The Real Problem With Americans and Their Disrespect for Obama According to a Canadian

a reply to: Dimithae

He's a corporatist puppet, no different then Bush.

My point is that people started hating him before he even came into office or got elected.

They also blamed him for things that weren't his fault like the recession.

I know the hate is less about reality and more about propaganda with a touch of racism since I hear children hate on him all the time. Last I checked children aren't well informed on politics, government, or history.

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: sheepslayer247

I've noticed a lot of people say that respect must be earned and it not automatically given. I disagree with that. Respect should always be given as a matter of common decency and courtesy and only when someone is not deserving of that respect should it not be given.

I judge any person by their character. Normally when I meet someone new, I give them what I call neutral respect. As in, I will treat them the way I would want them to treat me. From that point, that neutral respect may go up, or it may go down based upon learning more about their character.

When someone lies to me, when someone tells me I have to do things that they would never do, when someone says they will do one thing and then does another, respect has to be earned at that point.

Bush lied, Obama lied, thus neither one of them get my respect.

I can agree with that. Would you be willing to agree that what we see from many on the Right goes well beyond a lack of respect?

a reply to: TiedDestructor

He's holding a freakin dog while trying to salute, ya goof.

Pretty sure that's par for the course when it comes to "disrespectful salutes". Obama had latte-salute, bush had dog-salute.

So yeah, I'd say it pretty well illustrates that most presidents are guilty of the occasional "sloppy salute" to our military members.

a reply to: Gryphon66

You claim that the Presidency deserves respect, and it does. But that does not mean that the individuals who hold that office ought to be insulated from fair criticism, and there is plenty of that to level at the man who currently occupies the White House. The fact that much of the commentary which has been leveled against him is horrifically biased is unfortunate, since it takes away from the genuine criticisms of his methodology and effectiveness which really ought to be taking more of a centre stage.

And as for Obama representing America, and Americans, that, with respect, is bogus. False. Inaccurate. If Obama actually represents Americans, then Americans..:

a) Dislike the constitution of the United States of America intensely, and see absolutely no reason to complain when that documents various amendments are abused or outright violated.
b) Do not mind at all that despite evidence making clear that the policy is null and void, the United States government still sees fit to arm and train groups external to the United States, for the purposes of destabilising certain regions, and supporting groups which go against other governments.
c) Do not give a God damn about ensuring that the voices of the people always ring louder than the voices of corporations in the halls of power in D.C.

I know enough, from conversations I have had with Americans on this site, and from all the news media and indie media, and even other internet sources, that the idea that Obama, or for that matter any President the United States of America has had for some decades now, are in the business of representing the people as opposed to certain powers and commercial interests, is patently false, is bunk. Tosh. Nonsense.

If he WAS actually representing the interests of the people of the United States, then public opinion of the fellow would be much better than it is, the TSA would have been disbanded, the NSA would have been given a public dressing down, the police forces of most of the states would have been scrutinised by standards enforcement comprising of stringent quality control, and a whole host of other total cluster copulations currently facing the nations people, would not be happening.

If he was representing the people, then he would be worthy of all the plaudits, Nobel Prizes, and probably a God damned Disco Dance award as well, all the bells and whistles. As it is, he is yet another in a long line of people who either lied about their intentions, or got corrupted by the Hill. Either way, he does not represent the people. He represents the money.

Head of state or not, he should be held to account, as should many who have come before him, for their inability to recognise that the people, not corporations, not a tiny number of wealthy tycoons, but the regular, normal folk walking the streets of the country, doing day jobs, doing night work, doing shift labour, these are the people to whom he ought to be beholden, and unless the President of the United States is beholden to these people, over and above the interests of the mega rich, the banks, the military industrial complex and every other bunch of backstabbers and traitors I can name, unless he is beholden to the people, he is not worth a God damn, no matter what office he works out of.

Its the same where I am from. Our leaders too, are a long line of bastards, who totally failed to understand their mandate, where it comes from, and where the power is supposed to be within their nation. None of them were worthy of respect commensurate with their position either.

Where was the respect for Sarah Palin?

Bunch of haters and hypocrites.

originally posted by: beezzer
Where was the respect for Sarah Palin?

Bunch of haters and hypocrites.

I wasn't aware she was elected to the POTUS position. That IS what we're talking about.

The Obama apologists have been out in full force ever since the election last week. After all, it couldn't possibly be a repudiation of him, or his policies, that would just be too absurd to even contemplate.
If he had half of a brain, Obama would start his own religion, so that his legion of sycophants had a physical altar at which to worship him, and his misunderstood greatness.

Ignoring the fact that the story in the OP is from four years ago, if a Canadian thinks we ought to bow down to this man, then we should, right? I mean, it's not like that Canadian hasn't had to live under Obama's administration, right? Oh, wait! That's right, this Canadian hasn't had to live with Obama as the leader of their nation. So, I guess we can pretty much disregard anything this Canadian has to say with regard to him, can't we?

Personally, I cannot wait until the day that Barack Obama leaves the Oval Office. In my opinion, it will be eight LONG years too late.

originally posted by: beezzer
Where was the respect for Sarah Palin?

Bunch of haters and hypocrites.

I don't believe Sarah Palin has been demonized even close to the extent that Obama has been.

In fact, hatred for Obama has become a core tenant in the Right's ideology. That cannot be said about Palin and the Left.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

But I would like to point out that Obama (and his crony Holder) were responsible for politicizing the Treyvon Martin case and helped to send the Ferguson issue into overdrive. Obama is DEFINITELY responsible for the racial tensions in this country as of current.

Trayvon Martin was shot on February 26th. Obama's comments were made on March 23rd.

Michael Brown was shot on August 9th. It wasn't until September 4th that Eric Holder announced that there would be an investigation.

In both instances, the administration's involvement was weeks after they'd become national news items following local outrage. Personally, I wish Obama would have abstained from making comments about Trayvon Martin but in my opinion, the comments were fairly innocuous. They did however inflame the anger of quite a few, almost exclusively white, right-wingers and frankly, I hold them responsible for their own reactions.

I wasn't implying that you bought into the Rev Wright/Birther/etc crap — I was just pointing to it as evidence of the race-based backlash to the election of a black President. It goes directly to my argument that Obama is not responsible for the uptick in racial tension. The same goes for the popular buzzwords and memes that I mentioned (Chicago thug, community organizer, Obama phones). I'd also point out that it was widely predicted by right-wing bloggers that there would be riots if Zimmerman was acquitted and they didn't materialize. In my opinion, it's jackasses like that who add the most fuel to the fire.

You should carefully reread all my posts in this thread, I'm neither defending the right nor the left's actions. I'm just trying to call it like I see it.

I read your posts carefully the first time. I wasn't implying that you were but I was arguing that you're wrong about the reasons for the increase in racial tensions. In my opinion you're buying into a myth. While your reasons for believing it may be different, it's the same myth. I agree with much of the rest of what you said right up to:

unfortunately I think the economics he is using is flawed.

Actually I agree with you to an extent but if I remember correctly, what you'd likely consider to be more sound economic theory is what I consider to be among the most flawed.

PS: You should study Presidential history a bit more.

Really? I'd have thought that little ad hominem dig was beneath you. I guess I should have been a bit more specific and said, "no modern President." I'm by no means a historian but I'm not ignorant of history either.

a reply to: ProfessorChaos

I don't like Obama but I can't stand mindless hatred.

I see far more mindless hatred than reasoned disapproval.

a reply to: beezzer

I liked the idea of Sarah Palin.

Then she started talking.

originally posted by: ScientificRailgun
a reply to: beezzer

I liked the idea of Sarah Palin.

Then she started talking.

Not very respectful for an elected official.

But I would fight to the death for you to keep your freedom to say what you want to say.

a reply to: ProfessorChaos

Obama apologists? Where? I don't see any.

Oh, you're talking about those of us that are not falling in line and parroting the same propaganda and rhetoric as the brainwashed Right and are willing to put things in to context before bashing the man over the head.....I got ya now.

I guess that means we want to worship at his feet, right?

Please. Utter nonsense.

I can't wait till Obama is out of office so that the Right will finally shut up for once.....or will they?

originally posted by: beezzer

originally posted by: ScientificRailgun
a reply to: beezzer

I liked the idea of Sarah Palin.

Then she started talking.

Not very respectful for an elected official.

Point....missed. Even though she isn't the topic. It's total hatred that the hard right throw at Obama. Palin is merely a joke. To those on the left AND right.

originally posted by: tavi45
a reply to: ProfessorChaos

I don't like Obama but I can't stand mindless hatred.

I see far more mindless hatred than reasoned disapproval.

There's nothing mindless in my dislike of Barack Obama, both as President, and as a person. Just because I can no longer be bothered to enumerate his failings, lies, and base destruction of this country, doesn't mean that I do not have valid reasons to feel the way that I do about him, and his ilk.

Besides, I've been in enough discussions regarding him, to know that his followers will ignore any of his wrong-doing, in order to protect him.

originally posted by: sheepslayer247

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: sheepslayer247

I've noticed a lot of people say that respect must be earned and it not automatically given. I disagree with that. Respect should always be given as a matter of common decency and courtesy and only when someone is not deserving of that respect should it not be given.

I judge any person by their character. Normally when I meet someone new, I give them what I call neutral respect. As in, I will treat them the way I would want them to treat me. From that point, that neutral respect may go up, or it may go down based upon learning more about their character.

When someone lies to me, when someone tells me I have to do things that they would never do, when someone says they will do one thing and then does another, respect has to be earned at that point.

Bush lied, Obama lied, thus neither one of them get my respect.

I can agree with that. Would you be willing to agree that what we see from many on the Right goes well beyond a lack of respect?

Sure I can agree with that. But isn't the two party system becoming so diametrically opposed part of that reason? Can't the same thing be said about the left?

Your either on my team or your wrong?

They have us so conditioned into believing their lies that it is becoming quite predictable on how any election may turn out.

originally posted by: sheepslayer247
a reply to: ProfessorChaos

Obama apologists? Where? I don't see any.

Oh, you're talking about those of us that are not falling in line and parroting the same propaganda and rhetoric as the brainwashed Right and are willing to put things in to context before bashing the man over the head.....I got ya now.

I guess that means we want to worship at his feet, right?

Please. Utter nonsense.

I can't wait till Obama is out of office so that the Right will finally shut up for once.....or will they?

So, let me get this straight, I have sincere feelings of disgust for this man, therefore, I'm brainwashed? You want to re-visit your first sentence again?

Must be from Vancouver. Its legal there. That can be the only answer, this Canadian can't see through the haze.

This article is true.

I'm not that impressed with Obama, but I don't buy into all the propaganda. I actually research stuff. LOL Most people on ATS and on Facebook, just parrot what they hear on the mainstream media. The problem is that, though MSNBC, for one example, leans far left, the rhetoric, for the most part isn't as hateful as the rehetoric coming from Fox News and Talk Radio. The level of hate, just because you heard it from the radio, so it must be true, is astounding.

To put this in perspective. I, run a business and have been a manager of other businesses and coach and involved in education. Nothing ever gets solved or fixed and no progress is ever made on any project or metric if all you do is complain about it and hate people for doing something you don't like.

You actually talk about things in a reasonable way, research stuff, find work arounds, find common ground to work together etc. When you are in business, education, the military etc, Nobody cares if you are a republican or a democrat... that stuff doesn't come up. If you're that divisive and hateful and mean spirited you get kicked off the team, demoted, transfered, fired, expelled, RPCd, replaced etc.

This kind of hatefulness has no use in society.

All the great people that have ever accomplished anything meaningful, although not all nice people, focused on the positive and not the negative.

I don't let these kinds of negative people in my life. I fight against them on here, but that's it. Doesn't take over my life.

I laugh everytime I see someone post a commment from Rush Limbaugh, everytime someone says Obama has ruined the country, every time someone says Obama has trampled the constitution, every time someone says Obama, or Barry or whatever you guys call him. LOL Because not if it's true. You've been brainwashed by the media.. and you don't even know it.

You say appeal ObamaCare because it's done more harm than good, but...show me. I can do a google search and come up with 24 different interpretations, both good and bad. I don't know, and neither do you. You're parroting the talking heads. You say that Obama has ruined the country, but I can show you numbers that show increased manufacturing, lowered unemployment, really good numbers for small businesses, lowered debt and so on. You don't really know what your saying. You say he's trampled the constitution, show me. is it executive orders? He's not that far away from Clinton or Bush's numbers. Do you think they ruined the country?

Let's all get back in to reality. Stop the hate. Stop listening to the hate. Start having some compassion. get up in arms about our black budget and military budget. Help insure our uninsured. treat all people as equal. push green energy, not because of climate change but because it doesn't pollute and other countries are showing that that this energy is powering a large percentage of their countries.

Let's stop listening to hateful retards on the radio and get on with our lives. Yes?