2012 Tuesday: ‘2016′ says we don’t know the president we elected in 2008
At a friend’s request, I went to the theater Sunday to see “2016: Obama’s America” (it’s true, I’m not the most political person I know). The movie, if you haven’t heard, is the work of Dinesh D’Souza, the Indian-born conservative commentator and college president whose 2010 book, “The Roots of Obama’s Rage,” argued the president’s world view was shaped heavily by his anti-colonialist Kenyan father.
I’m no movie critic, so I’ll spare you my thoughts on the cinematography (I’ll only note that D’Souza worked on the film with Hollywood veteran Gerald R. Molen, and it shows in the film’s production quality). The movie’s about our president’s past and what that means for our future, and I’ll focus on that.
D’Souza dispenses early on with any notions of birtherism, noting briefly, but pointedly, that Obama was born in Hawaii. Instead, he makes the far more interesting argument that what’s foreign is Obama’s ideology, shaped in absentia by a father he barely knew. His evidence for his claim is two-fold: Excerpts from Obama’s own autobiography, “Dreams From My Father” (the film liberally quotes from the audio version of the book, narrated by Obama himself), and footage from D’Souza’s travels to the places of Obama’s youth, Hawaii and Indonesia, as well as to Kenya. There are also phone conversations, videotaped on both ends, with sociologists such as Shelby Steele who try to explain what makes Obama tick.
What D’Souza turns up on his trips is often less than compelling: Brief doesn’t begin to describe what he gets from an interview with a retired Hawaii professor who knew Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham; a lengthier exchange with Obama’s half-brother, George, in Nairobi ultimately fails to land a blow on the president. But that’s not to say there’s no substance to the story.
Briefly, D’Souza’s narrative goes like this: The elder Obama was an anti-colonialist (this much is confirmed in interviews with a pair of his contemporaries; Obama Sr. of course died in a car wreck in 1982) whose antipathy toward Kenya’s British rulers was distinct from America’s earlier rebellion from the British in that it was also a rejection of the West and capitalism. Dunham (who died in 1995) fervently transferred these beliefs to a young Barack — and even sent him home to Hawaii from Indonesia when her second husband, Lolo Soetoro, took a job with a U.S. oil company and got a little too friendly with actual breathing capitalists. Back in Hawaii, her father arranged for young Barack to have a mentor named Frank Marshall Davis, a writer and card-carrying Communist who was on the FBI’s radar. From there, we hear of Obama’s adult associations with which we’re more familiar, including Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
This is a vetting of Obama’s background that, D’Souza plausibly argues, was given short shrift in the 2008 campaign. For instance, D’Souza notes that Obama’s famous speech about race relations, to address the steady stream of Wright’s controversial statements (uncovered, let’s remember, while he was still contesting the Democratic primary against Hillary Clinton), was a deflection from the collectivist black liberation theology that laced Wright’s incendiary sermons. That, D’Souza claims, allowed Obama to keep his dealings with Marxists mostly out of the public eye on his way to the White House.
It is a vetting that is worthwhile for anyone interested in current U.S. politics, if only because it is so reliant on Obama’s own words. (Here, I must acknowledge I haven’t read “Dreams” and can’t say whether D’Souza is cherry-picking Obama’s quotes or taking them out of context; if he did, however, he has given his critics a huge tool to use in discrediting him.) As an immigrant from another former British colony who is the same age as Obama, D’Souza presents an intriguing figure with alternating sympathy for and critique of anti-colonialism.
That’s the first half of the movie. From there, D’Souza delves into purely political commentary and prognostication that most likely will resonate with you, or not, in close correlation with your own political leanings. I won’t spoil his conclusions, but I will say they err toward the most pessimistic, even conspiratorial end of the right side of the spectrum.
If there’s a tragic aspect of the film, it’s that the only people likely to see it are those who have already made up their minds against Barack Obama. It deserves as well an airing among his supporters and those precious few who are unsure about him, to point out where they think D’Souza is wrong and consider the ways he might be right.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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912 comments Add your comment
getalife
August 15th, 2012
2:04 pm
“There’s no bigger fool than a Nader tater.”
I disagree.
Voting for w twice to destroy our country then voting gop again to do the exact same thing is very foolish.
southpaw
August 15th, 2012
2:07 pm
JDW – How much did each one increase the DEBT, instead of the deficit? Constant dollars do sound like a better comparison than current dollars. I haven’t seen the actual numbers, but I’ll bet that Obama’s increase of the debt is a lot more than 1% of Bush’s.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:09 pm
JDW, you do not use constant dollars when describing spending. Dollars are dollars at the time they are spent. More deception.
You also (once again) show a budget surplus during Clinton’s years when none existed. We’ve been over that and you simply do not get it.
Finally, you add into the deception by once again using percentages when percentages aren’t a valid method when showing who spent more raw dollars.
You used to be better than this.
@@
August 15th, 2012
2:11 pm
Getalife:
Having you fill in doesn’t work with me anymore.
The reason Obama was elected was because folks wanted a change from Iraq. Not only did Obama seek to extend our stay in Iraq, he shifted the costs to Afghanistan and beyond.
If that’s change, you guys sure are gullible.
getalife
August 15th, 2012
2:12 pm
We all know w was a disaster.
We moved on.
w can’t even show his face so get over it.
Robert
August 15th, 2012
2:12 pm
@Rafe Hollister – Romney is desparate to distract from his own problems: hiding his tax returns, his Bain Capital exploits, his flip-flop/downright deceitful campaign and his choice of a Randian Tea Party extremist as VP. He is clearly projecting the GOP’s racist, misogynistic and homophobic hate onto Obama. It won’t work.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:13 pm
Oh, and btw, JDW, the original post was about DEBT, not DEFICIT.
Your 2:00 reminds me of the “Let’s play games with numbers!” farce in Washington, D.C. where both sides try to prove that black is really white and up is really down.
And fail miserably to the rest of us who actually pay attention.
getalife
August 15th, 2012
2:14 pm
@@,
Our President ended both losing occupations.
mccain would of started another one in Syria.
Just the facts.
JDW
August 15th, 2012
2:14 pm
@Tiberius…”you do not use constant dollars when describing spending. Dollars are dollars at the time they are spent. More deception”
I see economics just aren’t your thing…constant dollars are the ONLY ACCEPTED way of comparing results over time.
“You also (once again) show a budget surplus during Clinton’s years when none existed. We’ve been over that and you simply do not get it.”
I get it fine…in 2001 the US Government took in $142.7 billion more than it spent…you can blather on about cross balance sheet transactions all you want.
“Finally, you add into the deception by once again using percentages when percentages aren’t a valid method when showing who spent more raw dollars.”
Percentages are perfectly valid after normalizing the data which I have done.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:15 pm
Robert, we know you have the DNC talking points down.
Care to come up with a few thoughts on your own?
SlickRick
August 15th, 2012
2:16 pm
@ @@ @ 2:11 – So, so, so, very, very, very wrong. In other words: par for the course.
Up Up and Away
August 15th, 2012
2:17 pm
@@
Whether you agree or not, he said he would increase troops levels in Afghanistan. Personally I didn’t agree. Outside of toppling the Taliban, things haven’t really worked out. Various strategies under Bush and Obama have not changed much. Outside of the areas with a heavy US presence, it is back to the norm they have known for years. Tribal leaders rule the day and they change sides at a whim. Time to be gone.
As for Iraq, the troops left based on the time line set under Bush. Iraq would no longer provide immunity to US servicemen. Bush nor Obama were able to get Iraq to budge, hence our troops withdrew right at or close to the negotiated time line.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:19 pm
“I see economics just aren’t your thing…constant dollars are the ONLY ACCEPTED way of comparing results over time.”
I see budgeting isn’t your thing. You cannot use constant dollars when budgeting, JDW. More deception on your part. You MUST use actual dollars at the time they are spent/budgeted. You’d be laughed out of every boardroom in America if you tried that constant dollars argument during budget planning sessions.
In the real world, you cannot compare apples to oranges. Only in the liberal world can that fantasy happen.
getalife
August 15th, 2012
2:25 pm
I bet the failed gop hose leaders will stop using the unchain our economy lie now thanks to VP Biden.
JDW
August 15th, 2012
2:27 pm
@southpaw….”How much did each one increase the DEBT, instead of the deficit? Constant dollars do sound like a better comparison than current dollars. I haven’t seen the actual numbers, but I’ll bet that Obama’s increase of the debt is a lot more than 1% of Bush’s.”
In 2005 dollars Clinton left with $3.6938 trillion in debt held by the public (excluding inter-balance sheet like SS)
Duhbya increased that to $6.810 trillion or 84%
Through 2012 Obama has increased that to $8.7795 or about 29% when compared to his predecessor
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:28 pm
“Our President ended both losing occupations.”
Funny, but a friend of mine just shipped out to Afghanistan this week.
Just when did that occupation “end”, getalife?
JDW
August 15th, 2012
2:29 pm
@Tiberius…”You cannot use constant dollars when budgeting,”
We aren’t talking about budgeting we are comparing results over time.
As for the Boardroom bit..generally I get paid to be there.
SlickRick
August 15th, 2012
2:30 pm
Off topic: why do conservatives have a huge issue with gay marriage, but no issue at all with gay prostitutes?
Kyle Wingfield
August 15th, 2012
2:31 pm
getalife: The rules here are clear, and you’re on the blog often enough to know them. But now you’ll be off the blog for a week.
And a note to everyone else: While I’m obviously busy with things other than the blog today, I will be going back over the comments and dealing with those who need to be dealt with.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:35 pm
“We aren’t talking about budgeting we are comparing results over time.”
Uh, yes JDW, we are talking about budgeting. Saying we aren’t doesn’t make it so.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 15th, 2012
2:35 pm
I will be going back over the comments and dealing with those who need to be dealt with.
Yeah, well you need to deal with this guy:
Last week, Trump said, “I was asked to speak at the RNC but said no,” which is Trump Code for “I begged them to let me speak and someone thought that was probably a bad idea,” but to allow him to save face he claimed that he “will be doing something much bigger–just watch!”
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:38 pm
“Off topic: why do conservatives have a huge issue with gay marriage, but no issue at all with gay prostitutes?”
’cause two hot chicks going at it can be sexy?
JDW
August 15th, 2012
2:40 pm
@Tiberius…”You cannot use constant dollars when budgeting,”
Are you mad…just because you are taking about numbers that were once in a budget doesn’t mean you are talking about budgeting.
A budget is a plan for the future and you use todays dollars unless you have hyper inflation say in a Latin American country.
Results have already happened i.e. adding to debt, incurring deficits and surpluses and if you are comparing number over more than a couple of year time span you should look at them in constant dollars.
They teach that stuff in business school maybe you should go.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:43 pm
Once again, JDW, if you used the “Well, in 2005 dollars we’re only going to spend $1 trillion instead of the actual $3 trillion in 2012″ argument, you’d be laughed out of the boardroom.
And rightfully so.
DawgDad
August 15th, 2012
2:46 pm
“A “socialist” a “communist” would have sat back and let Capitalism self destruct-which was what McCain was going to do. ”
This is a ridiculous comment. The socialist/communist would likely be more inclined to step in and sieze the means of production, or take steps to control it. How much GM stock does the Fed own? How much TARP were financial institutions COMPELLED to sign on for? How much freedom and liberty is being sacrificed in the name of Obamacare? Several thousand pages worth.
JDW
August 15th, 2012
2:50 pm
@Tiberius…”“Well, in 2005 dollars we’re only going to spend $1 trillion instead of the actual $3 trillion in 2012″ argument, you’d be laughed out of the boardroom.”
Actually that depends…I have seen some long-term capex budgets that did it that way, but again in this years budget you use current dollars.
Now if you were comparing capex expenditures over 10 years (which is what we are doing here) you would most certainly look at it in terms of constant dollars and as an annual percentage of revenue.
I am guessing you haven’t been in many boardrooms.
@@
August 15th, 2012
2:52 pm
Let me get this straight…Obama had to surge 30,000 troops into Afghanistan before reverting back to Bush’s original light footprint strategy into Afghanistan?
Yeah…that makes sense./snark/
What Makes Myth Robme Tick? Mormonism? Money? Or Both?
August 15th, 2012
2:55 pm
@Tiberius – pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:38 pm
“Off topic: why do conservatives have a huge issue with gay marriage, but no issue at all with gay prostitutes?”
’cause two hot chicks going at it can be sexy?
______________________________________________
REPUBLICAN men have a FIXATION and FANTASY about what
WOMEN do in the bedroom.
RUSH LIMBAUGH IS THE LEADER OF THE PACK.
S-L-E-A-Z-Y
C-R-E-E-P-Y
P-E-R-V-E-R-T-E-D
And they have the nerve to CRITIZE Liberal men.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:58 pm
“I am guessing you haven’t been in many boardrooms.”
And you’d be wrong about that, just as you are wrong on so many other things, JDW.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 15th, 2012
2:58 pm
Robert
I “hate” to burst your “hate” balloon, however, no one in the GOP “hates” Obama. He is a good father and seems like a nice guy.
We do however pity the poor fellow because with all the resources available to him, he continues to make the wrong choices and fails at most everything he attempts. He is wrecking our country and running up our debt, with little to show for it. Our children and grandchildren may “hate” him in 25 years, but that remains to be seen.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:59 pm
You know, Trashman, sometimes a joke is just a joke.
Why do you take every opportunity to be unpleasant?
What Makes Myth Robme Tick? Mormonism? Money? Or Both?
August 15th, 2012
3:00 pm
@Kyle Wingfield
August 15th, 2012
2:31 pm
getalife: The rules here are clear, and you’re on the blog often enough to know them. But now you’ll be off the blog for a week.
__________________________________________
Others have done less and were kicked off longer.
What’s up with that.
Up Up and Away
August 15th, 2012
3:00 pm
@@
It is a mess in Afghanistan. If it helps you get through your day to think it was working under Bush and now it isn’t, you are free to think as you wish.
Up Up and Away
August 15th, 2012
3:01 pm
Who is the Trashman?
New person on the blog?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 15th, 2012
3:02 pm
So what did getalife do?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 15th, 2012
3:04 pm
Just wondering so I don’t make the same mistake.
I won’t dance on his grave like Amvet would.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 15th, 2012
3:04 pm
Tiberius, you are wasting time, as I am sure you know. But anyone who gives Bush blame for all the spending Barry signed off on and requested in early 2009, is well on the way to fudging everything that follows.
@@
August 15th, 2012
3:06 pm
Up:
Whether you agree or not, he said he would increase troops levels in Afghanistan. Personally I didn’t agree.
Neither did I.
Once OBL had been driven out, there was no reason to linger in full force. Could’ve been taken care of with drones. If OBL or AQ returned to Afghanistan, hit ‘em with drone attacks.
Unfortunately, Bush was hesitant to increase drone attacks due to protests from the left. Obama hasn’t let that stop HIM from going full tilt on collateral damage.
Only limited protests have sought to stop Obama’s tendency to murder/kill/maim the unsuspecting.
JDW
August 15th, 2012
3:08 pm
@Rafe..”Tiberius, you are wasting time, as I am sure you know. But anyone who gives Bush blame for all the spending Barry signed off on and requested in early 2009, is well on the way to fudging everything that follows.”
Which if you will notice, I adjusted the numbers to reflect.
Up Up and Away
August 15th, 2012
3:08 pm
@@
Agreed. Many a militarty over many years have went to that region, only to leave with those tribes still doing what they do.
What Makes Myth Robme Tick? Mormonism? Money? Or Both?
August 15th, 2012
3:08 pm
@Tiberius – pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
2:59 pm
You know, Trashman, sometimes a joke is just a joke.
Why do you take every opportunity to be unpleasant?
_____________________________________________________
As a man thinketh, so is he.
As a man saith, so is he.
Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
JDW
August 15th, 2012
3:08 pm
@Tiberius…”And you’d be wrong about that, just as you are wrong on so many other things”
Well then you ought to know better.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 15th, 2012
3:08 pm
You know, you see some things in life that are just so remarkable all you can do is stand back and admire them. Like Amvet, hiding behind an anonymous screen name, griping about people who hide behind an anonymous screen name.
And telling everybody how great he is at the same time.
Wow. Awesome.
Up Up and Away
August 15th, 2012
3:08 pm
military
pardon me
jbgotcha
August 15th, 2012
3:08 pm
Wingfield you really need to improve the quality of your column. This is just more kabuki theater. Shame on you for dumbing yourself down. I thought Dalton High produced a better quality than this.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 15th, 2012
3:09 pm
The left criticize civil liberty and human rights abuses under Obama? Get outta here, that is never going to happen.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:10 pm
Rafe, your 2:58 was spot-on. I just can’t grasp why the left can’t seem to understand that we can disagree vehemently about his policies without making it personal.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 15th, 2012
3:13 pm
JDW
Which if you will notice, I adjusted the numbers to reflect. I didn’t notice, my bad, the left usually tars Bush with that profligate spending. When you and Tibby get in one of your number battles, my eyes gloss over. Lies, statistics, damn lies, figures lie, liars figure, that kinda thing.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:15 pm
“Who is the Trashman?”
He’s the guy who is currently going under the blog name of “What Makes Myth Robme Tick? Mormonism? Money? Or Both? “. His original moniker was “God Hates Trash – Superstar”, but he has changed that name about 8-10 times in various iterations since then.
It is simply easier for us to use “Trashman” than to type out his very wordy and oft-changing names.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:17 pm
“Which if you will notice, I adjusted the numbers to reflect.”
JDW’s way of “adjusting” figures simply means “cooking the books” to flip the meaning of them.