You wouldn’t necessarily know it from the mainstream media, but President Obama is a pretty radical politician. There are many ways this can be quantified, but one way is to examine those people he appointed to occupy key positions of power and influence. He has named a number of radicals to important posts in the US Federal Government.
It usually takes the conservative alternative media to point out just how radical some of these characters are. Consider one Obama team member who was forced to resign this weekend. His radicalism had long been known, but a new revelation of just how far off the planet he is finally pushed him over the edge.
I refer to Van Jones who had been the President’s “Green Jobs Czar.” The alternative media had been revealing some of the bizarre comments he had made about environmental issues. But it was the recent outing of his weird conspiracy theories that resulted in his resignation. According to Jones, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were in fact partly caused by the US Government.
But he has been pushing an “I-hate-America” line for ages. Indeed, as a self-professed Marxist, he has not had very high views of the country he was called upon to serve. And some of his views on environmental issues have been just as strange as his views on the twin towers attack.
One of his more bizarre claims was that white folk were trying to poison black people. As he said in one public address, “The white polluters and the white environmentalists are essentially steering poison into the people of color communities because they don’t have a racial justice frame.”
Thus he managed to turn environmental concerns into an issue of race: “We need environmentalism that is relevant to people of color.” This has led one commentator to label Jones a “professional community activist,” who has “rocketed to fame by melding racial grievance and claims of economic injustice with the increasingly faddish orthodoxy of environmentalism. His glibness and comfort in front of a camera expose a sound-bite unseriousness, an inner-city hustle with a green patina.”
Indeed, his blend of Marxism and radical environmentalism was a matter of serious concern. As Harry R. Jackson, Jr. noted, “Jones’ unofficial, personal mission seemed to be to recast the ‘extreme green’ movement as a ‘people’s revolution’ instead of the elitist movement that it is. In his book, The Green Collar Economy, he admits that it is ‘not yet fashionable’ to be concerned about social justice and equity in the radical green movement. Nonetheless, he seeks to cast a vision that mixes Marxism with green consciousness. As he preaches a new green gospel, he distorts his movement’s elitist roots by attempting to shroud his agenda in civil rights imagery.”
His radical roots would not have been unknown to Obama. Indeed, as Carol Platt Liebau writes, they both have moved in the same ideological atmosphere: “The political trouble the President has brought on himself is obvious. Should any journalist choose to navigate the web of the President’s and Jones’ associations, the links could raise uncomfortable questions for Obama. Jones was suggested for his post by Chuck Collins of the Progressive Policy Institute, writing in the socialist-founded newspaper ‘In These Times.’ Collins (who helped found the socialist New Party, whose endorsement the President sought and received in his 1996 state senate race), also serves as Director of the Tax Program for Business for Shared Prosperity, an affiliate of left-wing think tank Demos. At Demos, Jones is a member of the board – and the organization’s web site notes that Obama was a founding member, part of the group’s ‘core’.”
She continues, “Taken together, all this suggests that Jones was hardly some far-flung appointee who was unknown to the President and hired to keep the far left on the Obama team. Rather, he and the President have apparently traveled in overlapping ideological circles. If widely known, these facts will do nothing to quell the rising public disquiet about Obama’s big government activism and skyrocketing deficits. (Nor is Jones’ rhetoric, including the charge that ‘The white polluters and the white environmentalists are essentially steering poison into the people of colors’ communities,’ likely to burnish Obama’s credentials as a racial ‘healer.’)”
Such a radical should never have been appointed: “But Jones could prove to be a liability not just for the President but also for the environmental movement as a whole. For some time, critics ranging from Rush Limbaugh to Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus have warned that some are using environmentalism as a pretext for imposing totalitarian, big-government control on the economy. Until now, they have been roundly ridiculed. By denouncing ‘suicidal gray capitalism’ and then characterizing a ‘green economy’ as ‘the engine for transforming the whole society,’ Van Jones has bestowed renewed credibility on these concerns. And in doing so, he’s forcing the many well-intentioned activists in the environmental movement to dispel the suspicion that, perhaps, their motives are not always as pure – or as wholesome – as the public has been led to believe.”
Of course the really worrying thing is that Jones was not a one-off case. There are numerous radicals that Obama has surrounded himself with. This one got caught out and paid the price. But how many more are busily working away, seeking to foist their revolutionary agendas on the American people?
Thanks Bill,
More – much more – on the whole web of corruption now entrenched in the White House is documented thoroughly in the latest book by Michelle Malkin, “Culture of Corruption: Obama and his Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies”, Regnery Publishing, 2009, launched only 5 weeks ago. I received my copy only a couple of days ago and I have already read the opening chapter, “ONWS: Obama Nominee Withdrawal Syndrome”, telling the story of the litany of crooks, far-left radicals and the like who had to withdraw from O’s administration because of tax violations, conflicts of interest, and even criminal records or associations. This mob of henchmen makes the Nixon team look positively pristine by comparison. Were it not thoroughly researched both the book, and this very post, could be classified as libellous!
Malkin’s book is available through Amazon, or the Townhall site (cited above).
Murray Adamthwaite
Bill, I’m interested to hear your thoughts on President Obama’s speech about education to school students the other day.
Simon Kennedy, VIC
Obama’s presidency is unravelling stupendously quickly. Already the White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has virtually conceded he is a one-termer.
On his inauguration day, Obama’s approval Index (strongly approve minus strongly disapprove) was 30%. Last month it got to negative 14%. Currently, it’s negative 11%.
Well, when the dust settles, Jimmy Carter might be relieved to no longer be considered the worst US president in living history. But who’s surprised given Obama’s background of associations and political history? This man voted down BAIPA more than once.
‘Yes We Can’, ‘Hope and change.’ Yes, they were just empty words after all. Obama just wanted power for himself and his corrupt mates. Trouble is, you wouldn’t know any of this if you relied on the mainstream news outlets. (aside from the occasional thing on Fox, I believe) Unsurprisingly, the Van Jones debacle is hardly getting any run there, except some commentary critical of those who denounced Jones’s appointment.
Mark Rabich
The list of Obama connections is long, left and radical. I think there are going to be a lot of people in the US who wish they had never been drawn into his relentless main stream media supported campaign of endless rhetoric. the saddest thing is the Christians in the US who love to listen to eloquent words and hollow philosophies of a man whose very mission in life has always been antithetical the Christ’s vision for His kingdom. (Unless of course your subscribe to the EC view that we’re all cool man and Obama is just following Jesus in his own way).
Phil Twiss
Phil,
the similarities between the Kevin07 Campaign and the Obamessiah Campaign are more than skin-deep and demonstrate once again that conniving schemers can readily take advantage of naive “Christian lobby groups” to win political advantage.
Too many in the visible church are innocent as doves, but very few as as wily as snakes – thus we don’t recognise when schemers set us up.
John Angelico
Speaking of revolutionary agenda:
Patrick Fagan’s recent speech at the World Congress of Families
“By controlling these three areas (education of children, sex education and adolescent health) the culture of polyamory diminishes the influence and dismantles the authority and influence of parents of the culture of monogamy particularly in their ability to form their children as members of their own culture. In a polemical vein, one could say they “snatch” children away from their parents and from the culture of monogamy in ways analogous to the Ottoman Turks of the 14th century who raided boys from Christian nations to train them as their own elite warriors, the Janissaries.”
Not sure why Beethoven was chosen! But it’s heartening to discover that there are many, many Americans who have already had enough of Obama’s radicalism.
Mark Rabich
First thought when reading this was Gough Whitlam. Obama may end up being the worst president but how much damage will Obama do and how many ideaologies will he set in place before he’s deposed? Whitlam’s legacy has seriously affected Australia – how much K.Rudd, and how much moreso Obama for the U.S.?
I am so thankful I live in a country which does have a mechanism in place to check against destructive forces against the nation. This is the reason why I am against a republic.
… If he’s having difficulty selling [Obamovcare], that’s because it’s not about “health”. As I’ve written before, the appeal of this issue to him and to Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, et al., is that governmentalization of health care is the fastest way to a permanent left-of-center political culture — one in which elections are always fought on the Left’s issues and on the Left’s terms, and in which “conservative” parties no longer talk about small government and individual liberty but find themselves retreating to one last pitiful rationale: that they can run the left-wing state more effectively than the Left can. Listen to your average British Tory or French Gaullist [or Malcolm Talkbull on global warm-mongering] on the campaign trail pledging to “deliver” government services more “efficiently.” …
My National Review colleague Jay Nordlinger was reminded of an old observation by the great Theodore Dalrymple. During his time as an English prison doctor, Dalrymple frequently met ne’er-do-wells who said they’d “fallen in with the wrong crowd,” but, oddly enough, in all those years, he never met the wrong crowd.
Likewise, Obama didn’t “join” himself to the liberal leadership; he is the liberal leadership. The administration didn’t fall in with the wrong crowd; they are the wrong crowd. Van Jones, Yosi Sergant, and ACORN are where Barack Obama has chosen to live all his adult life. Even if he wanted to be the bipartisan centrist of David Brooks’s fantasies, look at his Rolodex and then figure out just where such a man would estimate the “center” to be.
Jonathan Sarfati, Brisbane
Is this significant? He was not interested in a Day of Prayer, but allows this: http://islamoncapitolhill.com/
Leon Brooks
Thanks Leon
Yes it certainly is significant.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Interestingly Leon, the last statement on the page you provided the link for was “Our Time Has Come”. Which begs the question, what time would that be, and why would they be looking to a specific “time to come” if there wasn’t a movement to change the spiritual landscape, and why would now be their time? Obvious answer being government-endorsed Islamification, thanks to Barack Hussein Obama II.
Garth Penglase
Thanks Garth
Yes Obama seems to be doing all he can to build up Islam while denigrating Christianity.
Thanks Bill,
More – much more – on the whole web of corruption now entrenched in the White House is documented thoroughly in the latest book by Michelle Malkin, “Culture of Corruption: Obama and his Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies”, Regnery Publishing, 2009, launched only 5 weeks ago. I received my copy only a couple of days ago and I have already read the opening chapter, “ONWS: Obama Nominee Withdrawal Syndrome”, telling the story of the litany of crooks, far-left radicals and the like who had to withdraw from O’s administration because of tax violations, conflicts of interest, and even criminal records or associations. This mob of henchmen makes the Nixon team look positively pristine by comparison. Were it not thoroughly researched both the book, and this very post, could be classified as libellous!
Malkin’s book is available through Amazon, or the Townhall site (cited above).
Murray Adamthwaite
Bill, I’m interested to hear your thoughts on President Obama’s speech about education to school students the other day.
Simon Kennedy, VIC
Obama’s presidency is unravelling stupendously quickly. Already the White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has virtually conceded he is a one-termer.
On his inauguration day, Obama’s approval Index (strongly approve minus strongly disapprove) was 30%. Last month it got to negative 14%. Currently, it’s negative 11%.
Well, when the dust settles, Jimmy Carter might be relieved to no longer be considered the worst US president in living history. But who’s surprised given Obama’s background of associations and political history? This man voted down BAIPA more than once.
‘Yes We Can’, ‘Hope and change.’ Yes, they were just empty words after all. Obama just wanted power for himself and his corrupt mates. Trouble is, you wouldn’t know any of this if you relied on the mainstream news outlets. (aside from the occasional thing on Fox, I believe) Unsurprisingly, the Van Jones debacle is hardly getting any run there, except some commentary critical of those who denounced Jones’s appointment.
Mark Rabich
The list of Obama connections is long, left and radical. I think there are going to be a lot of people in the US who wish they had never been drawn into his relentless main stream media supported campaign of endless rhetoric. the saddest thing is the Christians in the US who love to listen to eloquent words and hollow philosophies of a man whose very mission in life has always been antithetical the Christ’s vision for His kingdom. (Unless of course your subscribe to the EC view that we’re all cool man and Obama is just following Jesus in his own way).
Phil Twiss
Phil,
the similarities between the Kevin07 Campaign and the Obamessiah Campaign are more than skin-deep and demonstrate once again that conniving schemers can readily take advantage of naive “Christian lobby groups” to win political advantage.
Too many in the visible church are innocent as doves, but very few as as wily as snakes – thus we don’t recognise when schemers set us up.
John Angelico
Speaking of revolutionary agenda:
Patrick Fagan’s recent speech at the World Congress of Families
“By controlling these three areas (education of children, sex education and adolescent health) the culture of polyamory diminishes the influence and dismantles the authority and influence of parents of the culture of monogamy particularly in their ability to form their children as members of their own culture. In a polemical vein, one could say they “snatch” children away from their parents and from the culture of monogamy in ways analogous to the Ottoman Turks of the 14th century who raided boys from Christian nations to train them as their own elite warriors, the Janissaries.”
http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF09H36.pdf
Martin Snigg
Thanks Simon
Sorry, have been busy travelling, so have not yet caught up with the actual text of his speech, but may try to get to it soon.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Tea Party at Washington D.C. 12th September 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoPud1TeubM
Not sure why Beethoven was chosen! But it’s heartening to discover that there are many, many Americans who have already had enough of Obama’s radicalism.
Mark Rabich
First thought when reading this was Gough Whitlam. Obama may end up being the worst president but how much damage will Obama do and how many ideaologies will he set in place before he’s deposed? Whitlam’s legacy has seriously affected Australia – how much K.Rudd, and how much moreso Obama for the U.S.?
I am so thankful I live in a country which does have a mechanism in place to check against destructive forces against the nation. This is the reason why I am against a republic.
Garth Penglase
See also Where Is Obama’s “Center”? by Mark Steyn:
… If he’s having difficulty selling [Obamovcare], that’s because it’s not about “health”. As I’ve written before, the appeal of this issue to him and to Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, et al., is that governmentalization of health care is the fastest way to a permanent left-of-center political culture — one in which elections are always fought on the Left’s issues and on the Left’s terms, and in which “conservative” parties no longer talk about small government and individual liberty but find themselves retreating to one last pitiful rationale: that they can run the left-wing state more effectively than the Left can. Listen to your average British Tory or French Gaullist [or Malcolm Talkbull on global warm-mongering] on the campaign trail pledging to “deliver” government services more “efficiently.” …
My National Review colleague Jay Nordlinger was reminded of an old observation by the great Theodore Dalrymple. During his time as an English prison doctor, Dalrymple frequently met ne’er-do-wells who said they’d “fallen in with the wrong crowd,” but, oddly enough, in all those years, he never met the wrong crowd.
Likewise, Obama didn’t “join” himself to the liberal leadership; he is the liberal leadership. The administration didn’t fall in with the wrong crowd; they are the wrong crowd. Van Jones, Yosi Sergant, and ACORN are where Barack Obama has chosen to live all his adult life. Even if he wanted to be the bipartisan centrist of David Brooks’s fantasies, look at his Rolodex and then figure out just where such a man would estimate the “center” to be.
Jonathan Sarfati, Brisbane
Is this significant? He was not interested in a Day of Prayer, but allows this: http://islamoncapitolhill.com/
Leon Brooks
Thanks Leon
Yes it certainly is significant.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Interestingly Leon, the last statement on the page you provided the link for was “Our Time Has Come”. Which begs the question, what time would that be, and why would they be looking to a specific “time to come” if there wasn’t a movement to change the spiritual landscape, and why would now be their time? Obvious answer being government-endorsed Islamification, thanks to Barack Hussein Obama II.
Garth Penglase
Thanks Garth
Yes Obama seems to be doing all he can to build up Islam while denigrating Christianity.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch