Not that I have anything against revolutions. Thomas Jefferson was certainly an advocate of periodic revolutions if the need arose, but that doesn't mean revolution for the sake of it. The Beatles put that into some perspective with their song of the same name. History certainly reveals that revolution was good for the wallets of the Jefferson Airplane, most of whom were singing about the ills of capitalism.
Fast forward to rapid Hillary supporter Larry Johnson, the outspoken critic of the Bush administration during the Valerie Plame mess. He's posted some historical video about the Weathermen, clearly in an effort to bash Obama over his connection to former Weatherman Bill Ayers. It's an interesting expose into the heart and soul of a bunch of disaffected Marxist idealists but it might shed some light on our present situation.
Why? Because Bill Ayers and wife have never disavowed that terrorism past, at least not publicly and certainly not since 9/11. So when Ayers first saw Obama back in the mid 90s and was presumably taken with his potential, what did he see? What would a former terrorist devoted to the overthrow of the US Government's capitalistic structure, with the goal of replacing it with something "more humane", be looking for in a candidate?
Has his goal to overthrow America been replaced with something softer due to the practicality of age and tenure, or is he still quietly fighting the good fight in his job at the
Actually, thanks to Mr. Ayers's own site, we don't have to look too far. What strikes me about his column is the reference to Martin Luther King,
He called the U.S. “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today,” and argued that he could not condemn desperate, angry young men who picked up guns until he first condemned his own government. He urged resistance to the war and counseled youngsters not to join the armed services. And he said the U.S. was on the wrong side of the world revolution, that we would need to rekindle a revolutionary spirit in order to create a “revolution in values”—against militarism and racism and extreme materialism—that could lead to restructuring our economic and social system top to bottom.He also included King's question as to whether America would go to hell for her sins. Sound familiar?
We'd be remiss by not mentioning the irony about Johnson and some right-leaning Democrats pointing out this history in light of the fact that Bill and Hillary themselves were radicals at one time, although judging from Bill's two terms he dumped that idealism long ago. We presume Hillary wouldn't be much different, making her a known commodity.
But in trying to figure out Obama we really only have the sum total of his recent comments, friends, supporters, past, and voting record in the Senate to work from. Based on those inputs it's becoming entirely possible that some on the radical left see him as a sort of Trojan Horse they can push into Washington only to jump out screaming when the dust settles. Certainly not a settled question but it's a question the Democrats need to answer soon, at least the ones who aren't still pursuing Utopia regardless of method (the ones who don't cling to various items of Americana).
A nice thought but heaven isn't a place on earth. That's not to say America is figuratively going to hell like reverends Wright and King suggested but there's no guaranteed spot in heaven, either. Our actions have at times been everything the radicals claim and more, our treatment of the American Indians being an easy example. We are far from perfect.
But the key to this debate revolves around the offered alternatives, or as Barack might say, 'change'. Most all forms of government have now been tried and most all are proven failures, yet some can't resist glorifying America's faults over her vast reservoir of good deeds and positive advancement to peace and justice to justify their own disaffections and lusts for power. In a world vulnerable to resources and full of people without fear of exploiting them, which path would Obama choose to take America?
MORE 4/20/08
Changed out the first YT due to some hippie-chick scenery that might have been offensive to some, but was certainly a staple of outdoor concerts back in the day. But I apologize to anyone who might have let their kids watch.
It's interesting McCain is now bashing Obama over Ayers, seemingly setting up a sort of hippie-versus-hawk showdown theme for the general. McCain's turnaround can arguably be traced to the debate where he famously said, "I was tied up at the time" in regards to the Woodstock museum Hillary wanted to fund.
At any rate this year may represent the official end of the "Vietnam effect" on presidential elections. The former protesters and vets are getting along in years and Obama himself is the first national candidate since the war ended who's too young to have served.
MORE 4/26/08
Thanks to reader Uncle P for correcting me as to the exact location of Mr. Ayer's employment. The University of Chicago is perhaps better known for their tenure of professor Ted Fujita, developer of the "Fujita Scale" for measuring tornadoes, which has absolutely nothing to do with domestic terrorism.
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