Friday, June 5, 2009

Obama Visits Buchenwald

From the Washington Post, "Obama Tours Former Nazi Concentration Camp":

President Obama on Friday toured a former Nazi concentration camp that his great-uncle helped liberate, accompanied by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, perhaps the camp's most famous prisoner.


U.S. President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Buchenwald concentration camp survivor Elie Wiesel and International Buchenwald Committee President Bertrand Herz walk through the former Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar, Germany. Obama is visiting the site after his stop in Cairo, where in his speech to the Muslim world he made an appeal against Holocaust denial.

See also, Atlas Shrugs, "Elie Wiesel to Obama: The World Hasn't Learned."

Photo Credit: New York Post.

Added: Elie Wiesel video, at the link. And CNN has video as well:




The transcript, from the Elie Wiesel foundation, is here.

21 comments:

Mark Harvey said...

Obama, the FIC (fraud in chief) insults that man's character by being that close to him when Obama is the very epitome of anti Jew.

I watched the entire exchange. Too bad I suppose that my training in body language is as perfectly honed as it is.

This was a photo-op. No more. No less.

Obama disgusts me.

AmPowerBlog said...

Thanks Mark!

Tim said...

Mark, you are a pretty disgusting human being to use this solemn occasion to malign our president.

And Donald thanks your for being an asshole. Makes sense I guess!

AmPowerBlog said...

Did I malign anyone here. I thanked Mark for commenting, if that's maligning?

Tim said...

No, I said Mark did the maligning and you thanked him for doing that. You have a double standard, Donald. And you know it. Someone has to point it out because your followers cannot see that, I guess.

How is Obama anti-Jew, Mark? Please explain.

AmPowerBlog said...

The problem, Tim, is you can't see, actually. Obama has abandoned the partnership with Israel.

Tim said...

Well, I just happen to disagree with that assessment. The problem, Donald, is no one has been able to get movement on this issue -- no president, diplomat, other world leader -- so I applaud Obama's attempt to make things happen.

In the Bush years, there were times when construction was halted on settlements. Surely you remember those days? Or has it faded already?

Just over a year ago: U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday called Israeli settlement expansion an "impediment" in revived peace efforts and urged the Jewish state to meet its pledge to dismantle unauthorized settler outposts.

You need to check your facts.

JBW said...

Mark's smart.

I'll do it for you, Don: "Thanks JBW!"

Mark Harvey said...

Poor troll Timmy...Obama has withdrawn all strategic support for Israel and then goes overseas and stabs them in the back.

Check your own facts and stop sniffing the seat cushions Obama farts in.

Tim said...

Mark, I suspect you are probably good at organizing tea parties or something, so I won't hold your inarticulacy against you.

I don't know if you know this, but Egypt is actually next door to Israel. This is where he made his now famous, highly respected and articulate speech. Not like he was running away now, was it?

And if he can make progress here, where others have failed, then what?

That's a rhetorical question, Mark. Don't try to answer.

Dennis said...

Mark,

If your being attacked by Snidley and Tim then you are probably doing something right. It is all they are capable of doing. The traffic at Snidely's website must be low if he has time to come to Donald's site to sneer.
Obama's speech was so well received that in the receiving line almost every person ignored his extend hand and shook hands with the Saudi King. If silence when Obama spoke about Iran is any indication then maybe there were not too many Arabs who liked it as well. Now if you are speaking of that slobbering bunch of sycophants called the American press then he does have yes men.
Tim and Snidely can go back to their usual name calling. It would be far too much to expect intelligent dialogue out of either.
Keep up the good work Mark. You are improving so much so that you now have the Lefties out howling at the moon. I am continually amazed at the hypocrisy that just literally oozes from Tim and Snidely. All this concern about Obama when they were calling Bush every name they could think of using. This is not to leave out the high minded commentary exhibited by both when dealing with those who might disagree with them. Nary an attempt at well thought out discourse. Talk about a double standard.
Tim,
Calling others assholes just seem so lacking, what is the term......... oh, vocabulary and/or writing ability. How terrible it must be to have to see and hear your own words and actions coming back at you, but of course your reason are so much better than others.
We need to bow to the superior intellect that is both Tim and Snidely....NOT!
Have fun boys because I am going to go enjoy life despite your desire to pass your misery onto others. Oh, just an aside, how does it feel being attacked?

Tim said...

Dennis, if that was an attack, I don't think we have much to fear.

I'll be as skeptical of Obama when the time comes, but this wasn't the place, for me. And, Mark is an a-hole for denigrating what was a very solemn occasion. Such respect he shows to the Jews.

I won't speak for "Snidely," (JBW?) as I'm sure he can speak for himself, and articulate himself much better than either of us.

Donald at least had the guts to post this without making one of his vicious and unjustified attacks on Obama. Sometimes he just leaves it to his acolytes to post irreverent and inconsequential nonsequiturs. As you demonstrated so admirably.

My point was that Obama has NOT abandoned Israel. And I even quoted and example of our previous president and his stand on Israeli settlements.

But Dennis, like Mark, I don't hold your debating skills in very high regard as you've chosen not to offer any keen insights other than you think Snidely and I might have hurt some feelings.

I pity the fools.

Mark Harvey said...

Poor Timmy. I would apologize for criticizing The One Oprah named or the Messiah that Calypso Louie named Obama but I won't.

I would apologize for criticizing Obama for turning his back on Israel and lifts up Iran but I won't.

I would, however, like to apologize for my Nation.

http://tinyurl.com/djo88y

I would apologize for Obama as he yammers on and on about the rule of law; as he yammers about the United States Constitution he says doesn't go far enough; his constant lies; hires lobbyists he says he won't; hires tax cheats that demand we pay our taxes; derides the very nation he swore to uphold; slanders our nation; boosts up our enemies; bemoans our allies; has a VP that needs to be close friends with Dr Bill; has a SOH that is every bit the liar he is; nominates a racist bigot to the SCOTUS; is married to the most hate-filled racist sycophant this side of the south side of Chicago that had her lawyering license revoked in lieu of "troubles"; has an AG that violates the USC by protecting specific "brands" of US citizens; has more Czars than the Romonoffs did in 30 years, but I won't.

Run a,long little one.

Obama is in over his head and it is obvious. He has learned that the world isn't the south side of Chicago and expressing how he would like to see the world just isn't going to happen. What he fails to see is that in order for everyone to "get along", the other side has to agree to "get along".

If he keeps on this track, he is going to find out what happens when nice-nice naive chit-chat doesn't work and, it never does. Ever.

Diplomacy does one thing and one thing only. It delays the inevitable and I am sick and tired of being sent into battle to fix what the Wimplomats screw up.

Mark Harvey said...

Out of respect for Mr Douglas, my real comments are at my place.

http://tinyurl.com/oawfjo

JBW said...

Oh Dennis, the barbs, the barbs! My self-esteem has been rent asunder by your eloquence! Take thy keyboard from out my heart! This is why I come here, to read scintillating commentary like this:

"If your being attacked by Snidley and Tim then you are probably doing something right. It is all they are capable of doing...Tim and Snidely can go back to their usual name calling...Calling others assholes just seem so lacking, what is the term......... oh, vocabulary and/or writing ability."

Here is a partial list of sobriquets (just from this thread) written by the guy Dennis was addressing: "fraud in chief", "Poor troll Timmy", "The One", "the Messiah", "racist bigot" and "Wimplomats". The high-mindedness of this "intelligent dialogue" is palpable, is it not?

And I can't decide which is more ironic: a guy who calls me "Snidely" constantly bemoaning the non-fact that I supposedly call everyone here names or a guy without a website taunting me about the traffic on mine.

Fear not, Tim. Mark's smart, and Dennis is almost as smart as Mark. Now that I have all this free time because of the low traffic on my site I'm going to enjoy some wholesome, all-American pornography (OK, I might check out some Japanese stuff too). Adieu, gentlemen.

Tim said...

Mark, I read your "post" on your blog and um, it's interesting.

Obama was not unconditional about Iran. And he hasn't withdrawn support from Israel. If you check what I wrote earlier, you will note that Bush also spoke out about the settlements. Now, if I checked your comments from over a year ago, would I see you saying the same things about Bush? Yeah, didn't think so.

The simple fact is I think you are being disrespectful to the tone of this post. But it matters not, as only your own self-serving interests are on display. Calling Obama anti-Jew is interesting. I would bet money that more Jews voted for him than McCain. Wouldn't you? So, what does that make them? Obama has always made his position clear. One of cooperation from both sides. I don't have a problem with that. I'm sorry that you do.

It's time to change course, as we've been going in the wrong direction too long now. Your post amounts to nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction, but like your party, you offer nothing pro-active or intelligent.

Once you stop reacting, and start firing up some ideas of your own, you might be on to something. For now, you are a product of your party my friend. A party that is out of ideas, morals, class, integrity...you name it, you haven't got it!

Tim said...

And Mark, if you actually had "respect," you would know that it is Dr. Douglas.

Keep up the good work.

Tim said...

Snapshot poll this week in Israel. Just for the record:

Q: Should Netanyahu acquiesce to Obama's demands or reject these even at the
cost of sanctions?
Acquiesce -- 56%
Not acquiesce -- 40%

Q: Should Israel agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state as part
of a peace deal?
Agree -- 55%
Not agree -- 41%
Q: Should Israel freeze settlement construction?
Yes -- 52%
No -- 43%
Q: Should the illegal outposts be evacuated?
Yes -- 70%
No -- 25%

Gosh, those dumb, liberal Israelis.

cracker said...

A curious question for Mark Harvey...

The statement

"Diplomacy does one thing and one thing only. It delays the inevitable"

would you care to expand, Sir?....

The statement reminds of one by Hanns Johst
"whenever I hear the word culture...."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanns_Johst

Cheers

Rich Casebolt said...

Diplomacy is the method of choice for conflict resolution between those who respect life and liberty.

Mr. Obama is attempting to engage in diplomacy with those who lack that respect ... and because of that, he will come up short ... just as all the other diplomatic attempts to resolve this conflict have ... no matter how much (misplaced) repentance he shows.

Show me one totalitarian regime who ever abandoned totalitarian rule and instituted rights-respecting governance on their own, or only after being "spoken to softly" ... in the absence of the speaker carrying a credible "big stick".

And "delaying the inevitable" is an apt description ... for while such regimes may turn incrementally from their aggression, they will continue it wherever they can get away with it until they are decisively confronted.

BTW, that does not necessarily mean that shots have to be fired ... it means that the totalitarians gain the understanding that THEY. WILL. NOT. PREVAIL.

You don't get that understanding by groveling before them, apologizing for acts they would readily do themselves (and consider them "humanitarian" compared to their normal way of doing business) given the opportunity. As we have already seen evidence of in the public statements of some, they will take such overtures as evidence of success in their present approach ... and therefore see no incentive to change.

Mr. Obama's lack of confidence in the moral superiority, and universal applicability, of the principles our own governance is based upon will lead to less freedom in the world ... and without freedom, protected by rights-respecting governance, peace is just an illusion.

cracker said...

I beg to differ in that

Diplomacy is part of setting and maintaining the example of proper governence and interaction.

Your missing the forest for the trees in focusing on the results of diplomacy, when its ignored by totalitarian regimes.

Diplomacy's power is in its use and attemted use by civilized bodies.


We (The US) set the example, even in the face of National trauma or emergency, they game remains the same, we stay the course. We endure.

Our greatest strength is flushing out to be less so our miltary might, but our national character, it is that which ultimatley defeats despots.

Not only can we take a punch, but we're not afraid to take one, we own the moral high ground, we maintain methods of civility.....youd say the same thing about a person.

And yes, sometimes we mess up, get caught in the moment and do some unethical, immoral, or dis-honorable stuff....and call it an eye for an eye in or hubris.....we've all done it,but Grampa taught us better.

show strength in character, apologize and move on, the frightened will point fingers and scuttle back in the shadows, but the good men will nod in respect.

That is how self indulgent totalitarianism folds and fails.

Totalitarianism dissolves in the face of authenticity.