Many civil libertarians around the world have rallied to support Clare Daly, Irish Parliament member of the United Left Alliance representing Dublin, after she challenged the prime minister and the reception given to President Barack Obama who she called a war criminal. The video of the speech is below. Daly called Obama the “hypocrite of the century” for lecturing children on peace while expanding drone attacks and funding civil wars around the world. Many in the United States particularly took note of her attack on the type of cult of personality surrounding Obama that seems detached from his horrendous record on civil liberties, privacy, and international law.
Daly noted that it is not just the government but the media fueling this cult of personality — spending endless time on what the Obamas were ordering for lunch rather than discussing his authoritarian policies. She is the former Socialist Party Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North constituency but resigned from the Socialist Party and joined the United Left Alliance TD.
Daly is being attacked as immature and radical in her comments.
What do you think?
All being like Jesus is will make the constitution look silly.
Nate, I feel your pain. Gene is also a ‘principled abstainer’. At one time so was I. I voted for third parties, did write-ins and protest votes. Nothing changed. Show me a third party candidate that has a chance to win that I want to vote for- not a lock on a win, just a chance will do- and I’ll VERY strongly consider going back to that way of voting. I like optimism, I could do optimism again.
I was toying with the berzerker voting model, voting against my and the country’s best interest just to force the issue but couldn’t do it. I see some differences from among a bad field and I just have to participate on the basis that if the wrong decision from that bad field could be politically cataclysmic.
There is though a lot to be said for George Carlin’s advice. I think about it every election, but I can’t quite endorse it.
Jeez Gene. Obama has had
“an idealized, heroic, and, at times god-like public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise.” ?
Are you just toying with us now?
In addition to Reagan and Obama, I think there are four other Presidents that have arguably had/have a cult of personality: Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR and JFK. Kennedy and Lincoln more so since their deaths, but Teddy and FDR – like Reagan and Obama – within their time in office.
During Lincoln’s life time, he most certainly did not have a cult of personality since he was one of the most reviled Presidents in our history. He also would have drawn the ire of most of the people on this site for his restrictions on civil liberties and the draft. I would have been proud to have voted for him twice had I been around, despite his trampling of the Constitution in many areas. After his death and JFKs, there is no question that both became deified by many people. I would hesitate to call it a personality cult since they could grant no favors politically speaking.
FDR was very well hated by over 45% of the voters. I know for a fact that my GOP family thought of him as a dictator and an outrageous person. So I have a hard time crediting that as a cult of personality since there were so many voices against him. In fact, the GOP called and still calls FDR a traitor and it is more true that the FDR haters are the ones who have the cult of anti-personality since they have little reason behind it.. As for Teddy Roosevelt, it is rather tough to make that case for him since he was probably the biggest personality in our Presidential history, but even then he was well hated by many. I love the quote from Jay Gould who noted that after TR left office and went on his African safari, ” I hope that every lion will do his duty”
All in all, these Presidents have all done things that were questionable on Constitutional matters, so I have a hard time thinking that we are on the cusp of a dictatotrsihp. IN fact, I can think of much worse times, than the one we are in.
Lottakatz,
Hard to state how much your posts mean to me, and how strongly I feel and/or think about the matters you illuminate. ie: “There are things lost to us and they aren’t coming back by pulling the lever for some no-chance-to- win third party candidate.”
I don’t think-feel that way at all. Standing up for what I believe in, and choosing not a lesser evil but no evil, is just proof that things have not been lost TO ME, regardless of what society itself may or may not have lost. And I wish others would not necessarily join me, I’m as dull as the next individual, but rather stand for what they know is right, even if they stand alone. I respect that, and the luminaries fall quickly when I apply that principle.
But that’s just me.
Furthermore, — “The only question is how wide the destruction extends and for how long.”
That’s the crux of the matter that rubs me every which way. I see poverty and pain spreading as a result of the groupthink mentality, and more and more I’m starting to turn on my back on it. When people choose evil, whatever their self-justifications, let them have it.
I have my solutions for moving society forward. As I get older (I’m 35), I get less and less inclined to shoulder those that both actively and inactively chose evil. Whatever the rationalization.
Should I care when people cry, if they did it to themselves?
Raf, when you’re right, you’re right 🙂
Thanks for the plug lotta! 🙂
“A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods, to create an idealized, heroic, and, at times god-like public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. Sociologist Max Weber developed a tripartite classification of authority; the cult of personality holds parallels with what Weber defined as ‘charismatic authority’.”
Sounds vaguely familiar.
i would personally give the lady a standing ovation if she herself weren’t part of the polietrickers system. on that note i say tighten up your seat belts the beginning of obamas end has begun..
you’re going to find out that!!
1. obama is not kenyan but indonesian
2. he is also homosexual and larry smith was telling the truth the whole time.
3.his so called family and friends photos were photoshopped. i dont see how anyone missed the anomalies of those but hey.. i missed a few
4. we’re gloing to find out that there will be no more potus only a one world government.
5. the religions you’ve been studying were taught to you the wrong way. and the list goes on..
I am fully awaire of what religions did not teach. The truth is in the KJV. I know what it is. I am reformer of religions or they fall. They know I have truth .
LK,
I understand the “lesser of two evils” argument. As explained numerous times before, as one whose primary political loyalty is to protect the Constitution from enemies both foreign and domestic, it is one I cannot personally abide although I don’t begrudge those who voted for Obama a second time based on that rationale. I have to operate under some restraints others do not have when it comes to political choice and I accept that. However, there is a difference between choosing the lesser evil and turning a blind eye to it.
And as far as raff’s refrain, you’re singing to the choir on that one.
There is no more corrupting influence on politics and more damaging to our social systems (in the broadest sense of that term) than money.
We would not be in the position we are today but for the dismantling of FECA and the horrendous irrational decision of Buckley v. Valeo.
Darren [to SWM but as an Obama voter I feel free to respond]: “Or, is it the case where however wrong the president might be, others such as republicans, liberterians or other groups in the US are more wrong, thereby the actions of the president are excusable?”
******
Yes. Of course for the purpose of voting but no, it’s not excusable- it’s about picking your poison and limiting damage. What is it about that (which I was arguing before 2012) is so hard for some people here [Hellooooooo Gene 🙂 among others] to understand?
The retroactively “excusable” ship sailed with Gerald Ford IMO. Ronald Reagan should still be in jail as a mouldering corpse for Iran-Contra. People, get your heads straight. There are things lost to us and they aren’t coming back by pulling the lever for some no-chance-to- win third party candidate. The SCOTUS is comfortable appointing our president’s. Have you not been watching? (Restraining the urge to use all-caps) LOL, you guys just make me crazy with your IMO misplaced optimism about the system.
I will though echo Rafflaw constant and absolutely correct refrain: getting the money out of politics would be an excellent first step and bring many of the systemic problems our political system now has to a halt. That would be a good first step.
Blouise,
Not particularly. I accept Smom at her word she wasn’t trying to imply racism. In all the years I’ve known her, I’ve never found her to be a liar. However, I’m neither going to back down from the position that racism is not always relevant nor that it doesn’t apply to criticism of Obama as a war criminal and general hypocrite. One is a set of defined crimes, domestic and international, the other is a character flaw. Neither have anything to do with his skin color or the Martin case.
There is nothing to defuse.
Gene,
Wow … you really do want a fight, don’t you. This time I’m not going to bother diffusing it.
As per usual, gainsaying morons are blindly loyal to one party while ignoring when their own leaders commit the same crimes. Those in the US calling for Obama’s impeachment for murders and violations of the constitution are the same halfwits who said nothing when Bu**sh** did the same things. And the reverse will be true again after the next republiclown president gets elected.
WoW, that was a righteous rant! Good on her. Of course she was correct and she was just talking about the US foreign policy, didn’t even get around to consolidating the US as a police state.
Of course the last and president should be labeled as war criminals, and domestic terrorists for shredding (continuing to shred) the Constitution.
Do you all think most people that know what’s what voted for him for a second term without knowing that? Srsly? Maybe it was that Romney support for a national personhood amendment that had something to do with it among his other disastrous domestic positions. As to the foreign policy issues, war etc. well, it’s not Democrats b**chin’ about troop withdrawal in Iraq or Afghanistan, or calling for troops on the ground in Syria, that’s Lindsey Graham.
The cult of personality on the left (if it extends beyond low information voters) is destructive. The same applies to the right. Rigid ideology on the left is just as as destructive. The same applies to the right.
The only question is how wide the destruction extends and for how long.
I see that very few people know what a real cult of personality is. One can think of many such as Mao, Stalin, Hitler, etc.. and to compare any person who voted for Obama to the supporters of such cretins shows more about the ones who make such charges than the supposedly guilty parties.
The intemperate remarks by this whore, makes the case that she is deranged and is only concerned with making a scene rather than poiitical discourse. She ought to know what pimps are like for sure as well as terrorists who like to kill innocent civilians as well.
As one who voted for Obama twice, I have no regrets about it since I knew full well what his policies were and his faults. There are a number of issues I have major disagreements with. The closest we in the US have come to a President with a cult of personality is Reagan. I still hate that the airport in DC is named after the worst aviation President in our history.
Blouise,
I wasn’t the one beating the wrong horse, let alone a dead one.
I also think you know how effective giving me a command is going to be.
Gene,
Re enibob … I surely will
” However, if you want to try to intimate that I’m a racist because I think that racism is a distraction to this topic?
Good luck.
Get help.
You’re going to need it.” (Gene)
She answered you, Gene, in a manner that was far more respectful than you would have gotten from me. Stop beating a dead horse.
Blouise,
Next time you talk to eniobob, tell him howdy and that he’s missed in these parts.
More than likely, he’ll be seen as Bush III. He hasn’t just “disappointed”. Obama has actively damaged civil rights and the Constitution on his watch.