Rather interesting comparison between our first socialist President and the USSR’s last:
The comparison between Gorbachev and Obama is apt on few levels. The chief difference is between the U.S. of 2009, and the USSR of 1985; between a huge, decentralized, open economy, and the society it serves; and a much smaller, very centralized, command economy, and the society serving it. These circumstances are not even remotely comparable, and one must be a fool indeed to play with a moral, economic, or ideological “equivalence” between the two old superpowers. Which is not to say such fools aren’t numerous…
…On the other hand, some interesting comparisons could be made between the thuggish party machine of Chicago, which raised Obama as its golden boy; and the thuggish party machine of Moscow, which presented Gorbachev as it’s most attractive face.
Both men have been praised for their wonderful temperaments, and their ability to remain unperturbed by approaching catastrophe. But again, the substance is different, for Gorbachev’s temperament was that of a survivor of many previous catastrophes.
Yet they do have one major thing in common, and that is the belief that, regardless of what the ruler does, the polity he rules must necessarily continue. This is perhaps the most essential, if seldom acknowledged, insight of the post-modern “liberal” mind: that if you take the pillars away, the roof will continue to hover in the air.
Being that the author is Canadian, he ends by pointing out that America’s preeminent power is passing away. This is a common sentiment among foreigners – mostly because foreigners, by and large, don’t understand the United States. When they visit, they hang out in New York or Los Angeles, and thus don’t understand what really makes for American strength. With that caveat, the comparison does work – out of touch socialists who think they are reforming when they are actually destroying.
Gorbachev was reforming by attempting to let a little liberty in to the prison; Obama is attempting to reform by putting us all a bit more behind bars – but both men attempt the same thing: to hold people down while giving the people enough freedom to allow the leaders to claim success and cut an impressive figure on the world stage. Gorbachev has, I think, over the years come to realize what he did wrong – Obama has yet to wake up to the massive error he is making.
The United States can and will survive whatever disasters Obama presides over – we might not survive two or three Obama-style Administrations in a row, but we can survive this one (and the way things are going, we’ll only have this one to deal with). But this doesn’t mean that we’ll get off easy – heck no. Obama’s policies will have to be paid for – in blood and treasure, just as Gorbachev’s policies were paid for by the Chechens, the Georgians and other people who emerged wracked by war in the downfall of the USSR.
Blogs For Victory 