I have good memories of the American Legion. The organization's activities for young people played a pivotal role in the direction of my life. In High School I participated in both the Legion's National Oratorical Contest, and its Boys State and Boys Nation programs. Those experiences helped to cement my interest in America's political institutions, and what it takes to preserve our liberty. To my mind, the Legion has always represented the patriotic veteran's insight that the defense of this country doesn't begin or end on the battlefield, but in the conscience, heart and spirit of each new generation of Americans. The Legionnaires I met as a High School student had a commitment to the strength and survival of America that didn't end when they left military service. It continued throughout their lives, as they supported and participated in activities that would kindle a love of country in young people, not just as a feeling but as a solidly grounded understanding of liberty and how to be the responsible, active citizens needed to make it work.
Given this background it caught my attention the other day when I read a report that "The commander of the American Legion emerged from a meeting with [alleged] President Obama "angered" at Obama's insistence on generating revenue from those who sacrificed for American security." Apparently, the Obama faction is moving forward with plans "to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries." Commander David K. Rehbein went on to say that "He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it." Ending assured U.S. government funded care for preexisting service related injuries will make it more difficult for veterans to secure and keep health coverage. An odd result coming from the man promising universal health care to everyone.
Some naive Americans, still blinded by partisan passion or racial allegiance, may be surprise at this banal disregard for the nation's obligations to its military veterans. But though, for political gain, Obama has tried to mantle himself with the aura of Lincoln's mighty reputation as leader and emancipator, he has nothing of the moral heart that Lincoln expressed when he urged a war weary nation "to strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan…" No, here again he ruthlessly applies the logic that serves his purposes, without regard for moral consequences. Of course, he behaved this way in the Illinois Senate when the ruthless logic of his fanatical support for abortion led him to oppose ending the abominably immoral practice of leaving infant babies who survived unsuccessful abortion attempts to languish without medical care on dirty linen carts, until they died. I guess health care is to be assured to all except those whose lives interfere with his other priorities. (An exception that may include his faction's critics and political opponents before he's done.)
Apparently Obama has no sense of the special debt the nation owes to those who answer its call to arms. He has no sense at all of the need to encourage that answer now and in every generation, by making it clear that as a nation we will stand by those who are weakened, maimed and wounded, not just until their service ends, but until God calls an end to the lives that they have laid on the line for our good. Sadly, this is the mindset we should expect from someone so fascinated with the Marxist ideology, which has again and again produced heartless leaders who believe that people exist to serve the state, or the administrative whims of Party dictators.
In this context his call for mandatory national service takes on an ominous aspect it might otherwise not have. It's one thing to ask free people to give service to a nation that respects their willing acceptance of their duty. It's another to demand that it be given without respect for the character they show, and the sacrifices they have to endure. Such respect is the token of our understanding that when free men and women do their duty, they show character not submission. It is the token that we know as Lincoln did, that their wounds are the nation's wounds, to be cared for from the common store not only of our goods, but of our love of liberty and country.
Whatever its superficial budgetary benefits, the Obama faction's proposal is an outrage. If there are still Americans who see our military people as something more than instruments of policy- who remember that they are our mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, brothers, sisters and friends- they should seek and find a way to let their feelings be known. Congress will have a say in this, so let your representatives know what you think. Some issues are about money. Some are about the decent pride and self-respect that free people value more than money. The way we treat our veterans tells the world whether America still has or deserves either one.
By the way, this is just one more confirmation of the fact that the Obama faction's vision for this country seems utterly devoid of the qualities of heart and spirit associated with our heritage of freedom. We should beware, since they are also associated with its preservation. People who care about that had better wake up or it may soon be lost forever.
[Update: Readers will not the following exchange from the comments to this post:
muttmutt said...
Except that unlike President Bush, President Obama is actually willing to listen to people. According to the Washington Post, he has abandoned this scheme. http://is.gd/nWLW
Alan Keyes said...
muttmutt:
What I find most interesting, as I said in my post, is what this episode tells us about his moral ideas, or lack thereof. He simply does what's expedient-probing with bayonets, as Lenin said. When he meets opposition he backs off. It's the chosen direction that reveals the truth, however, not the calculated retreat.
ALK]
Worth considering? Then don't forget to DIGG IT!!!!
Posts
13 comments:
I find myself thinking of the recent Federal spending packages, including the down-payment on "Universal Health Care", with their respective astronomical (except that our galaxy doesn't have anywhere near enough stars to represent these numbers) price tags, and then his attempt to extract a few hundred million from the nation's wounded veterans.
If this is supposed to be a Visa commercial, it's in extremely poor taste.
But, as outrageous as this latest insult to the basic patriotism of America's finest may be, it is actually a rather encouraging sign. This move does not serve the agenda of Obama's masters at all, it is a sop unthinkingly offered to Barack's "friends", the shortsighted, reflexively anti-American rabble who delight in shouting imprecations against freedom and reminiscing about their past glory days as terrorists, or at least sympathizers and supporters. A rapid breakdown of morale and commitment to his illegitimate government only hastens the process of America's renewal, both ideologically and materially.
If Obama were not such an utter pawn, he would understand that the true longer term vision of completely ruining America depends absolutely on his retaining as much control as possible over those patriotic enough to serve in the military, particularly given how unpopular he is with that demographic already. As it is, he is only assuring that his attempts to impose totalitarian rule will be an utter debacle which will do almost no serious material damage to America, at least not compared with the havoc wrought by the now inevitable economic collapse.
It will take a miracle (not, I think, one of God's making) for Obama to recover from this blunder. Perhaps his patrons have something clever prepared, certainly it would not be impossible. Or they could just go for the obvious and fake an assassination attempt in a pathetic attempt to rally a burst of sympathy. But that is a desperate ploy, or at least a card they might want to hold for a bit.
I've sent e-mails to my congressman, senators and Obama regarding my objection to this idea. I hope others who read your blog or hear about this through other means will also contact thier representatives, immediately.
Mrs. B
Except that unlike President Bush, President Obama is actually willing to listen to people. According to the Washington Post, he has abandoned this scheme. http://is.gd/nWLW
veteran at mass
he rests
his forehead
on the
church pew
before him
it is all
that holds him
up
tears fall
from his face
like bombs
falling
into the
rich green
carpet
of
da nang
-tj marz
muttmutt:
What I find most interesting, as I said in my post, is what this episode tells us about his moral ideas, or lack thereof. He simply does what's expedient-probing with bayonets, as Lenin said. When he meets opposition he backs off. It's the chosen direction that reveals the truth, however, not the calculated retreat.
ALK
What about his proposing the biggest increase in the VA budget in 30 years? What about the phasing out of the stop-loss policy?
http://iava.org/blog/iava-applauds-obama-administration%E2%80%99s-focus-veterans-issues
I'm so glad you picked this topic for a blog entry. I saw a blip on the news about this and was SEETHING! I still am. I am dumbfounded as to why my more people aren't just as raging mad as I am! Who else are we going to "kick to the curb" all in the name of "saving money" to rescue our economy. I'll step down off my soapbox now..
Anger is natural, but it isn't the most productive response to this administration. Obama, as ever, seems to lack fortitude because he has absolutely no personal honor. He reads whatever is displayed on the tele-prompters, and if he even remembers what he said the day before I've yet to see any sign.
Those pulling the strings control most of what he says in public, and of course they would be quick to have Obama say the right things. They also understand the difference between a million and a billion, unlike Barack and friends.
The administration needs a certain minimum degree of control over the troops for what they have planned. The corp of "greenshirts" being readied for action doesn't have the numbers, quality, or courage to take on the American people. Obama needs to be able to deploy a credible "fixing" force to "hold" America while his greenshirts move in from the flanks. A very basic tactic, but one that does require two distinct forces. The police and military are ideal in terms of their distinctiveness from the greenshirts and also in terms of the power they will have to paralyze patriotic opposition while the greenshirts move in from behind.
But this will only work if the military and police aren't openly sympathetic to outraged Americans calling for accountability. Even if the fixing force is only there to look intimidating and distract the foe from the threat in their rear, you need to make sure there is some doubt what that force might do. But Barack's friends are all too eager to tear at anything which smacks of patriotism. They are such utter fools as to imagine that totalitarian rule can somehow be imposed without maintaining control over the police and military, or perhaps so stupid as to imagine that the police and military are simply robotic thugs who will follow orders no matter what.
Obama's true backers know better, but they are now learning that the difficulty in controlling a puppet is not its own resistance to being manipulated, but countering all the various outside influences that tend to take it out of the puppeteer's control.
Obama will go back on message, of course. Those who have installed him are hardly powerless just because Barack has past associates plucking at his strings from time to time. But remember that the less "outrageous" agenda pursued by this administration is by far the more dangerous to your liberties, and even to your very lives.
I'm just glad you don't have to deal with the Clintons again. Hillary is much more disciplined than Bill, she wouldn't be making as many outrageous blunders. Not that she's doing no damage in her new appointment, but as figurehead of the government she'd be very difficult to counter effectively.
Beautifully put -- including the follow-up on the action that reveals his true principles. What is interesting is that information that leads potential volunteers to believe that government is capable of treating veterans, disabled from service to their country, this way may ultimately have the same effect as their actually having done it.
I do not overestimate America's capacity for making this connection, however, and then acting appropriately in accordance with this knowledge.
B. Hussein Obama is no pawn. He is the perfect anti-Christ with absolutely no respect for human life or the rule of law. He is not only sinister but sinistral (left-handed) as well!
Obama knows exactly what he is doing and has ethical and moral trash like Nancy Pelosi doing most of his dirty work for him. Can you imagine Pelosi telling illegal aliens that they are patriotic Americans? That is a matter of record and Obama loves it.
He is not a socialist. He is a full fledged Communist of the Hugo Chavez - Dimitri Putin genre, a power crazed ideologue with only one purpose which has always been the same: to destroy the Democratic form of government. The only other remaining true Democracy is Israel and Obama hates Israel too. That too is becoming apparent.
I predict that this summer is going to involve riots in the streets, not only here but in Russia as well. By then the citizenry of both nations will have had about enough.
jadavison.wordpress.com
Excellent response to muttmutt, whom I wish would consider the administration's willingness to give twice as much money to Gaza as it was trying to save by shafting our soldiers.
http://sanitysentinel.blogspot.com
I would tend to take the position that a pawn and puppet is the perfect antithesis of a God and King. The more so as Obama makes such an inconstant and no doubt aggravating puppet due to his evident lack of personal conviction. But I suppose it doesn't really matter, Obama definitely belongs to those seeking to destroy liberty, whether as master or minion.
The key thing is not to trust any apparent reversal of his designs.
Where to begin?
First of all, Dr. Keyes I LOVE the picture with you and President Johnson!!!
Today I watched a DVD a good friend gave me last year; she urged me to watch it then. It is titled, “Obsession.” As I watched, things seemed so very clear to me. Maybe just me – you would have to watch it for yourself.
Anyway, the poor misguided “peaceful” terrorists have accomplished EXACTLY what they said they would. However illegal, it is done – their man IS the leader of the former USA. Maybe I am the only one who believes this, but I do not see this country ever being what is was, short of either a civil war (people will NEVER allow Obama to leave that office, even confronted with the truth) or EVERY last NASTY “representative” in the ENTIRE US Congress being voted out of office – if we have a country left then…
I watched that self righteous Sheila Jackson-Lee earlier talk about how she would fight in court to uphold the tax on 73(?) people THAT RIGHTFULLY RECEIVED WHAT THEY WERE PROMISED BY CONTRACT! It’s like worrying about $10 you THINK someone owes you when someone else owes you $10,000 – that you borrowed all along from someone that HATES YOU!
No one cares about the Constitution anymore? I am SICK of all these sanctimonious thieves that are ruining this country. Look at Timothy Geithner next time you see his tax thievin’ behind on TV! Does he look like an Alexander Hamilton to you?!?!?!? Obama please… poor Timmy looks like what he is – A CROOK! What happened to all of the hard work by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and so many others, down on their knees praying for guidance in writing our founding documents - and those that died fighting the British in the Revolutionary War that Obama tried to be mindful of earlier toady? Was it all for them at that time, or did they do it for us and those who should come after us, provided they are not all murdered in the womb or sold out of a Petri dish to the highest parts bidder? What is it going to take to wake the people up in this country?
You know, before O’Drama (now he is 3% Irish as of yesterday) was moved into the White House, the economic problems started. It has been like some eerie symphony, full of so much dissonance that even the most educated can only think about "their money" - the title of the symphony. As it reaches its crescendo, you realize that so much more is going on – it’s so loud though and we can’t quite make it out. Now we remember... there IS no SOLOIST in a symphony, so why is this man making so much noise? But wait… we have history to remind us exactly what should be coming next. GOD forbid, and may I truly be wrong, but I am wondering just when and where it is going to occur and how many lives it will take THIS time…
Just one more thought... whoever wrote about the VA budget OBVIOUSLY does not live in the Daily Press area. We received our criminalus breakdown today and by the time they finish paying off the voters in the projects, nothing will be left for any so called job creation.
Post a Comment
Be advised that this comment section is moderated in order to assure respect for civil proprieties. Posts that use obscenities, scurrilous epithets or that are gratuitously disrespectful of others will be removed ASAP. If you think a comment offensive in this way, report it in an email to alan@loyaltoliberty.com.