Legacy?

Democrats are praising Obama’s “diplomatic relations” with Iran, hailing the release of four prisoners who were held for years as proof of improved relations. Obama’s dealings with Iran seem to be solidifying his legacy but what, exactly, will that legacy be?

Obama essentially traded 21 for 4 by offering clemency to seven Iranians pending trial in the US and dismissing charges and extradition requests against fourteen others not in the US. This follows his swap of five terrorists from Gitmo for Sgt. Bergdahl who now faces a court-marshal for desertion. With lopsided numbers such as those, Obama’s prisoner exchange negotiations have come under harsh criticism.

His “nuclear deal” with Iran, which he desperately pursued, came after allowing Iran time to hide its nuclear weapons program and, thereby, receive $100 billion in assets frozen by sanctions. These assets were released just hours after the latest prisoners swap, suspiciously looking like a ransom for the prisoners. It certainly suggests that kidnapping US citizens can be lucrative so it should not come as a surprise if more US citizens are taken. Perhaps the three kidnapped in Baghdad are a direct result. You can bet North Korea took notice.

It is always a good thing to get prisoners back but our policy of not negotiating with terrorists seems to have been thrown by the wayside to do so. If (many think it’s just a mater of when) Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, Obama’s legacy will become a nightmare and his lopsided prisoner swaps will no longer seem positive even by those now drinking the Obama Kool-Aid.

There has been an embarrassing desperation to Obama’s dealings (appeasement?) with Iran and he has treated Israel, a staunch ally, like a terrorist nation while courting Iran as a desirable and legitimate nation beneficial to US interests. That is only beneficial to Obama’s interests and it is his legacy that interests him the most. However, the legacy he is building is a house of cards on the verge of tumbling down – and we may all be forced to pay the price.

David J. Hentosh

Obama Failures Piling Up

Obama’s failed foreign policies have become widely acknowledged, especially with regard to the Middle East and ISIS. Recent attacks in Paris and the U.S. have made a mockery of his disregard of terrorist threats and his refusal to name the enemy. However, this is but one area where he has failed and we must not forget his other failures piling up.

According to Forbes, “Obamacare’s coverage expansion fell between 6 and 12 million short of expectations, while driving the growth of health spending to its highest rate in 7 years”. UnitedHealth Group has lost hundreds of millions of dollars from offering coverage on the Obamacare exchanges and is considering pulling out. The CBO says Obamacare will cause the loss of 2 million jobs over the next decade, shrinking the workforce by approximately 1%. Due to the high cost of health coverage, 32 million people remain uninsured. This is a failure by anyone’s standards.

Although there has been a slight increase in jobs, many people have stopped looking for employment and far too many can only find part-time employment. The numbers, therefore, are skewed and the 5% unemployment rate is misleading since 94.7 million working age Americans (29% of the population) are considered not in the labor force. Meanwhile, the national debt continues to rise.

Our border remains dangerously unsecured and the influx of illegals is sucking up government funds. Obama released terrorists from GITMO who return to the battlefield. His refusal to compromise has increased partisanship in an already partisan Congress. Racial unrest is increasing and his “Leading from behind” has become a joke, leaving our country leaderless and no longer trusted throughout the world. His focus on climate change (aka global warming), which he calls our biggest threat, has produced nothing and his rhetorical nuclear agreement with Iran is being ignored as Iran continues its nuclear weapons pursuit with impunity.

In the face of all these failures and more, Obama remains arrogantly aloof, out of touch, and fumblingly non-reactive. Democrats have blindly backed Obama through all of this and must be held accountable. One can only hope we can survive another year before voting for a change – and we must vote for a change.

David J. Hentosh

Denial Of War

After the terrorist attacks in Paris, France’s Le Parisien daily decared: “This Time It’s War”. What, then, do we call all the other times terrorists attacked if not war? We have “progressed” so far that we no longer recognize war when it is right in our face.

War means killing your enemy before they kill you and doing it as quickly and efficiently as possible until they surrender. War is horrifically bloody, vicious, and often indiscriminate. War causes mass destruction and casualties that bring out the worst in human nature and offend all human sensibilities. Reluctance to wage war is wise and prudent. Refusal to do so when necessary is suicide.

There is no such thing as a humane war. That is an oxymoron impossible to achieve. The “war on women”, the “war on drugs”, and the “war on Christmas” are foolish hyperboles that have desensitized society to the true meaning of war. The bullshit of political correctness blinds us to reality and we have become paralyzed by it.

ISIS understands war, has declared war, and is waging war successfully. We have been told in no uncertain terms by ISIS that they are coming here to kill us. They are currently infiltrating Europe through its open borders, some masquerading as refugees. ISIS has not been “contained” and they are not on the run. They are on the attack and Paris is just the beginning.

Our “leaders” have been in denial for years, refusing to even acknowledge radical Islam as a threat. This denial has given Iran time and permission to develop nuclear weapons, allowed ISIS to grow into an active invading force, and kept our border open for invasion. Europe’s denial resulted in bringing the Middle East rampage of ISIS to Paris. That carnage was brought about by only a handful of extremists rehearsing tactics that they are going to bring here on a larger scale.

Climate change (aka global warming) is not the biggest threat we currently face. That, too, is denial. We are at war whether we like it or not and our first step is to kill denial before it kills us. We’ve been losing that battle, too.

David J. Hentosh

Denying Threats

When Romney said that Russia is the U.S.’s biggest geopolitical foe during a 2012 presidential debate, Obama scoffed, saying: “The 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because the Cold War’s been over for 20 years.” Voters ignored Obama’s inexperience and naiveté and he became president with a failed policy arrogantly and egotistically treating Putin as an insignificant threat.

During a recent GOP candidate debate, Marco Rubio (accurately) predicted Putin’s current actions in Syria and he, too, was ridiculed. President Reagan was vilified for daring to call the Soviet Union the Evil Empire. Pie-in-the-sky ideology does not recognize the existence of evil-doers – unless they are Republicans.

The Left downplays or completely ignores real threats to America because recognizing them would result in taking action and that could require use of military might which they loathe. In Obama’s case, it would also mean admitting his weak foreign policies have failed, especially with regard to Russia where relations have been “re-set” by his administration. The Left picks targets that are politically correct and safe.

During Obama’s administration our troops were prematurely pulled out of Iraq; the “red line” in Syria was crossed and ignored; ISIS developed and now violently rampages in the Middle East; Iran received more time to develop a nuclear weapon unimpeded; Putin invaded the Ukraine; illegal immigrants were encouraged to and allowed to invade our country; North Korea increased threats to South Korea; and China increased expansionist activities.

The Left, meanwhile, has concentrated on threats from: Israel; Christmas and crèches; traditional marriage; FOX News; border security; profiling terrorists; decreased government spending; voter ID cards; the Tea Party; a strong military; displaying the American flag; the Washington Redskins; limits on abortion; the police; school lunches; Republicans; lower taxes; the 2^nd Amendment; Confederate flags and statues; Uber; coal; the Keystone pipeline; male and female rest rooms; and even children playing tag.

Feeling Safe?

David J. Hentosh

Obama Foreign Policy Disaster

President Obama brought his only experience, community organizing, along with his radical beliefs into the White House and foolishly applied both to foreign affairs. It has been a devastating failure.

Obama’s well-documented socialist (and communist) background shapes his social agenda and his belief that the U.S. should be less powerful and less influential around the globe shapes his foreign policy. He believes that the U.S. has done more harm than good and should be stripped of its power and dominant leadership role in the world.

With no thought given to consequences, Obama began a campaign to level the playing field and change the balance of power in the world. His aggressively dismissive attitude toward Israel not only alienated our staunchest ally in the region, it encouraged surrounding Arab states and Islamic extremists to ramp up engrained hatred for Israel and the Western world.

His hasty removal of all troops from Iraq satisfied his campaign promise as well as his distaste for the military and U.S. military power but it cleared the stage for Islamic extremists. His refusal to do anything about the increasing chaos allowed Putin to gain an influence in the Middle East that has been denied him for years. We have now lost our foothold in the Middle East as well as respect.

Obama’s idealistic deal with Iran will result in leveling the nuclear playing field in the Middle East as well. Iran will obviously continue a nuclear weapons program under the toothless deal forcing surrounding countries to counter the threat with nuclear weapons of their own. The Middle East is on the verge of going nuclear at a time when bloodthirsty terrorists are rampaging unimpeded.

European countries can no longer rely on the U.S. for protection and are now dangerously vulnerable. Obama’s weakness and the refugee influx from the disintegrating Middle East provide Putin with another opportunity to take advantage. Europe is now facing danger at a level not seen since WWII.

It took years to gain respect, power, and influence around the world and it will take years to regain what we have lost – if we can. The upcoming presidential election will determine whether we are going to try or just give up. Which way will you vote?

David J. Hentosh

The Iran Farce

No one really believes that Iran can be trusted and no one really believes Iran will give up its pursuit of a nuclear weapon. That makes the desperation in this administration’s courting of Iran embarrassing, confusing, and frightening – and a farce.

Obama has not only ignored Israeli concerns in his frantic attempt to reach an agreement, any agreement, with Iran; he took personal, vindictive swipes at Prime Minister Netanyahu and subtly attempted to influence Israel’s election against him. It is embarrassing to all Americans to see a staunch ally such as Israel being deliberately insulted.

At the same time, Obama seems to be trying hard to help Iran become a nuclear power. The delays in negotiations, including the latest one, have given Iran plenty of time to hide its nuclear bomb-making facilities while Obama continues to make beneficial concessions to Iran. As if that isn’t baffling enough, Obama has the US helping Iran fight ISIS in Iraq while we are fighting against Iran in Syria.

Saudi Arabia, fearing the inevitability of a nuclear Iran resulting from Obama’s negotiations, is now contemplating arming itself with nuclear weapons. The Middle East is on the verge of nuclear proliferation and becoming much more dangerous – with nukes available to Islamic fanatics who have vowed to annihilate Israel on their way to conquering the world.

Obama seems to be blind to it all and holding fast to a policy that is naïvely unrealistic. Regardless of any agreement that may be reached, the inevitable violations by Iran will be handled through the UN Security Council. This is sure to be a slow (and impotent) process that will guarantee Iran gets enough time to complete its quest for the bomb. It’s a win-win situation for Iran and total loss for the rest of the world.

A nuclear Middle East will become Obama’s legacy but by that time, he will be out of office and on the golf course, blaming whoever inherits the White House – and the media will back him up.

David J. Hentosh

Deceptive Progressive Hype

Once again, we find progressives and the liberal media intentionally misleading the public. The current hype and furor over Indiana’s “Religious Freedom Law” is the latest in a long history of deliberate deception used to sway public opinion.

Indiana’s law simply says that no one can be forced to do something that is against their religion unless the state has a “compelling interest” to do so – and if one is compelled, the issue can be taken to the courts for a decision. This is not discriminatory or anti-gay. It just reaffirms one’s freedom of religion and it is very similar to laws already in place in 30 other states.

This law, like many other laws, could be misinterpreted and wrongly used in a discriminatory manner by nefarious individuals, but it is not discriminatory by itself and allows legal action to be taken if it used in that manner. Progressives know this but are deliberately misinterpreting the law to advance their agenda.

Unfortunately, this is a proven progressive tactic. It conditioned much of the public into believing decriminalization of marijuana is the same as legalization. It caused many to believe there really is a “war on women” and the police are all racists. It made immigration reform synonymous with amnesty and it convinced many that “access” to health insurance never existed for those unwilling to pay for it.

It is now trying to convince us that: Hillary did nothing wrong by erasing emails; Iran can be trusted with a nuclear program; Israel is the problem in the Middle East; Obama’s foreign policies have been successful; Obamacare is working well; Voter ID is voter suppression; and the economy is in great shape.

It is all liberal hype and it only works because both the White House and the mainstream media push it, repeating the hype over and over again until it becomes “fact”. It is nothing short of systematic brainwashing – the same brainwashing we saw in repressive countries and thought could never happen here.

If people continue voting to make history, hype will be all there is.

David J. Hentosh

Choosing Politics Over Reality

Obama is absolutely desperate for a deal with Iran because his foreign policies have been disastrous and, politically, he needs something positive. His current “deal” with Iran is a politically expedient ruse to pass off as a foreign policy achievement, but it will not stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The Obama deal supposedly deters Iran’s nuclear program for ten years, but Iran will have a nuclear weapon long before then because Iran doesn’t keep agreements – and everyone knows it. Iran has also, unequivocally, stated its reason for having a nuclear weapon: to eradicate Israel. Obama and many sycophantic Democrats remain willfully blind to this fact.

This is why Netanyahu is highly concerned and spoke directly to Congress. Ignored and insulted by Obama, he addressed Congress in the hope that they are not as mired in political nonsense as Obama is. Unfortunately, many are and reality will, once again, take a back seat to pure politics.

Nancy Pelosi was “near tears”, walking out offended that Netanyahu wasn’t toeing the Obama line. Reiterating Obama’s rhetoric that “all options are on the table for preventing a nuclear-armed Iran”, Pelosi arrogantly took listening off the table. She was “saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge” as if Netanyahu, who deals with Middle East violence daily, knows nothing of Iran. Pelosi, of course, displayed no embarrassment at her elite condescension while she venomously insulted Netanyahu.

Netanyahu knows more about foreign affairs, international negotiations, and hatred of Jews than Obama can ever imagine. He speaks with authority and deals with reality. Obama speaks with egotistical self-righteousness and deals with fantasy. Obama and his unconditional followers need to ridicule and silence Netanyahu to keep their self-esteem and their “dream” alive. Nothing else matters.

The world will now learn what a nuclear-armed Iran will do or what an Israel fighting for its survival will do. In either case, the Middle East will explode as another Obama “transformation” comes to fruition. It will join with many other failures to define his legacy.

David J. Hentosh

U.S. Begging Iran

Everything Obama does is driven by politics and his personal, idealistic agenda, not the good of the country. His weak foreign policies are no exception, therefore, an article in the Washington Free Beacon (thanks to Drudge for pointing it out) claiming the administration is “begging” Iran to sign a nuclear deal sounds true – and pathetic. Anger is growing at U.S. concessions and delays allowing Iran to continue its nuclear program unimpeded, so Obama’s desperation to sign a deal, any deal, has to be at its peak.

From the Washington Free Beacon

A top Iranian military leader claims that U.S. officials have been “begging us” to sign a nuclear deal during closed door negotiations with Tehran…American officials routinely “plea” with Iran in talks and the United States is negotiating from a position of weakness…The military leader’s remarks appear to jibe with new reports that the United States is conceding ground to Iran in talks and will now allow it to “keep much of its uranium-enriching technology”.

“Iran feels the administration needs the deal, and this belief is supported by the way the administration is acting,” said Saeed Ghasseminejad, an Iranian dissident…America’s “hostility toward its traditional allies in the region, Israel and Saudi Arabia, is at its historical peak…“Iran feels as long as the negotiation is going on, it has a green light to do whatever it wants in the region, so why should they bother to sign a deal?”… While U.S. officials have claimed multiple times in recent months that progress is being made in the talks, Iranian officials deny that this is the case…

Read it here: Americans are Begging for a Deal

DJH

Our Government is Failing Its Responsibilities

The Preamble to the Constitution tells us very succinctly why our government exists: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence (sic), promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…Our government is currently failing to live up to these basic responsibilities.

“Justice” for our government has been ideologically distorted to cater to minorities at the expense of the majority in order to advance the current administration’s policies. The Justice Department, led by Eric Holder, is surrounded in controversy with issues such as aggressive probing of journalists, the IRS scandal, drone attacks, and much more. It has selectively decided what to pursue and not pursue based on politics rather than justice and laws are being rewritten or ignored.

“Domestic tranquility” has been severely hampered by the political partisanship pervading Congress. President Obama has established an “us against them” atmosphere for political gain and policies are being advanced that widen the divide in the country.

Providing for the country’s defense is the most egregious failure of our government. Our southern border is open due to policies set in place unilaterally by president Obama resulting in known Mexican gang members as well as possible terrorists entering the country with impunity. Obama’s abandonment of Iraq resulted in al Qaeda taking over and possibly gaining an entire country with its resources to use against us. Iran, on the verge of having nuclear weapons, may easily fill the void in Iraq or aid the terrorists to our detriment. Afghanistan is sure to follow suit when Obama’s declared abandonment comes to fruition. Putin is fearlessly resurrecting the USSR, endangering the U.S. and the entire world.

Social policies encouraged by our current government do not “promote the general Welfare”. These policies promote the “specific welfare” of groups that are politically advantageous for a transformation of America that will do nothing to “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”. This transformation is designed to prune our liberties to fit an idealistic agenda contrary to American traditions.

Our government’s failure to live up to these responsibilities is glaring and frightening. If we don’t get our government back to basics soon, there will be no future for our form of government.

David J. Hentosh