Dear President Obama,
My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don’t believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.
I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos’n Mate. Now I live in a “rest home” located on the western end of Pearl Harbor , allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.
One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.
So here goes.
I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.
I can’t figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like: ” We’re no longer a Christian nation” ” America is arrogant” – (Your wife even announced to the world,” America is mean-
spirited. ” Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.
I’d say shame on the both of you, but I don’t think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.
After 9/11 you said,” America hasn’t lived up to her ideals.” Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn’t mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.
I don’t think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.
Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.
Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don’t, I’ll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue . ou were elected to lead, not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.
And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don’t want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don’t mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don’t want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.
One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you’re the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you’re not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you’re thinking of.
You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president. You’re not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That’s not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now. And I sure as hell don’t want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.
Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes
Snopes confirms as true:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/haroldestes.asp
When a 95 year old hero of the “the Greatest Generation” stands up and speaks out like this, I think we owe it to him to send his words to as many Americans as we can.
Now that is one proud and brave American. His words made my smile and sad that he is seeing what is happening to the country he gave so much to.
I hope it does reach everyone, including Obama and Michelle. But, doubt it will make any difference to them.
God bless you Boats! I am proud to call you shipmate.
God bless you Mr. Estes. No one could have said it better.
This poor bastard!
Oh, well.
If he would stop listening to FAUX News, he would not feel this way. The poor man has been lied to.
What a COMPLETELY ROTTEN #$%^&* THING TO DO to one of America’s greatest generation.
This proves that Fox News has zero class to match their zero ethics.
Not to worry.
As we speak, American Patriots are organizing to rid the world of FAUX bullshit. This won’t happen too many more times.
Thank God!
Thank you Mr. Estes for those wise and wonderful words.
And thank you Mr. Colgan. Just when I thought you could not possibly be more sophomoric and juvenile, could not possibly be more crude and rude, you out do yourself.
God bless you Harold Estes and thank you for your continuing service to our country! You share a birthday with two of my family members…that makes you extra special in my boat!
Nice to know I can make you dance, Poe!
You’re a pathetic liberal poser.
We get the joke.
But if you want to keep telling it . . . .
I have a better piece of advice for the Commander-in-Chief.
When your commander tells you that you need 40,000 more troops to do the job, FIRE his ass! THEN go in later with those troops and call it a “surge!”
This strategy worked very well for George Bush. It didn’t work out too well for the poor bastards who got killed because the CIC WASN’T LISTENING to experienced generals. but WTF? Who freakin’ CARES about the poor guys getting killed on the ground?
Certainly NOT the author of this letter.
OR the TEA Party.
Oh, and BTW, where in the HELL does a NCO get off criticizing the Commander-in-Chief? I remember how, just a mere thirty-two months ago, it was called treasonous to criticize the CIC by the authors of this blog.
Now the internet is searched daily for treasonous posts by these same authors.
This man is a hero and he did serve his country. But lets put a few things here into perspective. After 23 years of service he was probably able to retire (in his forties) with some pretty good benefits for the next 60 years of his life, something that republicans are currently bashing the unions about. Although he DID serve his country, I would say that his country has also served him pretty nice for the last 60 years.
And should we really be called a “Christian nation?” Are we a Christian nation because most Americans are currently Christians? If that is true, if gays ever out number straights would you agree that we would be a gay nation? Since we are always in a war somewhere are we a killing nation? Since over 50% of marriages end up in divorce are we a divorce nation? Since we have the most prisoners of any country in the world are we a prison nation? Since most of our politicians vote according to the money interests that back them, are we a corrupt nation? My point is, we cannot let percentages be the criteria by which we define who we are.
And yes, we are an arrogant country, although I would not agree with any president declaring that. We are a great country in many ways, but we also have a lot to learn in many areas. Acknowledging our short comings should not make you unpatriotic, in fact, it should be just the opposite. As a patriot you have a responsibility to try to fix what isn’t right. This old gentleman who wrote this letter is a true patriot and a great American, however, I agree with Quintin, he’s watching too much Fox.
Joe you are introducing facts not in evidence. How do you know he didn’t retire at age 65 or later? Military retirements were so low in his day you almost couldn’t live on that alone, you had to seek a second career.
Well, there you have it folks. If you express opinion contrary to the left wing orthodoxy you are little more than an imbecile who is easily manipulated by Fox News!
Thank you Joe Shaw and Quentin Colgan for deigning to bless us with your intellectual anal-ysis. But I have to wonder, if you two spent as much time on your own miserable blogs as you do tossing feces in this forum, maybe you could actually attract some traffic?
Yawn.
What was that Joe Shaw said about our country being arrogant? With citizens like these two clowns I almost half believe it.
As for this country being a Christian nation we all know that cannot be true. Obama said we are one of the largest Muslim nations in the world. He couldn’t be in error, could he?
There are some imbeciles who visit this forum, but Mr. Estes isn’t one of them.
Given the special, protected class legislation gays have successfully passed, their success with the legal redefinition of marriage, and the declared intent of some Muslims to make American jurisprudence more like Sharia we may be the largest Homosexual Muslim nation in the world.
Welcome to Quentin Colgan’s and Joe Shaw’s America. How do you like it so far?
Joe: “Are we a Christian nation because most Americans are currently Christians?”
No Joe, we are a Christian nation because the principles that guided the founders come from the Judeo/Christian Bible. I know many athiests and progressives argue that the founders considered many philosophical sources as well…yes they did, they were thoughtful men, BUT, the Bible was the main source that shaped the moral and social ideals that inspired and shaped the founding documents.
“…we cannot let percentages be the criteria by which we define who we are.”
Agreed! Percentages don’t define who we are. We are defined first and foremost by our love of freedom (free will) and the rule of law. We are defined by our belief that our basic rights are granted us by God, not man or government, and cannot be denied or taken away.
“…yes, we are an arrogant country…”
I hear liberal progressive say this but I have yet to hear anyone say how we are arrogant or to distinguish between confident, capable and arrogant. Care to try?
“Acknowledging our short comings should not make you unpatrioticin fact, it should be just the opposite. As a patriot you have a responsibility to try to fix what isn’t right.”
Agreed, whole heartedly. I don’t agree that making public apologies for perceived arrogance is responsible or an attempt to fix what isn’t right.
No person or country is perfect. America has taken care of our own and we have been generous around the world with charity, aid, job opportunities, and defense. We have saught to share what we have, including the notions above that speak to the human spirit and right to live in dignity. We seek to uplift rather than tear down. We lead the way in terms of cleaning up and caring for both human beings and the earth.
I suppose that makes America an easy target for criticism but a little perspective…please!
“I agree with Quintin, he’s watching too much Fox.”
Joe, you seem to be a reasonable guy, whereas Quentin has proved he is anything but, so maybe you can answer the question…what the hell does this ad hominem attack mean or accomplish?
(I know for Q it amounts to a cheap shot from which he derives a cheap giggle…like a snotty little kid).
Funny, I thought the tone of the gentleman’s letter was quite respectful…advice from an elder with experience…more than criticism. Quentin wouldn’t recognize the distinction being a cheap shot artist himself.
Q you are a sad, silly, little man.
Re: Joe you are introducing facts not in evidence…
There are two things going on here.
The first is the usual knee jerk response by left wing liberals to left wing liberal heterodoxy. When left wing liberals do not like the message they always and immediately attack the messenger. Hence the attack on Mr. Estes’ intelligence and character by Joe Shaw and Quentin Colgan.
The second is frustration and jealousy. Mr. Estes’ letter has been forwarded in countless emails. It appears all over the internet. It is so well distributed and famous it appears on Snopes!
Has Quentin Colgan or Joe Shaw EVER produced anything in print that has been so widely accepted and distributed?
No.
And they never will.
They each occupy an obscure blog that has next to nothing for traffic and actually spend more time in Post Scripts throwing fecal matter at others. Mr. Estes is just their latest target.
Please note how neither Colgan nor Shaw have a damn thing to say about Obama effectively saying we are a Muslim nation. But as soon as anyone mentions our Christian roots they are all over it like white on rice.
Funny how that works.
Fox News is to CNN and MSNBC as Harold Estes is to Quentin Colgan and Joe Shaw. Giants compared to gnats. Fair and balanced as compared to demagogic drivel.
What Obama actually said was….
“In America, there’s a failure to appreciate Europe’s leading role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive. But in Europe, there is an anti-Americanism that is at once casual but can also be insidious. Instead of recognizing the good that America so often does in the world, there have been times where Europeans choose to blame America for much of what’s bad.”
Obama didn’t actually say Americans were arrogant. To say that we’ve shown arrogance is not to say that we are arrogant. It’s kind of like separating the child from the behavior….the child is never bad, the child just does bad things sometimes. But me myself and I on the other hand did say that we Americans are arrogant. I can’t prove a statement like that to be true, it’s only my opinion based on so many people I’ve talked to over the years who are from other countries. Most countries do see us as arrogant, maybe they’re wrong, but it’s a pretty popular opinion over seas. That should not however diminish in anyway the generosity that we Americans have demonstrated time and time again with the rest of the world when somebody needs us.
You say our country was based on Christian principals. Was it Christian principals that allowed us to enslave black people and massacre the Indians? Those were God fearing Christians who did these things. So which Christian principals were we based on?
Maybe it’s a liberal thing but not only do I see most Americans as being arrogant, I’ll take it a step further….I think most Americans are stupid! But that’s just me. Now that I read back over this, I sound kind of arrogant myself. Dang it!
PS….Pie, could you please keep your mouth shut when the adults are trying to have a conversation?
“If he would stop listening to FAUX News, he would not feel this way.”
I have to agree. I spent last week working in an office with a flat screen in the reception area (Lord Help Us). Only down here, it’s tuned to CNN. And every time I walked past the damned thing, the world was coming to an end.
Harold, turn the TV off, go down to the local (you pick) for some coffee and gossip, and you will find that the world is not quite coming to an end … and it matters not one diddly-squat what our politicians say to anybody about anything.
This letter was written almost two years ago–before Obama had been in office nine months. It was NOT written by Chief Estes. Although he did draw a government pension for over forty years. Cuts to veteran’s pensions are being examined as a way to transfer even MORE of the taxpayer’s money to the already-wealthy.
These are the facts of the matter.
Like a bad penny, this letter keeps coming back around.
The ONLY news source that accused the president of “apologizing” was Fox, a network that won the right to lie to Americans.
This man has been lied to. As have many contributors to this discussion, apparently.
Note that we can see what happens to those who won’t drink the kool-aid of the new (Liberal-managed) conservatism: they are met with the same ol’ batch of liberal spew/liberal insults. Rush had it correct on the radio this morning. NOBODY spews hate like liberal posers caught in a lie!
Now Quentin that was a nice post. It was informative, mostly factual and responsible. We like that – we can handle that kind of criticism and we appreciate the opportunity to do so.
I agree Jack, Q’s tone is much better in his latest comment…the content, however is less than inspiring and not really informative.
Well Tina, it’s a start…I hope this is the new Quentin. Would be nice to have pleasant exchanges.
Re: PS….Pie, could you please keep your mouth shut when the adults are trying to have a conversation?
Joe, I really didn’t need any further scorn from you to help me prove my point about you and Quentin, but thanks!\
By the way, what Joe Shaw did say was “And yes, we are an arrogant country”.
Also, by the way, as a point of fact, Obama did say Americans are arrogant, Joe, you ignorant twit.
Strasbourg Germany: Addressing a crowd of some 2,000 mainly students from France and Germany, Mr Obama said: “In America, there is a failure to appreciate Europe’s leading role in the world.
“Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive.”
P.S.
Bless you Joe (and Quentin), could you please keep flapping your sophomoric gums in Post Scripts? No way in heck would I ever want to shut you two clowns up even though your own blogs suck and are not worth reading. If you two didn’t use Post Scripts to vent your gaseous spleens we wouldn’t even know you exist.
Top 10 Apologies: How the President Has Humiliated a Superpower
A common theme that runs through President Obama’s statements is the idea the United States must atone for its past policies, whether it is America’s application of the war against Islamist terrorism or its overall foreign policy. At the core of this message is the concept that the U.S. is a flawed nation that must seek redemption by apologizing for its past “sins.”
On several occasions, President Obama has sought to apologize for the actions of his own country when addressing a foreign audience–including seven of the 10 apologies listed below. The President has already apologized for his country to nearly 3 billion people across Europe, the Muslim world, and the Americas.
The Obama Administration’s strategy of unconditional engagement with America’s enemies combined with a relentless penchant for apology-making is a dangerous recipe for failure. The overall effect of this approach has been to weaken American power on the world stage rather than strengthen it.
President Obama’s personal approval ratings across much of the world may be sky high, but that has not translated into greater support for U.S.-led initiatives, such as the NATO mission in Afghanistan, which is heavily dependent on American and British troops. The U.S. is increasingly viewed as a soft touch internationally, which has encouraged rogue regimes such as North Korea and Iran to accelerate their nuclear and missile programs.
As President Obama embarks this week on his second major overseas tour, which will take him to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Germany, and France, the world does not need yet another apology from the President. Rather, it is looking for strong and principled leadership from the most powerful nation on the face of the earth. American leadership is not a popularity contest, nor should it be an exercise in self-loathing. Rather, it is about taking tough positions that will be met with hostility in many parts of the globe. Above all, it demands the assertive projection of American power, both to secure the homeland and to protect America’s allies.
The following is a list of the 10 most significant apologies by the President of the United States in his first four months of office as they relate to foreign policy and national security issues.
1. Apology to France and Europe (“America Has Shown Arrogance”)
Speech by President Obama, Rhenus Sports Arena, Strasbourg, France, April 3, 2009.[1]
So we must be honest with ourselves. In recent years we’ve allowed our Alliance to drift. I know that there have been honest disagreements over policy, but we also know that there’s something more that has crept into our relationship. In America, there’s a failure to appreciate Europe’s leading role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive.
2. Apology to the Muslim World (“We Have Not Been Perfect”)
President Obama, interview with Al Arabiya, January 27, 2009.[2]
My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect. But if you look at the track record, as you say, America was not born as a colonial power, and that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there’s no reason why we can’t restore that.
3. Apology to the Summit of the Americas (“At Times We Sought to Dictate Our Terms”)
President Obama, address to the Summit of the Americas opening ceremony, Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17, 2009.[3]
All of us must now renew the common stake that we have in one another. I know that promises of partnership have gone unfulfilled in the past, and that trust has to be earned over time. While the United States has done much to promote peace and prosperity in the hemisphere, we have at times been disengaged, and at times we sought to dictate our terms. But I pledge to you that we seek an equal partnership. There is no senior partner and junior partner in our relations; there is simply engagement based on mutual respect and common interests and shared values. So I’m here to launch a new chapter of engagement that will be sustained throughout my administration.
The United States will be willing to acknowledge past errors where those errors have been made.
4. Apology at the G-20 Summit of World Leaders (“Some Restoration of America’s Standing in the World”)
News conference by President Obama, ExCel Center, London, United Kingdom, April 2, 2009.[4]
I would like to think that with my election and the early decisions that we’ve made, that you’re starting to see some restoration of America’s standing in the world. And although, as you know, I always mistrust polls, international polls seem to indicate that you’re seeing people more hopeful about America’s leadership.
I just think in a world that is as complex as it is, that it is very important for us to be able to forge partnerships as opposed to simply dictating solutions. Just to try to crystallize the example, there’s been a lot of comparison here about Bretton Woods. “Oh, well, last time you saw the entire international architecture being remade.” Well, if there’s just Roosevelt and Churchill sitting in a room with a brandy, that’s an easier negotiation. But that’s not the world we live in, and it shouldn’t be the world that we live in.
5. Apology for the War on Terror (“We Went off Course”)
President Obama, speech at the National Archives, Washington, D.C., May 21, 2009.[5]
Unfortunately, faced with an uncertain threat, our government made a series of hasty decisions. I believe that many of these decisions were motivated by a sincere desire to protect the American people. But I also believe that all too often our government made decisions based on fear rather than foresight; that all too often our government trimmed facts and evidence to fit ideological predispositions. Instead of strategically applying our power and our principles, too often we set those principles aside as luxuries that we could no longer afford. And during this season of fear, too many of us–Democrats and Republicans, politicians, journalists, and citizens–fell silent.
In other words, we went off course. And this is not my assessment alone. It was an assessment that was shared by the American people who nominated candidates for President from both major parties who, despite our many differences, called for a new approach–one that rejected torture and one that recognized the imperative of closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay.
6. Apology for Guantanamo in France (“Sacrificing Your Values”)
Speech by President Obama, Rhenus Sports Arena, Strasbourg, France, April 3, 2009.[6]
Our two republics were founded in service of these ideals. In America, it is written into our founding documents as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” In France: “Libert”–absolutely–“egalit, fraternit.” Our moral authority is derived from the fact that generations of our citizens have fought and bled to uphold these values in our nations and others. And that’s why we can never sacrifice them for expedience’s sake. That’s why I’ve ordered the closing of the detention center in Guantanamo Bay. That’s why I can stand here today and say without equivocation or exception that the United States of America does not and will not torture.
In dealing with terrorism, we can’t lose sight of our values and who we are. That’s why I closed Guantanamo. That’s why I made very clear that we will not engage in certain interrogation practices. I don’t believe that there is a contradiction between our security and our values. And when you start sacrificing your values, when you lose yourself, then over the long term that will make you less secure.
7. Apology before the Turkish Parliament (“Our Own Darker Periods in Our History”)
Speech by President Obama to the Turkish Parliament, Ankara, Turkey, April 6, 2009.[7]
Every challenge that we face is more easily met if we tend to our own democratic foundation. This work is never over. That’s why, in the United States, we recently ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed. That’s why we prohibited–without exception or equivocation–the use of torture. All of us have to change. And sometimes change is hard.
Another issue that confronts all democracies as they move to the future is how we deal with the past. The United States is still working through some of our own darker periods in our history. Facing the Washington Monument that I spoke of is a memorial of Abraham Lincoln, the man who freed those who were enslaved even after Washington led our Revolution. Our country still struggles with the legacies of slavery and segregation, the past treatment of Native Americans.
Human endeavor is by its nature imperfect. History is often tragic, but unresolved, it can be a heavy weight. Each country must work through its past. And reckoning with the past can help us seize a better future.
8. Apology for U.S. Policy toward the Americas (“The United States Has Not Pursued and Sustained Engagement with Our Neighbors”)
Opinion editorial by President Obama: “Choosing a Better Future in the Americas,” April 16, 2009.[8]
Too often, the United States has not pursued and sustained engagement with our neighbors. We have been too easily distracted by other priorities, and have failed to see that our own progress is tied directly to progress throughout the Americas. My Administration is committed to the promise of a new day. We will renew and sustain a broader partnership between the United States and the hemisphere on behalf of our common prosperity and our common security.
9. Apology for the Mistakes of the CIA (“Potentially We’ve Made Some Mistakes”)
Remarks by the President to CIA employees, CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia, April 20, 2009.[9] The remarks followed the controversial decision to release Office of Legal Counsel memoranda detailing CIA enhanced interrogation techniques used against terrorist suspects.
So don’t be discouraged by what’s happened in the last few weeks. Don’t be discouraged that we have to acknowledge potentially we’ve made some mistakes. That’s how we learn. But the fact that we are willing to acknowledge them and then move forward, that is precisely why I am proud to be President of the United States, and that’s why you should be proud to be members of the CIA.
10. Apology for Guantanamo in Washington (“A Rallying Cry for Our Enemies”)
President Obama, speech at the National Archives, Washington, D.C., May 21, 2009.[10]
There is also no question that Guantanamo set back the moral authority that is America’s strongest currency in the world. Instead of building a durable framework for the struggle against al Qaeda that drew upon our deeply held values and traditions, our government was defending positions that undermined the rule of law. In fact, part of the rationale for establishing Guantanamo in the first place was the misplaced notion that a prison there would be beyond the law–a proposition that the Supreme Court soundly rejected. Meanwhile, instead of serving as a tool to counter terrorism, Guantanamo became a symbol that helped al Qaeda recruit terrorists to its cause. Indeed, the existence of Guantanamo likely created more terrorists around the world than it ever detained.
So the record is clear: Rather than keeping us safer, the prison at Guantanamo has weakened American national security. It is a rallying cry for our enemies.
Nile Gardiner is the Director of, and Morgan Roach is Research Assistant in, the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation.
Oh, and by the way, the Strasbourg speech was only but one stop on Obama’s Apology Tour which was well covered by a myriad of news organs in Europe and the UK and others across the globe, not just Fox News.
I might chide and say, “Get a clue” to Joe and Quentin but, evidently, even with the world at their fingertips they remain with their heads in the sand (or somewhere just as dark).
Wow – wow – wow!
Pie, you are so predictable. I threw out a minor insult just to see if my theory was correct, that you would take things a couple of steps lower, and you did! Reactives like yourself are not only predictable, but consistent…..consistently must have the last word and consistently must be nasty in order to feel superior.
Thanks to Toby for presenting the ten apologies. I was about to provide a link to the ten until I saw his timely post.
Here is that link —
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2009/06/barack-obamas-top-10-apologies-how-the-president-has-humiliated-a-superpower
Left wing political/news organizations, notably the Washington Post and The George Soro’s funded Media Matters, weakly tried to spin Obama’s apology tour into a non-apology tour. Read them for yourself.
I recall Obama Apology Tour criticism appearing the UK Guardian, The UK Telegraph, Der Spiegel, and The Australian and others. The tour was also covered by dozens of US papers not affiliated with Fox News.
So, you can take Quentin Colgan’s asinine canard, “The ONLY news source that accused the president of “apologizing” was Fox” with a a grain of salt. The fellow is either a complete ignoramus or a serial liar. Possibly both.
Take your pick.
Now isn’t this interesting. Joe Shaw effectively calls Mr. Estes a Fox News manipulated imbecile and that is “a minor insult”.
I throw Joe’s crap right back in his face and I am “nasty” and “taking it a couple steps lower”!
I have your number, Joe. No theory or test needed. You want me to keep my mouth shut when snotty jerks like you and Quentin Colgan “wax eloquent” tossing out stupid insults about people you disagree with by essentially calling them brain washed with your puerile left-wing clishe’s about Fox News.
Joe, I have no need to “feel superior” and that was not my aim. It still isn’t. I was only meeting you at your own level and treating you the same as you treated Mr. Estes.
I get it. You don’t like it. You don’t like it when the crap you fling gets tossed right back in your face.
You have a problem with that? Joe, I feel your pain.
How’s this for predictability, Joe: Every time you come into this forum to toss your feces, I’ll throw it right back in your face. And not out of some half-baked, psychobabble need formulation of yours “feel superior”. I just happen to enjoy throwing it back. If only to watch you squirm.
Before you go around positing who has a desperate need to feel superior I suggest you take a good long look into the mirror, Joe. Save your anal-ysis for yourself, pal.
One last comment to Joe Shaw, just in case he still doesn’t get it.
Re: “Pie, you are so predictable. I threw out a minor insult just to see if my theory was correct, that you would take things a couple of steps lower, and you did! Reactives like yourself are not only predictable, but consistent…..consistently must have the last word and consistently must be nasty in order to feel superior.”
Wow. Read, and re-read the above Joe.
According to high and mighty Joe Shaw I was the subject of a Joe Shaw theory and test and was successfully manipulated by Joe Shaw because I am a “Reactive” who “must be nasty in order to feel superior.”
Joe Shaw, the theory testing master manipulator. Just who is it who has the need to feel superior? Joe, I smell desperation.
I understand Joe, you are trying to marginalize and shut me up by labeling me “a Reactive”, “nasty”, and “predictable”.
Sorry Joe, but I will respond to your snot anytime it pleases me. Get over yourself and stick your silly inventions about theories and tests where the sun don’t shine.
You may now have the last word, Joe. I have said all I want to say about you for now. Please feel free to post again in the comments section of future blogs. I will be happy to be “a Reactive” to your drivel, any time the mood hits me. If it makes you feel better, please also feel free to brag about how you continue to manipulate me into responding to your snotty canards. Quentin Colgan has a similar sort of act. You two should compare notes.
Joe;
You waste your time arguing with Poe Guevara. He is actually on the side of common sense.
Poe works for the democrats. Remember my LTTE a couple of weeks ago? Poe is the guy I was referring to.
His job is trolling the web, saying the most puerile things possible IN ORDER TO DISCREDIT CONSERVATIVES.
He is even giving you the clues!! One day he will tell you that only liberals resort to insults when they lose an argument, and then the next day he resorts to insults when he loses an argument. He is telling us he is a liberal, for feck’s sake!
4. Apology at the G-20 Summit of World Leaders (“Some Restoration of America’s Standing in the World”)
News conference by President Obama, ExCel Center, London, United Kingdom, April 2, 2009.[4]
I would like to think that with my election and the early decisions that we’ve made, that you’re starting to see some restoration of America’s standing in the world. And although, as you know, I always mistrust polls, international polls seem to indicate that you’re seeing people more hopeful about America’s leadership.
I just think in a world that is as complex as it is, that it is very important for us to be able to forge partnerships as opposed to simply dictating solutions. Just to try to crystallize the example, there’s been a lot of comparison here about Bretton Woods. “Oh, well, last time you saw the entire international architecture being remade.” Well, if there’s just Roosevelt and Churchill sitting in a room with a brandy, that’s an easier negotiation. But that’s not the world we live in, and it shouldn’t be the world that we live in.
How is this an apology?
2. Apology to the Muslim World (“We Have Not Been Perfect”)
President Obama, interview with Al Arabiya, January 27, 2009.[2]
My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect. But if you look at the track record, as you say, America was not born as a colonial power, and that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there’s no reason why we can’t restore that.
How is this an apology?
6. Apology for Guantanamo in France (“Sacrificing Your Values”)
Speech by President Obama, Rhenus Sports Arena, Strasbourg, France, April 3, 2009.[6]
Our two republics were founded in service of these ideals. In America, it is written into our founding documents as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” In France: “Libert”–absolutely–“egalit, fraternit.” Our moral authority is derived from the fact that generations of our citizens have fought and bled to uphold these values in our nations and others. And that’s why we can never sacrifice them for expedience’s sake. That’s why I’ve ordered the closing of the detention center in Guantanamo Bay. That’s why I can stand here today and say without equivocation or exception that the United States of America does not and will not torture.
In dealing with terrorism, we can’t lose sight of our values and who we are. That’s why I closed Guantanamo. That’s why I made very clear that we will not engage in certain interrogation practices. I don’t believe that there is a contradiction between our security and our values. And when you start sacrificing your values, when you lose yourself, then over the long term that will make you less secure.
This isn’t an apology either!!!
NONE of these meets the definition of apology
Who the HELL told you these were apologies? Like the late Chief, you have been lied to by foreigners.
FAUX news has a good reason to lie to you. What TF is your excuse for letting them?
My God! You can’t even use a dictionary to define apology?
NO wonder you watch FAUX news. There’s no education required.
Re: Poe works for the democrats. Remember my LTTE a couple of weeks ago? Poe is the guy I was referring to … etc.
Snore. Quentin is another frequenter of Post Scripts who doesn’t much care for having anyone throw the feces he slings back into his face.
So it goes.
Quentin, have you ever thought about seeking professional help? Dude. Seriously.
The UK paper The Guardian is part of the GMG Guardian Media Group of newspapers.
The UK paper The Daily Telegraph is owned by the Barclay brothers.
The Australian Is owned by Newscorp, a corporation in which the Rupert Murdoch family owns 29%.
None are affiliated with Fox except that Fox and The Australian are owned by the Newscorp Conglomerate. As far as I know The Australian does not use Fox News stories or vice-versa. They are both independent news sources with their own staff of reporters, journalists, and editors.
Anyone with an interest can easily check the above with a few simple Google searches.
Quentin Colgan’s statement “The ONLY news source that accused the president of “apologizing” was Fox” is an asinine canard.
“Top 10 Apologies: How the President Has Humiliated a Superpower”
Can a superpower be humiliated? Shamed? Only if it knows it’s done something naughty, I expect.
At least, that’s how it is supposed to work, psychologically speaking.
Now we can take up some Christian philosophy: that bit where humility is a virtue that, supposedly, a Christian nation should be proud (ooops) to practice.
Judging by the anguished doings above, there is much work to be done on our spiritual redemption.
Oh, and by the way, the then apologies are the work of Nile Gardiner, Ph.D. and Morgan Roach of the Heritage Foundation, not Fox News.
If Quentin Colgan cannot recognize the apologetic nature of each and all taken as a whole, it is simply because he refuses to recognize the obvious.
But then, missing the obvious is a particular talent of Mr. Colgan.
I agree Libby, a superpower is a thing and therefore incapable of feeling shame or humiliation…also arrogance! OOOOOOPS! I guess there really was no need to apologize for America the superpower.
I doubt that President Obama felt shame or humiliation when he made those desparaging remarks about his country on foreign soil. He did it for political purposes, he did it to look magnanimus and to stroke elitist leftists who believe themselves to be the new “lights” of the world. One could make the case for his arrogance in presuming all the world looks upon America with the same contempt he apparently does.
He is among the elitist left that has drunk wine from the Lennon cup…
Ahhhhh the dreamers…they believe if we just get rid of borders (countries) and religion (all but one) nobody will fight anymore and we’ll all live in peace!
Woo hoo….of course somebody will have to step up and lead the people cause they’re too dumb to know what’s best for them. And we, the humble elite, will step forward…humbly!…to fill those spots…did we mention we do it humbly?
The magical mystery tour is coming to take you away……..
“Joe Shaw effectively calls Mr. Estes a Fox News manipulated imbecile and that is “a minor insult”…..Really? I said that? I thought I gave the man plenty of respect in that post I wrote. Pie, you’re not connecting the dots, you’re seeing what you want to see. Like you, I have nothing more to say about this.
Quentin: “How is this an apology?”…”this isn’t an apology either!!!”
You’re right Quentin. It’s more of a brag about himself coupled with a backhanded slap at anyone (BUSH) who came before him…he being “the one we’ve been waiting for”.
Examples:
“I would like to think that with my election and the early decisions that we’ve made, that you’re starting to see some restoration of America’s standing in the world.”
“In dealing with terrorism, we can’t lose sight of our values and who we are. That’s why I closed Guantanamo. That’s why I made very clear that we will not engage in certain interrogation practices.”
Unh huh.
These remarks may have been perceived by some as a necessary first step in Obamas presidency, notwithstanding his complete lack of graciousness or humility. But many others around the world saw it differently; he just sounded petty, arrogant, and unpresidential.
Toby…EXCELLENT!!!
Quintin, really? Now I’m confused
I connect the dots just fine Joe. They are right there in black and white near the top of the page.
Quentin Colgan: This poor bastard!
Oh, well.
If he would stop listening to FAUX News, he would not feel this way.
Joe Shaw: “I agree with Quintin, he’s watching too much Fox.”
This was not meant to, or at to least imply, that Mr. Estes is an imbecile who is easily brain-washed by Fox News?
Oh puhleeeeeese.
At least Colgan was more direct and honest. Joe did it in a backhanded manner. He tried to hide it with a faux show of respect before insulting the man.
Mr. Estes expressed his opinions quite succinctly. He made no mention of Fox News. Yet here we have two of your typical left wing feces tossers making it about Fox News and who watches it. As if watching Fox News had anything to do with Mr. Estes letter or that people who watch Fox News are easily manipulated bumpkins.
Joe, go blow.
Sorry, I truly intended leave you the last word until you tried the ridiculous and squirmy denial. You left-wingers are truly unbelievable. You insult (Oh, it was just a mild insult intended to manipulate me and test a theory!) and then after admitting it you deny. Dang, one might think you would exhaust yourselves with such contortions.
Conservatism in any form beats liberalism/hate every time it is tried. Here are some examples, Rush Limbaugh against any other talk show and most news outlets. Fox news beats every other cable and network news channel on the air. Post Scripts beats every blog at the ER to the point that it’s jealous competition can only get exposure by spewing it’s filth here. Numbers do not lie just liberals.