There’s No Defense for These Two - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
There’s No Defense for These Two
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Now, for a few notes about the world we live in. Ever since I learned about Barack Obama’s tormented childhood, I waited for the wackiness to come out. Abandoned by his black father and his white mother. Coddled and loved by his white grandparents. Trying to be white for years, then figuring out that the percentages were with playing the race card.

That man, with all of that turmoil inside him, was never going to be a healer. He was angry. You cannot be abandoned by your father and mother without being angry unless you have come to find some God in your life, which Mr. Obama clearly has not. Plus, if he were at peace, he would not have married a woman as furiously angry at her country as he did.

So, as my pal Phil said, all that counted was his unconscious agenda. We soon knew what that was: to loathe America. To apologize for America before the worst tyrants of the world, to refuse to adequately defend America.

Then, that was compounded by the sad truth that he was desperately inexperienced in foreign affairs and defense and economics.

So, if we got policy that mirrored his inner split between white and black, between some measure of gratitude and a huge dollop of anger, we would get what we have gotten:

Policy that infuriated his nation’s friends and coddled our enemies. Policy that allowed Barry, the outsider, to attack other outsiders, especially Jews. Policy that would not stand up for the country that he basically hated, but also loved to con, and whose adoration he loved. Who does not love to be adored?

The most pristine examples: the deal with Iran that will allow the world’s most militant and dangerous country, solemnly pledged to annihilate Israel, to have nuclear weapons, even though every responsible expert warned against it.

And now, an even more perfect artifact of the hatred and split within Barack Obama. On one day last week, his fine Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter, a genuine patriot and super smart guy, published an article in the Wall Street Journal about the absolute necessity of having a steady, reliable, predictable defense budgeting program. The article was sensible, well reasoned, and inspiring.

The very next day, the exact next day, Barack Obama vetoed the defense appropriations bill. That’s right. For the first time in recent history, the President vetoed a defense spending bill passed by a bipartisan majority in Congress.

He did it because — well, he had all kinds of nonsense reasons why he did it. But his real reason for doing it was to spit in the face of the country he is supposed to be defending and protecting. Literally as the ink is still wet on his own DOD Secretary’s words about the need for predictability in defense spending, he introduces the maximum possible uncertainty.

This is a man wrapped up in hatred and confusion and betrayal of his trust.

A dangerous, extremely dangerous man.

Let’s pray for him to get well.

Next, Mrs. Clinton. After a very long day of testimony Thursday, a few things are clear.

She speaks well and lies badly.

Her explanation for why she simply paid no attention to security at the U.S. mission in Benghazi in 2012 was just comical. There were not many emails about Libya in 2012 because she was mostly briefed in person… by Sidney Blumenthal, with no position and no expertise at all in the area.

She never said why she made up that huge whopper of a lie about a cartoonish video of Muhammed as the cause of the attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi. Some people asked after the hearing why she was hounded so much about the murders. Simple answer: when the Marines were killed in Beirut, Reagan just honestly said he had messed up. He did not make up some nonsense about a video. Mrs. Clinton not only failed in a basic duty. She then lied about it and caused some poor pathetic filmmaker to be prosecuted for exercising his First Amendment rights.

She never could come out with a clear answer as to why she acted as she did about that lie of the attack being “a spontaneous demonstration.” She never came out with anything but long sermons about what a great job she did as Secretary of State. Endless talk about programs and practices.

But as to why she failed in her job and then lied about it — not a peep of truth.

Never mind. She will be President, so get used to it.

The GOP is in chaos. Trump is a clown. An actual buffoon. Dr. Carson has a charming persona but no experience at all. I love Marco Rubio. I will go on line tonight and give him money. And if he gets the nod from the party, he can win. But he is too damned far behind right now. The party is the best hope of mankind. And yet, and yet…

At this point, it’s all swirling darkness, double, double, toil and trouble. And Vladimir Putin must be dancing a jig. How could he possibly have dreamed he would be so lucky?

On the other hand — I don’t think he’s wrong in Syria. The Assad regime is bad stuff. But it’s the internationally recognized government. It’s Russia’s client. It is not as bad as some of its enemies. If Syria were our client, wouldn’t we be propping them up (under any other regime than Obama’s, that is)? Nothing Russia has done in Syria is as bad a breach of recent postwar decorum as our arming the rebels in Afghanistan with anti-aircraft missiles. How would we feel if Putin gave anti-aircraft missiles to the Mujahedeen fighting us in the region? Pretty bad. They could be a lot more aggressive than they are.

And we don’t treat Russia right. They did the most bleeding to win World War II. They are an incredibly brave people. Let’s rebuild our military, raise defense spending, but let’s also admit it, Russia deserves a lot more credit than it’s been given. We loathe Communism, but the Russians are an amazing people. Let’s give them the praise due for what they did to Hitler. But let’s also be a LOT stronger than they are.

Ben Stein
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Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer living in Beverly Hills and Malibu. He writes “Ben Stein’s Diary” for every issue of The American Spectator.
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