Dinesh D'Souza - Obama's America (1 Viewer)

[cstu]

I stumbled across his reading on BookTV of his new book 'Obama's America: Unmaking the American Dream'. He's also the man behind the movie '2016 - Obama's America' that is in theaters now.

I decided to listen to him with an open mind and surprisingly I found him to be a rational guy and not nearly as extremist as I expected. His view on Obama is a conspiracy theory but like all conspiracy theories it has a grain of truth.

The essence of his claim is this:

Obama grew up with the anti-imperialist views of his father. Even though he never knew his father D'Souza believes that Obama is trying to impress him, hence the title of his book 'Dreams From My Father'. He also grew up with an anti-establishment, socialist mother, who also had similar views.

He believes that Obama is trying to level the playing field, not only within America but worldwide. His 'proof' of this is that he has spent the U.S. into such a huge debt that America won't be able to be the world's only superpower anymore. Although he admits he doesn't think Obama is a Muslim, but does believe that supporting the revolutions against pro-America dictators (Mubarak and Gaddafi) is meant to help set up a Muslim Brotherhood-led 'Arab United States'. This will include Egypt, Iran and eventually (after the overthrow of the Saudi kings) Saudi Arabia.

My take:

The part that I can agree with and what makes some people feel he is wants to 'destroy America' is that he doesn't subscribe to the idea that it's in America's best interest to dominate the world, mainly by using military power. This rejection of neoconservatism scares people who believe that the only way for America to be successful is by keeping down the rest of the world.

The most interesting thing to me in the talk was when he discussed the differing philosophies of British leaders Disraeli and Gladstone. Disraeli was pro-imperialism and Gladstone believed the cost of running an empire with its colonies was too expensive. D'Souza treats Gladstone as the destroyer of the British Empire (as he views Obama for us) yet despite Gladstone's anti-imperialist rhetoric the Empire was was actually bigger under Gladstone than Disraeli. Gladstone did give Canada and New Zealand their independence, but not before being faced with revolts that would have led to extremely expensive wars. Interesting choice to compare to Obama considering Gladstone is considered a top 5 British Prime Minister.

 

[TPW]

This isn't rocket science. He spent most of his formative years outside of the continental United States and was raised essentially as a red diaper baby in a broken family. After that, he was immersed in the cultural Marxism which passes as education in today's Ivy League institutions.

Why on earth should Barrack Obama have any sympathies for traditional American society? He has absolutely zero experience with it.

 

[cstu]

This isn't rocket science. He spent most of his formative years outside of the continental United States and was raised essentially as a red diaper baby in a broken family. After that, he was immersed in the cultural Marxism which passes as education in today's Ivy League institutions.

Why on earth should Barrack Obama have any sympathies for traditional American society? He has absolutely zero experience with it.

From the time he was 9 years old he lived with his grandparents who were married for their entire life. Not traditional?Who has he modeled his life around - his mother/father or his grandparents?

 

[Ryan99]

There is a common lie that Obama is a big spender. Federal spending increases under Obama are low compared to other recent presidents (Bush was one of the highest). Budget deficits have been high because Obama inherited 2 optional wars and a recession, not because Obama has greatly increased spending.

Here's an article from PolitiFact trying to analyze this.

The operation of government deficit spending in relation to the economy is simple. You spend during recessions to help the economy recover, and you pay off that spending during boom years when the economy can easily absorb the higher taxes to do so. But look at what's happened during the past 30 years. Reagan greatly increased spending even thought he economy was doing great (for the rich, the middle class went nowhere during this time but that's a point for a different post). Bush 1 tried to get spending under control and was disowned by his own party for the effort. Clinton balanced the budget and then some, and we actually had a surplus. Bush 2 comes in and increases spending by enormous amounts with 2 wars and an unfunded tax cut. Spending levels under Obama have been fairly steady.

It's pretty simple to see what happened. Instead of paying down the deficit during a time when its easier to do so, Reagan and Bush 2 greatly increased spending and passed the buck.

 

[TPW]

This isn't rocket science. He spent most of his formative years outside of the continental United States and was raised essentially as a red diaper baby in a broken family. After that, he was immersed in the cultural Marxism which passes as education in today's Ivy League institutions.

Why on earth should Barrack Obama have any sympathies for traditional American society? He has absolutely zero experience with it.

From the time he was 9 years old he lived with his grandparents who were married for their entire life. Not traditional?Who has he modeled his life around - his mother/father or his grandparents?

Barrack Obama once derogatorily referred to his grandmother as a "typical white person."I think it's obvious he had strong feelings of attachment for his mother who was the only constant in his life throughout his various locales, despite the fact that she was a complete flake. I can only imagine the confusion he must have felt being born from a white American woman from an absent Kenyan father, raised in part by a communist poet and Indoensian geographer, and then being reunited with his grandparents he barely knew at the age of 10.

 

[CrossEyed]

This guy sounded surprisingly rational and calmly backed up all of his claims when I saw him on Piers Morgan's program. Interesting theories.

 

[cstu]

This isn't rocket science. He spent most of his formative years outside of the continental United States and was raised essentially as a red diaper baby in a broken family. After that, he was immersed in the cultural Marxism which passes as education in today's Ivy League institutions.

Why on earth should Barrack Obama have any sympathies for traditional American society? He has absolutely zero experience with it.

From the time he was 9 years old he lived with his grandparents who were married for their entire life. Not traditional?Who has he modeled his life around - his mother/father or his grandparents?

Barrack Obama once derogatorily referred to his grandmother as a "typical white person."I think it's obvious he had strong feelings of attachment for his mother who was the only constant in his life throughout his various locales, despite the fact that she was a complete flake. I can only imagine the confusion he must have felt being born from a white American woman from an absent Kenyan father, raised in part by a communist poet and Indoensian geographer, and then being reunited with his grandparents he barely knew at the age of 10.

The typical white person, especially older, who lives in primarily white neighborhoods is nervous about seeing a black person they don't know. It's ingrained in our subconscious that black people are dangerous. Hell, Obama himself admitted in his book that when he first moved to Chicago he was nervous around black people. He was only away from his grandparents for the 3 years he lived in Indonesia so you can't say he 'barely knew them'.

I'm sure he believes in similar ideas of equality as his mother, but in his personal life he has completely rejected her lifestyle and become the consummate family man. Let's also not paint Obama's mother as some Communist radical, after all she did spent a great deal of her life studying anthropology (including a 1000 page thesis on village blacksmithing) and then the rest of it promoting microfinance in rural villages. Not exactly Karl Marx stuff.

 

[saintfool]

This isn't rocket science. He spent most of his formative years outside of the continental United States and was raised essentially as a red diaper baby in a broken family. After that, he was immersed in the cultural Marxism which passes as education in today's Ivy League institutions.

Why on earth should Barrack Obama have any sympathies for traditional American society? He has absolutely zero experience with it.

i love when someone - especially a person as complex as BO - has their life summed up so completely in 3 sentences. It's just so handy.

 

[Ursa M]

This guy sounded surprisingly rational and calmly backed up all of his claims when I saw him on Piers Morgan's program. Interesting theories.

Rational to you ≠ rational to most people.

 

[CrossEyed]

This guy sounded surprisingly rational and calmly backed up all of his claims when I saw him on Piers Morgan's program. Interesting theories.

Rational to you ≠ rational to most people.

Have you ever heard him speak? I was expecting a typical birther nutcase. Not at all what I heard.

 

[Ursa M]

This guy sounded surprisingly rational and calmly backed up all of his claims when I saw him on Piers Morgan's program. Interesting theories.

Rational to you ≠ rational to most people.

Have you ever heard him speak? I was expecting a typical birther nutcase. Not at all what I heard.

In the OP post (and I am aware it's paraphrased somewhat), the following is said:

His 'proof' of this is that he has spent the U.S. into such a huge debt that America won't be able to be the world's only superpower anymore. Although he admits he doesn't think Obama is a Muslim, but does believe that supporting the revolutions against pro-America dictators (Mubarak and Gaddafi) is meant to help set up a Muslim Brotherhood-led 'Arab United States'. This will include Egypt, Iran and eventually (after the overthrow of the Saudi kings) Saudi Arabia.

Sorry, but every clause of this paragraph is unbelievably silly. Pro-America dictator? Gaddafi? Iran is NOT an Arab country. Obama spending the US into......this is just so bonkers it is madness.Oh, and how nice of him to "admit" that Obama isn't a Muslim.

 

[TPW]

This isn't rocket science. He spent most of his formative years outside of the continental United States and was raised essentially as a red diaper baby in a broken family. After that, he was immersed in the cultural Marxism which passes as education in today's Ivy League institutions.

Why on earth should Barrack Obama have any sympathies for traditional American society? He has absolutely zero experience with it.

From the time he was 9 years old he lived with his grandparents who were married for their entire life. Not traditional?Who has he modeled his life around - his mother/father or his grandparents?

Barrack Obama once derogatorily referred to his grandmother as a "typical white person."I think it's obvious he had strong feelings of attachment for his mother who was the only constant in his life throughout his various locales, despite the fact that she was a complete flake. I can only imagine the confusion he must have felt being born from a white American woman from an absent Kenyan father, raised in part by a communist poet and Indoensian geographer, and then being reunited with his grandparents he barely knew at the age of 10.

The typical white person, especially older, who lives in primarily white neighborhoods is nervous about seeing a black person they don't know. It's ingrained in our subconscious that black people are dangerous. Hell, Obama himself admitted in his book that when he first moved to Chicago he was nervous around black people. He was only away from his grandparents for the 3 years he lived in Indonesia so you can't say he 'barely knew them'.

I'm sure he believes in similar ideas of equality as his mother, but in his personal life he has completely rejected her lifestyle and become the consummate family man. Let's also not paint Obama's mother as some Communist radical, after all she did spent a great deal of her life studying anthropology (including a 1000 page thesis on village blacksmithing) and then the rest of it promoting microfinance in rural villages. Not exactly Karl Marx stuff.

It was four years he was away, not three. 1967-1971. Four years in the life of a child is an eternity, especially for one who has been moved from their home to an entirely different society. He was gone for nearly half of entire lifetime up to that point and a lot of developmental changes occur in that timeframe.Your assertion that all white people have an innate fear of black people is utter tripe and this desire the left has to assign collective guilt to an entire race is a big part of what is wrong with modern American society. You're just as guilty of the blood libel prejudice of which you accuse others.

I think Barrack Obama is a very conflicted individual. He simultaneously loved his mother for being his primary caregiver but also hated her for her capricious ways and the rejection of traditional family values which defines the counter-culture movement. That is how he can simultaneously support gay marriage, aborition, and the erosion of religious freedoms through government action while raising his own children in what is by all accounts a stable, tradtional, and supposedly Christian household.

All of this has combined to create an individual whom I believe is a borderline sociopath.

 

[Ursa M]

I think Barrack Obama is a very conflicted individual. He simultaneously loved his mother for being his primary caregiver but also hated her for her capricious ways and the rejection of traditional family values which defines the counter-culture movement. That is how he can simultaneously support gay marriage, aborition, and the erosion of religious freedoms through government action while raising his own children in what is by all accounts a stable, tradtional, and supposedly Christian household.

All of this has combined to create an individual whom I believe is a borderline sociopath.

What erosion of religious freedoms? Are you referring to the health care contraception thing?

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

This isn't rocket science. He spent most of his formative years outside of the continental United States and was raised essentially as a red diaper baby in a broken family. After that, he was immersed in the cultural Marxism which passes as education in today's Ivy League institutions.

Why on earth should Barrack Obama have any sympathies for traditional American society? He has absolutely zero experience with it.

From the time he was 9 years old he lived with his grandparents who were married for their entire life. Not traditional?Who has he modeled his life around - his mother/father or his grandparents?

Barrack Obama once derogatorily referred to his grandmother as a "typical white person."I think it's obvious he had strong feelings of attachment for his mother who was the only constant in his life throughout his various locales, despite the fact that she was a complete flake. I can only imagine the confusion he must have felt being born from a white American woman from an absent Kenyan father, raised in part by a communist poet and Indoensian geographer, and then being reunited with his grandparents he barely knew at the age of 10.

The typical white person, especially older, who lives in primarily white neighborhoods is nervous about seeing a black person they don't know. It's ingrained in our subconscious that black people are dangerous. Hell, Obama himself admitted in his book that when he first moved to Chicago he was nervous around black people. He was only away from his grandparents for the 3 years he lived in Indonesia so you can't say he 'barely knew them'.

I'm sure he believes in similar ideas of equality as his mother, but in his personal life he has completely rejected her lifestyle and become the consummate family man. Let's also not paint Obama's mother as some Communist radical, after all she did spent a great deal of her life studying anthropology (including a 1000 page thesis on village blacksmithing) and then the rest of it promoting microfinance in rural villages. Not exactly Karl Marx stuff.

It was four years he was away, not three. 1967-1971. Four years in the life of a child is an eternity, especially for one who has been moved from their home to an entirely different society. He was gone for nearly half of entire lifetime up to that point and a lot of developmental changes occur in that timeframe.Your assertion that all white people have an innate fear of black people is utter tripe and this desire the left has to assign collective guilt to an entire race is a big part of what is wrong with modern American society. You're just as guilty of the blood libel prejudice of which you accuse others.

I think Barrack Obama is a very conflicted individual. He simultaneously loved his mother for being his primary caregiver but also hated her for her capricious ways and the rejection of traditional family values which defines the counter-culture movement. That is how he can simultaneously support gay marriage, aborition, and the erosion of religious freedoms through government action while raising his own children in what is by all accounts a stable, tradtional, and supposedly Christian household.

All of this has combined to create an individual whom I believe is a borderline sociopath.

 

[cstu]

In the OP post (and I am aware it's paraphrased somewhat), the following is said:

His 'proof' of this is that he has spent the U.S. into such a huge debt that America won't be able to be the world's only superpower anymore. Although he admits he doesn't think Obama is a Muslim, but does believe that supporting the revolutions against pro-America dictators (Mubarak and Gaddafi) is meant to help set up a Muslim Brotherhood-led 'Arab United States'. This will include Egypt, Iran and eventually (after the overthrow of the Saudi kings) Saudi Arabia.

Sorry, but every clause of this paragraph is unbelievably silly. Pro-America dictator? Gaddafi? Iran is NOT an Arab country. Obama spending the US into......this is just so bonkers it is madness.Oh, and how nice of him to "admit" that Obama isn't a Muslim.

About Gaddafi, he prefaced it with 'since 2002'. While not true, relations were better. He clearly made a mistake about Iran but his main point is that the Muslim Brotherhood would unite the Middle East. Obviously very far-fetched since these countries are hardly best friends.

 

[cstu]

This isn't rocket science. He spent most of his formative years outside of the continental United States and was raised essentially as a red diaper baby in a broken family. After that, he was immersed in the cultural Marxism which passes as education in today's Ivy League institutions.

Why on earth should Barrack Obama have any sympathies for traditional American society? He has absolutely zero experience with it.

From the time he was 9 years old he lived with his grandparents who were married for their entire life. Not traditional?Who has he modeled his life around - his mother/father or his grandparents?

Barrack Obama once derogatorily referred to his grandmother as a "typical white person."I think it's obvious he had strong feelings of attachment for his mother who was the only constant in his life throughout his various locales, despite the fact that she was a complete flake. I can only imagine the confusion he must have felt being born from a white American woman from an absent Kenyan father, raised in part by a communist poet and Indoensian geographer, and then being reunited with his grandparents he barely knew at the age of 10.

The typical white person, especially older, who lives in primarily white neighborhoods is nervous about seeing a black person they don't know. It's ingrained in our subconscious that black people are dangerous. Hell, Obama himself admitted in his book that when he first moved to Chicago he was nervous around black people. He was only away from his grandparents for the 3 years he lived in Indonesia so you can't say he 'barely knew them'.

I'm sure he believes in similar ideas of equality as his mother, but in his personal life he has completely rejected her lifestyle and become the consummate family man. Let's also not paint Obama's mother as some Communist radical, after all she did spent a great deal of her life studying anthropology (including a 1000 page thesis on village blacksmithing) and then the rest of it promoting microfinance in rural villages. Not exactly Karl Marx stuff.

It was four years he was away, not three. 1967-1971. Four years in the life of a child is an eternity, especially for one who has been moved from their home to an entirely different society. He was gone for nearly half of entire lifetime up to that point and a lot of developmental changes occur in that timeframe.Your assertion that all white people have an innate fear of black people is utter tripe and this desire the left has to assign collective guilt to an entire race is a big part of what is wrong with modern American society. You're just as guilty of the blood libel prejudice of which you accuse others.

I think Barrack Obama is a very conflicted individual. He simultaneously loved his mother for being his primary caregiver but also hated her for her capricious ways and the rejection of traditional family values which defines the counter-culture movement. That is how he can simultaneously support gay marriage, aborition, and the erosion of religious freedoms through government action while raising his own children in what is by all accounts a stable, tradtional, and supposedly Christian household.

All of this has combined to create an individual whom I believe is a borderline sociopath.

I believe bigger changes happen to kids after age 10 (he was gone from age 6-9), but even if it did affect him what makes you think it drew him closer to his mother? He came back to the U.S. in 1971 to live with his grandparents in Hawaii. His mother returned a year later when he was 12 but left again when he was 14. Instead of going with her, he decided to stay with his grandparents.I just told you about a quote from Obama himself about him being scared of black people yet you want to call it 'liberal prejudice'?

I won't deny he's conflicted but this conflict has clearly caused to him to spend a great deal of time thinking about what a 'family' really means and that it's not necessarily the traditional one for everybody. What religious freedoms has he eroded?

Borderline sociopath? That makes even less sense than calling him a Communist.

 

[Ursa M]

In the OP post (and I am aware it's paraphrased somewhat), the following is said:

His 'proof' of this is that he has spent the U.S. into such a huge debt that America won't be able to be the world's only superpower anymore. Although he admits he doesn't think Obama is a Muslim, but does believe that supporting the revolutions against pro-America dictators (Mubarak and Gaddafi) is meant to help set up a Muslim Brotherhood-led 'Arab United States'. This will include Egypt, Iran and eventually (after the overthrow of the Saudi kings) Saudi Arabia.

Sorry, but every clause of this paragraph is unbelievably silly. Pro-America dictator? Gaddafi? Iran is NOT an Arab country. Obama spending the US into......this is just so bonkers it is madness.Oh, and how nice of him to "admit" that Obama isn't a Muslim.

About Gaddafi, he prefaced it with 'since 2002'. While not true, relations were better. He clearly made a mistake about Iran but his main point is that the Muslim Brotherhood would unite the Middle East. Obviously very far-fetched since these countries are hardly best friends.

Right - I wonder if anyone remembers Nasser's attempts to bring about a United Arab Republic? It was short-lived and pretty much proof that the Middle East remains all about tribalism.

 

[Apple Jack]

This isn't rocket science. He spent most of his formative years outside of the continental United States and was raised essentially as a red diaper baby in a broken family. After that, he was immersed in the cultural Marxism which passes as education in today's Ivy League institutions.

Why on earth should Barrack Obama have any sympathies for traditional American society? He has absolutely zero experience with it.

From the time he was 9 years old he lived with his grandparents who were married for their entire life. Not traditional?Who has he modeled his life around - his mother/father or his grandparents?

Barrack Obama once derogatorily referred to his grandmother as a "typical white person."I think it's obvious he had strong feelings of attachment for his mother who was the only constant in his life throughout his various locales, despite the fact that she was a complete flake. I can only imagine the confusion he must have felt being born from a white American woman from an absent Kenyan father, raised in part by a communist poet and Indoensian geographer, and then being reunited with his grandparents he barely knew at the age of 10.

The typical white person, especially older, who lives in primarily white neighborhoods is nervous about seeing a black person they don't know. It's ingrained in our subconscious that black people are dangerous. Hell, Obama himself admitted in his book that when he first moved to Chicago he was nervous around black people. He was only away from his grandparents for the 3 years he lived in Indonesia so you can't say he 'barely knew them'.

I'm sure he believes in similar ideas of equality as his mother, but in his personal life he has completely rejected her lifestyle and become the consummate family man. Let's also not paint Obama's mother as some Communist radical, after all she did spent a great deal of her life studying anthropology (including a 1000 page thesis on village blacksmithing) and then the rest of it promoting microfinance in rural villages. Not exactly Karl Marx stuff.

It was four years he was away, not three. 1967-1971. Four years in the life of a child is an eternity, especially for one who has been moved from their home to an entirely different society. He was gone for nearly half of entire lifetime up to that point and a lot of developmental changes occur in that timeframe.Your assertion that all white people have an innate fear of black people is utter tripe and this desire the left has to assign collective guilt to an entire race is a big part of what is wrong with modern American society. You're just as guilty of the blood libel prejudice of which you accuse others.

I think Barrack Obama is a very conflicted individual. He simultaneously loved his mother for being his primary caregiver but also hated her for her capricious ways and the rejection of traditional family values which defines the counter-culture movement. That is how he can simultaneously support gay marriage, aborition, and the erosion of religious freedoms through government action while raising his own children in what is by all accounts a stable, tradtional, and supposedly Christian household.

All of this has combined to create an individual whom I believe is a borderline sociopath.

I believe bigger changes happen to kids after age 10 (he was gone from age 6-9), but even if it did affect him what makes you think it drew him closer to his mother? He came back to the U.S. in 1971 to live with his grandparents in Hawaii. His mother returned a year later when he was 12 but left again when he was 14. Instead of going with her, he decided to stay with his grandparents.I just told you about a quote from Obama himself about him being scared of black people yet you want to call it 'liberal prejudice'?

I won't deny he's conflicted but this conflict has clearly caused to him to spend a great deal of time thinking about what a 'family' really means and that it's not necessarily the traditional one for everybody. What religious freedoms has he eroded?

Borderline sociopath? That makes even less sense than calling him a Communist.

Bingo.

 

[SofaKings]

There is a common lie that Obama is a big spender. Federal spending increases under Obama are low compared to other recent presidents (Bush was one of the highest). Budget deficits have been high because Obama inherited 2 optional wars and a recession, not because Obama has greatly increased spending.

Two optional wars? I'll give you Iraq for the sake of argument, Afghanistan/war on terror? You are full of ####.

 

[cstu]

There is a common lie that Obama is a big spender. Federal spending increases under Obama are low compared to other recent presidents (Bush was one of the highest). Budget deficits have been high because Obama inherited 2 optional wars and a recession, not because Obama has greatly increased spending.

Two optional wars? I'll give you Iraq for the sake of argument, Afghanistan/war on terror? You are full of ####.

We needed to go into Afghanistan but there was disagreement whether it needed to be a full scale invasion or whether we should send in special forces units to take care of Al Qaeda members instead.

 

[Fennis]

Its kind of like thinking the Vatican, the US, and France are going to be one country.

 

[Fennis]

I love that we get 4 more years of movies and books like this that appeal to "mainstream" conservatives.

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

I love that we get 4 more years of movies and books like this that appeal to "mainstream" conservatives.

I need to become a RINO and cash in on this golden goose.

 

[cstu]

I love that we get 4 more years of movies and books like this that appeal to "mainstream" conservatives.

I need to become a RINO and cash in on this golden goose.

The movie has made $20M so far...hmmm...

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

I love that we get 4 more years of movies and books like this that appeal to "mainstream" conservatives.

I need to become a RINO and cash in on this golden goose.

The movie has made $20M so far...hmmm...

We need to write a book and cash in. Not our right lies per se, but kinda bending truthiness of reality.

 

[rockaction]

I stumbled across his reading on BookTV of his new book 'Obama's America: Unmaking the American Dream'. He's also the man behind the movie '2016 - Obama's America' that is in theaters now.

I decided to listen to him with an open mind and surprisingly I found him to be a rational guy and not nearly as extremist as I expected. His view on Obama is a conspiracy theory but like all conspiracy theories it has a grain of truth.

The essence of his claim is this:

Obama grew up with the anti-imperialist views of his father. Even though he never knew his father D'Souza believes that Obama is trying to impress him, hence the title of his book 'Dreams From My Father'. He also grew up with an anti-establishment, socialist mother, who also had similar views.

He believes that Obama is trying to level the playing field, not only within America but worldwide. His 'proof' of this is that he has spent the U.S. into such a huge debt that America won't be able to be the world's only superpower anymore. Although he admits he doesn't think Obama is a Muslim, but does believe that supporting the revolutions against pro-America dictators (Mubarak and Gaddafi) is meant to help set up a Muslim Brotherhood-led 'Arab United States'. This will include Egypt, Iran and eventually (after the overthrow of the Saudi kings) Saudi Arabia.

My take:

The part that I can agree with and what makes some people feel he is wants to 'destroy America' is that he doesn't subscribe to the idea that it's in America's best interest to dominate the world, mainly by using military power. This rejection of neoconservatism scares people who believe that the only way for America to be successful is by keeping down the rest of the world.

The most interesting thing to me in the talk was when he discussed the differing philosophies of British leaders Disraeli and Gladstone. Disraeli was pro-imperialism and Gladstone believed the cost of running an empire with its colonies was too expensive. D'Souza treats Gladstone as the destroyer of the British Empire (as he views Obama for us) yet despite Gladstone's anti-imperialist rhetoric the Empire was was actually bigger under Gladstone than Disraeli. Gladstone did give Canada and New Zealand their independence, but not before being faced with revolts that would have led to extremely expensive wars. Interesting choice to compare to Obama considering Gladstone is considered a top 5 British Prime Minister.

Dinesh D'Souza is a smart guy who has made a living off of the right-wing book industry. He's very polished, and moves in the right-wing think tank world. He skirts the line between Young Republican flamethrower and quasi-academician.

 

[Politician Spock]

Iran is NOT an Arab country.

Not yet...

 

[TPW]

#1) Sociopaths are charming.

#2) Sociopaths are more spontaneous and intense than other people.

#3) Sociopaths are incapable of feeling shame, guilt or remorse.

#4) Sociopaths invent outrageous lies about their experiences.

#5) Sociopaths seek to dominate others and "win" at all costs.

#6) Sociopaths tend to be highly intelligent, but they use their brainpower to deceive others rather than empower them.

#7) Sociopaths are incapable of love and are entirely self-serving.

#8) Sociopaths speak poetically. They are master wordsmiths, able to deliver a running "stream of consciousness" monologue that is both intriguing and hypnotic.

#9) Sociopaths never apologize. They are never wrong.

#10) Sociopaths are delusional and literally believe that what they say becomes truth merely because they say it.

All of these with the possible exception of #7 could be used to describe aspects of the current President of the United States. I stand by my assertation that he is a borderline sociopath with the formation of these charateristics largely stemming from the social and psychological disruptions he experienced in his youth.

 

[Fennis]

#1) Sociopaths are charming. #2) Sociopaths are more spontaneous and intense than other people.#3) Sociopaths are incapable of feeling shame, guilt or remorse.#4) Sociopaths invent outrageous lies about their experiences.#5) Sociopaths seek to dominate others and "win" at all costs.#6) Sociopaths tend to be highly intelligent, but they use their brainpower to deceive others rather than empower them.#7) Sociopaths are incapable of love and are entirely self-serving.#8) Sociopaths speak poetically. They are master wordsmiths, able to deliver a running "stream of consciousness" monologue that is both intriguing and hypnotic.#9) Sociopaths never apologize. They are never wrong.#10) Sociopaths are delusional and literally believe that what they say becomes truth merely because they say it.All of these with the possible exception of #7 could be used to describe aspects of the current President of the United States. I stand by my assertation that he is a borderline sociopath with the formation of these charateristics largely stemming from the social and psychological disruptions he experienced in his youth.

at least you think he is not a socialist, that he was born in the US, that he is a Christian and that he wants to strengthen America.

 

[Sea Duck]

Barrack Obama once derogatorily referred to his grandmother as a "typical white person."

He wasn't being derogative. He referring to her irrational fear, which was typical of white people of her generation.It's no different from your own irrational fear of Obama, except that it's no longer considered "typical".

 

[Sea Duck]

#1) Sociopaths are charming. #2) Sociopaths are more spontaneous and intense than other people.#3) Sociopaths are incapable of feeling shame, guilt or remorse.#4) Sociopaths invent outrageous lies about their experiences.#5) Sociopaths seek to dominate others and "win" at all costs.#6) Sociopaths tend to be highly intelligent, but they use their brainpower to deceive others rather than empower them.#7) Sociopaths are incapable of love and are entirely self-serving.#8) Sociopaths speak poetically. They are master wordsmiths, able to deliver a running "stream of consciousness" monologue that is both intriguing and hypnotic.#9) Sociopaths never apologize. They are never wrong.#10) Sociopaths are delusional and literally believe that what they say becomes truth merely because they say it.All of these with the possible exception of #7 could be used to describe aspects of the current President of the United States. I stand by my assertation that he is a borderline sociopath with the formation of these charateristics largely stemming from the social and psychological disruptions he experienced in his youth.

And yet you* constantly criticize Obama for NOT being charming, for NOT being a master wordsmith, for NOT speaking poetically, for NOT running a "stream of consciousness" monologue (hello, teleprompter jokes!), for NOT being intelligent, and for apologizing for America (among other apologies) and for expressing shame & remorse about various things.In other words, you* criticize Obama for bring highly UN-sociopathic.So, which is it? Were you* lying when you criticized Obama for all those things, or are you* lying now?* and when I say "you", I mean "you and your aliases and your buddies and their aliases".

 

[Alex P Keaton]

#1) Sociopaths are charming. #2) Sociopaths are more spontaneous and intense than other people.

#3) Sociopaths are incapable of feeling shame, guilt or remorse.

#4) Sociopaths invent outrageous lies about their experiences.

#5) Sociopaths seek to dominate others and "win" at all costs.

#6) Sociopaths tend to be highly intelligent, but they use their brainpower to deceive others rather than empower them.#7) Sociopaths are incapable of love and are entirely self-serving.

#8) Sociopaths speak poetically. They are master wordsmiths, able to deliver a running "stream of consciousness" monologue that is both intriguing and hypnotic.#9) Sociopaths never apologize. They are never wrong.

#10) Sociopaths are delusional and literally believe that what they say becomes truth merely because they say it.

All of these with the possible exception of #7 could be used to describe aspects of the current President of the United States. I stand by my assertation that he is a borderline sociopath with the formation of these charateristics largely stemming from the social and psychological disruptions he experienced in his youth.

Congratulations, you appear to be free from at least some sociopathic behavior.

 

[Mr. Pickles]

I still can't get over the guy from Mumbai lambasting Obama for not having an authentic American experience. You can't make this stuff up.

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

Iran is NOT an Arab country.

Not yet...

What does that mean? Are you expecting Arabs to invade Iran?

 

[Ursa M]

#1) Sociopaths are charming. #2) Sociopaths are more spontaneous and intense than other people.

#3) Sociopaths are incapable of feeling shame, guilt or remorse.

#4) Sociopaths invent outrageous lies about their experiences.

#5) Sociopaths seek to dominate others and "win" at all costs.

#6) Sociopaths tend to be highly intelligent, but they use their brainpower to deceive others rather than empower them.#7) Sociopaths are incapable of love and are entirely self-serving.

#8) Sociopaths speak poetically. They are master wordsmiths, able to deliver a running "stream of consciousness" monologue that is both intriguing and hypnotic.#9) Sociopaths never apologize. They are never wrong.

#10) Sociopaths are delusional and literally believe that what they say becomes truth merely because they say it.

All of these with the possible exception of #7 could be used to describe aspects of the current President of the United States. I stand by my assertation that he is a borderline sociopath with the formation of these charateristics largely stemming from the social and psychological disruptions he experienced in his youth.

Congratulations, you appear to be free from at least some sociopathic behavior.

 

[timschochet]

This guy sounded surprisingly rational and calmly backed up all of his claims when I saw him on Piers Morgan's program. Interesting theories.

He IS rational. A few years back, I think shortly after 9/11, D'Souza wrote a wonderful book about why he loved America. I have heard him interviewed several times, on a host of issues (including this one). He is a decent, mild, reasonable-sounding guy.Which is what makes this current book and movie of his all the more reprehensible, IMO. There is nothing in either Obama's words or deeds as a public figure which matches D'Souza's theory. (If you believe otherwise, I challenge you to produce it.) Obama is a liberal Democrat who, faced with an economic crisis not of his making, has behaved like a moderate Democrat. Personally, I wish he would have behaved like a moderate Republican, but he has NOT behaved like a radical, nor has he hinted at it, or spoken like it, or ever done anything to indicate it. As for his foreign policy, especially regarding the Middle East, I strongly approve, though it's essentially no different from almost every President we've had in the last 50 years, with the sole exception of W and his ill-thought out invasion of Iraq (which D'Souza supported.)What makes this theory so appalling is that it plays into the racism that so is prevalent among the extremists in the Republican party. Obama the outsider, raised in another country, with a dark skin, a weird sounding name, and, according to D'Souza, with an ideology alien to most Americans. D'Souza should be better than this; it's deeply disappointing.

 

[Thunderlips]

I stumbled across his reading on BookTV of his new book 'Obama's America: Unmaking the American Dream'. He's also the man behind the movie '2016 - Obama's America' that is in theaters now.

I decided to listen to him with an open mind and surprisingly I found him to be a rational guy and not nearly as extremist as I expected. His view on Obama is a conspiracy theory but like all conspiracy theories it has a grain of truth.

The essence of his claim is this:

Obama grew up with the anti-imperialist views of his father. Even though he never knew his father D'Souza believes that Obama is trying to impress him, hence the title of his book 'Dreams From My Father'. He also grew up with an anti-establishment, socialist mother, who also had similar views.

He believes that Obama is trying to level the playing field, not only within America but worldwide. His 'proof' of this is that he has spent the U.S. into such a huge debt that America won't be able to be the world's only superpower anymore. Although he admits he doesn't think Obama is a Muslim, but does believe that supporting the revolutions against pro-America dictators (Mubarak and Gaddafi) is meant to help set up a Muslim Brotherhood-led 'Arab United States'. This will include Egypt, Iran and eventually (after the overthrow of the Saudi kings) Saudi Arabia.

My take:

The part that I can agree with and what makes some people feel he is wants to 'destroy America' is that he doesn't subscribe to the idea that it's in America's best interest to dominate the world, mainly by using military power. This rejection of neoconservatism scares people who believe that the only way for America to be successful is by keeping down the rest of the world.

The most interesting thing to me in the talk was when he discussed the differing philosophies of British leaders Disraeli and Gladstone. Disraeli was pro-imperialism and Gladstone believed the cost of running an empire with its colonies was too expensive. D'Souza treats Gladstone as the destroyer of the British Empire (as he views Obama for us) yet despite Gladstone's anti-imperialist rhetoric the Empire was was actually bigger under Gladstone than Disraeli. Gladstone did give Canada and New Zealand their independence, but not before being faced with revolts that would have led to extremely expensive wars. Interesting choice to compare to Obama considering Gladstone is considered a top 5 British Prime Minister.

Isn't the global playing field being leveled by capitalism?.....It's cheaper to build something somewhere else....the guy building it in somewhere else gets paid more than he would if he didn't build it. His quality of life goes up. His expectations go up. etc. etc. etc......

 

[timschochet]

#1) Sociopaths are charming. #2) Sociopaths are more spontaneous and intense than other people.#3) Sociopaths are incapable of feeling shame, guilt or remorse.#4) Sociopaths invent outrageous lies about their experiences.#5) Sociopaths seek to dominate others and "win" at all costs.#6) Sociopaths tend to be highly intelligent, but they use their brainpower to deceive others rather than empower them.#7) Sociopaths are incapable of love and are entirely self-serving.#8) Sociopaths speak poetically. They are master wordsmiths, able to deliver a running "stream of consciousness" monologue that is both intriguing and hypnotic.#9) Sociopaths never apologize. They are never wrong.#10) Sociopaths are delusional and literally believe that what they say becomes truth merely because they say it.All of these with the possible exception of #7 could be used to describe aspects of the current President of the United States. I stand by my assertation that he is a borderline sociopath with the formation of these charateristics largely stemming from the social and psychological disruptions he experienced in his youth.

Of course TPW is being ridiculous here. But on a broader note, try to come up with a modern POTUS (since the television era began) who doesn't seem to fit most or all of these descriptions.

 

[bigbottom]

This isn't rocket science. He spent most of his formative years outside of the continental United States and was raised essentially as a red diaper baby in a broken family. After that, he was immersed in the cultural Marxism which passes as education in today's Ivy League institutions.Why on earth should Barrack Obama have any sympathies for traditional American society? He has absolutely zero experience with it.

So now we're making distinctions between the United States and the continental United States when it comes to determining whether one is "traditionally American?"

 

[Sea Duck]

#1) Sociopaths are charming. #2) Sociopaths are more spontaneous and intense than other people.#3) Sociopaths are incapable of feeling shame, guilt or remorse.#4) Sociopaths invent outrageous lies about their experiences.#5) Sociopaths seek to dominate others and "win" at all costs.#6) Sociopaths tend to be highly intelligent, but they use their brainpower to deceive others rather than empower them.#7) Sociopaths are incapable of love and are entirely self-serving.#8) Sociopaths speak poetically. They are master wordsmiths, able to deliver a running "stream of consciousness" monologue that is both intriguing and hypnotic.#9) Sociopaths never apologize. They are never wrong.#10) Sociopaths are delusional and literally believe that what they say becomes truth merely because they say it.All of these with the possible exception of #7 could be used to describe aspects of the current President of the United States. I stand by my assertation that he is a borderline sociopath with the formation of these charateristics largely stemming from the social and psychological disruptions he experienced in his youth.

Of course TPW is being ridiculous here. But on a broader note, try to come up with a modern POTUS (since the television era began) who doesn't seem to fit most or all of these descriptions.

Gerald Ford.

 

[CrossEyed]

This guy sounded surprisingly rational and calmly backed up all of his claims when I saw him on Piers Morgan's program. Interesting theories.

He IS rational. A few years back, I think shortly after 9/11, D'Souza wrote a wonderful book about why he loved America. I have heard him interviewed several times, on a host of issues (including this one). He is a decent, mild, reasonable-sounding guy.Which is what makes this current book and movie of his all the more reprehensible, IMO. There is nothing in either Obama's words or deeds as a public figure which matches D'Souza's theory. (If you believe otherwise, I challenge you to produce it.) Obama is a liberal Democrat who, faced with an economic crisis not of his making, has behaved like a moderate Democrat. Personally, I wish he would have behaved like a moderate Republican, but he has NOT behaved like a radical, nor has he hinted at it, or spoken like it, or ever done anything to indicate it. As for his foreign policy, especially regarding the Middle East, I strongly approve, though it's essentially no different from almost every President we've had in the last 50 years, with the sole exception of W and his ill-thought out invasion of Iraq (which D'Souza supported.)

What makes this theory so appalling is that it plays into the racism that so is prevalent among the extremists in the Republican party. Obama the outsider, raised in another country, with a dark skin, a weird sounding name, and, according to D'Souza, with an ideology alien to most Americans. D'Souza should be better than this; it's deeply disappointing.

I didn't hear him say anything that played into racism. It had to do with his background, not his skin color.

 

[CrossEyed]

This guy sounded surprisingly rational and calmly backed up all of his claims when I saw him on Piers Morgan's program. Interesting theories.

Rational to you ≠ rational to most people.

Have you ever heard him speak? I was expecting a typical birther nutcase. Not at all what I heard.

In the OP post (and I am aware it's paraphrased somewhat), the following is said:

His 'proof' of this is that he has spent the U.S. into such a huge debt that America won't be able to be the world's only superpower anymore. Although he admits he doesn't think Obama is a Muslim, but does believe that supporting the revolutions against pro-America dictators (Mubarak and Gaddafi) is meant to help set up a Muslim Brotherhood-led 'Arab United States'. This will include Egypt, Iran and eventually (after the overthrow of the Saudi kings) Saudi Arabia.

Sorry, but every clause of this paragraph is unbelievably silly. Pro-America dictator? Gaddafi? Iran is NOT an Arab country. Obama spending the US into......this is just so bonkers it is madness.Oh, and how nice of him to "admit" that Obama isn't a Muslim.

So the answer is no, you've never heard him speak?

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

. After that, he was immersed in the cultural Marxism which passes as education in today's Ivy League institutions.

This also explains why Romney, Clinton and both Bush's are such commies.

 

[Ursa M]

This guy sounded surprisingly rational and calmly backed up all of his claims when I saw him on Piers Morgan's program. Interesting theories.

Rational to you ≠ rational to most people.

Have you ever heard him speak? I was expecting a typical birther nutcase. Not at all what I heard.

In the OP post (and I am aware it's paraphrased somewhat), the following is said:

His 'proof' of this is that he has spent the U.S. into such a huge debt that America won't be able to be the world's only superpower anymore. Although he admits he doesn't think Obama is a Muslim, but does believe that supporting the revolutions against pro-America dictators (Mubarak and Gaddafi) is meant to help set up a Muslim Brotherhood-led 'Arab United States'. This will include Egypt, Iran and eventually (after the overthrow of the Saudi kings) Saudi Arabia.

Sorry, but every clause of this paragraph is unbelievably silly. Pro-America dictator? Gaddafi? Iran is NOT an Arab country. Obama spending the US into......this is just so bonkers it is madness.Oh, and how nice of him to "admit" that Obama isn't a Muslim.

So the answer is no, you've never heard him speak?

No I haven't but I really don't see what difference that makes. Being able to talk in a reasonable voice without drooling into one's lap or foaming at the mouth isn't a guarantee of sanity or even sensibility. The very idea that Obama is trying to spend the US into a position of weakness is so laughable it really is not deserving of discussion.

 

[timschochet]

This guy sounded surprisingly rational and calmly backed up all of his claims when I saw him on Piers Morgan's program. Interesting theories.

He IS rational. A few years back, I think shortly after 9/11, D'Souza wrote a wonderful book about why he loved America. I have heard him interviewed several times, on a host of issues (including this one). He is a decent, mild, reasonable-sounding guy.Which is what makes this current book and movie of his all the more reprehensible, IMO. There is nothing in either Obama's words or deeds as a public figure which matches D'Souza's theory. (If you believe otherwise, I challenge you to produce it.) Obama is a liberal Democrat who, faced with an economic crisis not of his making, has behaved like a moderate Democrat. Personally, I wish he would have behaved like a moderate Republican, but he has NOT behaved like a radical, nor has he hinted at it, or spoken like it, or ever done anything to indicate it. As for his foreign policy, especially regarding the Middle East, I strongly approve, though it's essentially no different from almost every President we've had in the last 50 years, with the sole exception of W and his ill-thought out invasion of Iraq (which D'Souza supported.)

What makes this theory so appalling is that it plays into the racism that so is prevalent among the extremists in the Republican party. Obama the outsider, raised in another country, with a dark skin, a weird sounding name, and, according to D'Souza, with an ideology alien to most Americans. D'Souza should be better than this; it's deeply disappointing.

I didn't hear him say anything that played into racism. It had to do with his background, not his skin color.

It's far easier to be concerned with someone's "background" when they have a different skin color. If Barack Obama were named John Smith and had two white parents, but was the exact same guy with the exact same background, I doubt a lot of people would be pushing a theory like this.

 

[Mr. Pickles]

This guy sounded surprisingly rational and calmly backed up all of his claims when I saw him on Piers Morgan's program. Interesting theories.

Rational to you ≠ rational to most people.

Have you ever heard him speak? I was expecting a typical birther nutcase. Not at all what I heard.

In the OP post (and I am aware it's paraphrased somewhat), the following is said:

His 'proof' of this is that he has spent the U.S. into such a huge debt that America won't be able to be the world's only superpower anymore. Although he admits he doesn't think Obama is a Muslim, but does believe that supporting the revolutions against pro-America dictators (Mubarak and Gaddafi) is meant to help set up a Muslim Brotherhood-led 'Arab United States'. This will include Egypt, Iran and eventually (after the overthrow of the Saudi kings) Saudi Arabia.

Sorry, but every clause of this paragraph is unbelievably silly. Pro-America dictator? Gaddafi? Iran is NOT an Arab country. Obama spending the US into......this is just so bonkers it is madness.Oh, and how nice of him to "admit" that Obama isn't a Muslim.

So the answer is no, you've never heard him speak?

I linked his CPAC speech. Who cares what kind of pacing and timbre his voice has. The content was asinine.

 

[timschochet]

#1) Sociopaths are charming. #2) Sociopaths are more spontaneous and intense than other people.#3) Sociopaths are incapable of feeling shame, guilt or remorse.#4) Sociopaths invent outrageous lies about their experiences.#5) Sociopaths seek to dominate others and "win" at all costs.#6) Sociopaths tend to be highly intelligent, but they use their brainpower to deceive others rather than empower them.#7) Sociopaths are incapable of love and are entirely self-serving.#8) Sociopaths speak poetically. They are master wordsmiths, able to deliver a running "stream of consciousness" monologue that is both intriguing and hypnotic.#9) Sociopaths never apologize. They are never wrong.#10) Sociopaths are delusional and literally believe that what they say becomes truth merely because they say it.All of these with the possible exception of #7 could be used to describe aspects of the current President of the United States. I stand by my assertation that he is a borderline sociopath with the formation of these charateristics largely stemming from the social and psychological disruptions he experienced in his youth.

Of course TPW is being ridiculous here. But on a broader note, try to come up with a modern POTUS (since the television era began) who doesn't seem to fit most or all of these descriptions.

Gerald Ford.

He was kind of an accidental President- appointed to VP, became President when Nixon resigned. Even so, during the 1976 campaign and Ford's nomination victory over Reagan, Ford displayed a number of these descriptions.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

This guy sounded surprisingly rational and calmly backed up all of his claims when I saw him on Piers Morgan's program. Interesting theories.

Rational to you ≠ rational to most people.

Have you ever heard him speak? I was expecting a typical birther nutcase. Not at all what I heard.

In the OP post (and I am aware it's paraphrased somewhat), the following is said:

His 'proof' of this is that he has spent the U.S. into such a huge debt that America won't be able to be the world's only superpower anymore. Although he admits he doesn't think Obama is a Muslim, but does believe that supporting the revolutions against pro-America dictators (Mubarak and Gaddafi) is meant to help set up a Muslim Brotherhood-led 'Arab United States'. This will include Egypt, Iran and eventually (after the overthrow of the Saudi kings) Saudi Arabia.

Sorry, but every clause of this paragraph is unbelievably silly. Pro-America dictator? Gaddafi? Iran is NOT an Arab country. Obama spending the US into......this is just so bonkers it is madness.Oh, and how nice of him to "admit" that Obama isn't a Muslim.

So the answer is no, you've never heard him speak?

Do you know what it means to sound rational? It has nothing to do with "sound."

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I want to come back to this thread, great topic CSTU, too caught up with the NFL today.

 

[Claydon]

I've heard this guy debate Christopher Hitchens on religion...D'Souza is a complete and utter nutbag.