Two speeches
Today I watched two speeches being given simultaneously, that of Barack Obama answering questions about his relationship to the Rev Wright in Chicago, and that of Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Knesset. Both speeches were historic and of significance for Jews and Israel.
First Obama, the speech he gave was all about race, about his being half-white and half-black and about the need for all Americans to transcend the racial issue and work together for the common good. In that respect it was a brilliant speech delivered with his accustomed charisma. But, that was not the real issue, the issue, as William Kristol said on Fox News, was one of "extremism." The question is why does a successful Black Christian leader harbor and express such hateful opinions as the Rev Wright, not only against Israel and whites, but against America itself, that allows him full freedom to express his views. Granted that Rev. Wright has the right to express his extremist views, but doesn't that tend to reflect on Barack Obama, his parishoner and friend for 20 years, who married him and baptized his two children, and who also gave him the name for his book "The audacity of hope." Obama while rejecting Wright's views and statements did not disassociate himself from Rev. Wright, how could he and not look disloyal to his friend. It matters not whether Obama was present when Wright made the particular statements shown on his CDs, what matters is that these are the deeply held views of his spiritual advisor, who no doubt would visit him in the White House were he to become President and provide him with the benefit of his third-world mentality. America can contain a mulitude of views, even anti-American ones, but a President must be beyond reproach. It is my opinion that this exposure of Obama's background (why not until now?) will be the beginning of the end of his candidacy.
Chancellor Merkel's speech in the Knesset although in German, could have been written for her by Benjamin Netanyahu or any Israeli patriot. It was pro-Israel in the extreme, to an extent that it might hurt her politically back in Germany. Of course, she spoke about Germany's leading role in the Holocaust, called it a catastrophe in German history, and expressed her remorse and shame. She stated that an attack on Israel will be considered an attack on Germany, that Syria should stop meddling in Lebanon, and that Iran's quest for nuclear technology is a threat not only to Israel but to the world, and that she will ensure that Germany takes a leading role in the EU to make sure that doesn't happen. She also stated that words are not enough but that they have to be translated into action. Although German industry is still dealing with Iran, the amounts involved are much smaller than those involving Austria and Switzerland.
It seems to me that both of these speeches represents a watershed in their respective areas, that in the case of Obama should separate many good liberals from the first serious "black" candidate in US history, and that of Merkel should change the relationship of Germany towards Israel from a charitable one towards a more serious political alliance.
First Obama, the speech he gave was all about race, about his being half-white and half-black and about the need for all Americans to transcend the racial issue and work together for the common good. In that respect it was a brilliant speech delivered with his accustomed charisma. But, that was not the real issue, the issue, as William Kristol said on Fox News, was one of "extremism." The question is why does a successful Black Christian leader harbor and express such hateful opinions as the Rev Wright, not only against Israel and whites, but against America itself, that allows him full freedom to express his views. Granted that Rev. Wright has the right to express his extremist views, but doesn't that tend to reflect on Barack Obama, his parishoner and friend for 20 years, who married him and baptized his two children, and who also gave him the name for his book "The audacity of hope." Obama while rejecting Wright's views and statements did not disassociate himself from Rev. Wright, how could he and not look disloyal to his friend. It matters not whether Obama was present when Wright made the particular statements shown on his CDs, what matters is that these are the deeply held views of his spiritual advisor, who no doubt would visit him in the White House were he to become President and provide him with the benefit of his third-world mentality. America can contain a mulitude of views, even anti-American ones, but a President must be beyond reproach. It is my opinion that this exposure of Obama's background (why not until now?) will be the beginning of the end of his candidacy.
Chancellor Merkel's speech in the Knesset although in German, could have been written for her by Benjamin Netanyahu or any Israeli patriot. It was pro-Israel in the extreme, to an extent that it might hurt her politically back in Germany. Of course, she spoke about Germany's leading role in the Holocaust, called it a catastrophe in German history, and expressed her remorse and shame. She stated that an attack on Israel will be considered an attack on Germany, that Syria should stop meddling in Lebanon, and that Iran's quest for nuclear technology is a threat not only to Israel but to the world, and that she will ensure that Germany takes a leading role in the EU to make sure that doesn't happen. She also stated that words are not enough but that they have to be translated into action. Although German industry is still dealing with Iran, the amounts involved are much smaller than those involving Austria and Switzerland.
It seems to me that both of these speeches represents a watershed in their respective areas, that in the case of Obama should separate many good liberals from the first serious "black" candidate in US history, and that of Merkel should change the relationship of Germany towards Israel from a charitable one towards a more serious political alliance.
posted by Jack Cohen at 6:50 PM
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