THE BARBARIANS ARE STILL AT THE GATES

Back before the election last year, Charles Krauthammer wrote an editorial that came to mind today after President Obama did his Messiah interpretation in Egypt. Krauthammer said:

Today’s economic crisis, like every other in our history, will in time pass. But the barbarians will still be at the gates. Whom do you want on the parapet? I’m for the guy who can tell the lion from the lamb.

Well, as it turned out, America elected the guy who seems fundamentally (and morally) unable to tell the difference between the lion and the lamb.

As much as I despise most of Obama's economic policies and 'social justice' agenda, I still have some faith that the American public will wake up and eventually figure out the path that the community organizer-in-chief is taking America down and vote the guy out of office in the next election cycle. This may be wishful thinking on my part, but if the American electorate is so far gone in its narcissism and entitlement, then I figure it is all over for American economy anyway. We would then inevitably segue into a European style social democracy (or worse) and softly and silently fade away on the world stage into a second or third-class power.

What frightens me even more than the economic doom scenario, is the fact that the Obamessiah does not seem particularly content with being President of only the US. His grandiose fantasy ("I have a gift, Harry") is being the Savior of the entire world. And to make this wonderfully malignant fantasy come to be, he is very willing to pander and suck up to the most dysfunctional and dangerous psychopaths in the world.

This is not Jimmy Carter redux; this is Jimmy Carter on steroids.

When I say dysfunctional, I am of course referring to the various megalomaniacal leaders in the Middle East and the numerous Islamic fanatics with whom we are at war. Obama in a parallel megalomaniacal fashion, seems intent on setting up an "Obama vs Osama", winner take all competition. The old saying about not taking a knife to a gun fight comes to mind--except that Obama doesn't even think he needs to bring a knife. He's counting on his magical, hypnotic voice and unflappably vague postmodern personality.

Forgive me for not believing in this messiah and his messianic mission, but I sincerely doubt it will work, except to make the fanatics laugh and rub their hands in anticipation of destroying what they correctly perceive to be a weak and ineffectual enemy.

The barbarians are still at the gates; and they, like Obama and his cult of followers on the left, have a vision of a weakened, emasculated America as a motivational fantasy...and no amount of hopeychangey fairy dust coming from a man of inaction is going to divert them from their primary purpose of destroying America and the west.



UPDATE: Mona Charen has more thoughts on "The Diplomacy of Wishful Thinking".

And here's a nice picture of the Hamas news conference to go along with it (hat tip: The Corner). They look like peaceful chaps--lambs, really--don't they? I'm sure they're taking Obama's lovely rhetoric to heart. Update II: It just occurred to me that this photo is an excellent example of Burka-Envy !