELP!!!!
Here is the link to the Obama's speech on Youtube.
RépondreSupprimerIrene Paul
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQhmRhqQsAE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%2Fmore%3Fncl%3DdtGzPtYpOU3KiZM1N6lcxfcO8pdOM%26topic%3Dh&feature=player_embedded
Sorry Paul, this is shorter:
RépondreSupprimerhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQhmRhqQsAE
Thank you MoR but I have printed the text from CNN. It is a very good speech, very clear and to the point...but I'm afraid he will have a very hard time getting the bill passed. Multibillion dollars big companies have many stooges in Congress on both sides of the floor.
RépondreSupprimerStooges, you mean 'puppets'? Of course, that's the big problem. Big Money can buy almost anyone.
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