Obamateurism of the Day
posted at 8:05 am on July 27, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit finds today’s OOTD, involving a national leader revered by his followers and seemingly infallible and omnipresent. No, not Barack Obama, but Emperor Hirohito, who apparantly snuck onto the USS Missouri to sign the instrument of unconditional surrender 64 years ago. Who knew Hirohito could swim?
“I’m always worried about using the word ‘victory,’ because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur,” Obama told ABC News.
For those “students of history” who know next to nothing about it, the US did not force Hirohito to sign the surrender personally. Hirohito sent his foreign minister and a general. But Obama’s point is ignorant anyway. A war doesn’t need a flashy surrender to end in victory, and even those victories don’t necessarily mean the end of all fighting, either. We had a flashy surrender in Germany, too, and Nazi irregulars continued creating havoc for the better part of two years during the occupation.
A real student of history would know that. For that matter, so did Obama’s rival for the White House, and for good reason. Unfortunately, Obama seems to be more like this student of history:
Addendum: Normally I’d put a link to Chris Muir’s Day by Day site here, but today I want to do more than that. Chris has a fundraising drive to keep his excellent cartoon alive. Be sure to drop a few dollars in his collection to keep one of the Rightosphere’s most talented warriors in the fight!
Blowback
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BHO is piloting our Airplane of State on a kamikazee mission. “Tora! Tora! Tora!”
jgapinoy on July 27, 2009 at 9:51 AM
I think at this point they just make stuff up to teach.
They just take a liberal cause and add “studies” to the end of it.
As for history they go the “true” history route. Or “real” history. Basically they teach history as it would be taught in Moscow.
reaganaut on July 27, 2009 at 9:51 AM
That’s the same power the DC march’s visuals will have. Unprecedented I think. And those visuals will also show imo how white and suburban/rural the protester are. So there will be a racial and ethnic component which will be manipulated by the media imo.
JiangxiDad on July 27, 2009 at 9:52 AM
I would suggest Michelle Malkin’s house for a bbq. My wife makes a good cole slaw. :)
JiangxiDad on July 27, 2009 at 9:54 AM
People have too high a regard for a college education to begin with. aybe years ago it meant something, but since Obama was in college it’s to basically fill in the holes that used to be covered in high school. The Ivy League college being among the worst, “bang for you buck”.
Jeff from WI on July 27, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Maybe
Jeff from WI on July 27, 2009 at 9:56 AM
There is a difference between being educated and being a college graduate. To be educated you need to have been exposed to history, the arts, math, science, etc. In short, you don’t need to be an expert on everything but you need to have enough knowledge to be able to see the big picture and draw your own conclusions by critical thinking.
Obama isn’t educated, he is a college graduate.
highhopes on July 27, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Actually very few are aware of the German ‘werewolves’ program after WWII. The US military forbade any mention of their activities (killing of US troops, co-operative Germans, arsons, etc), and if any werewolves were caught, they were summarily executed by firing squad. Can you imagine the field day that the New York Times would have with that today? Do you think Pinch would feel obligated to co-operate with the military?
GarandFan on July 27, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Probably but, when you think about it, why would a black welfare queen from the inner city be out there protesting the stuff that is at the root of the 9/12 movement? The takers from society only gain under any of the schemes put forth by the filthy liar and liberals in general.
highhopes on July 27, 2009 at 10:04 AM
An understanding of (accurate) history is anathema to liberals. The experiences of history foil liberal agendas at every turn.
Grafted on July 27, 2009 at 10:04 AM
FIFY
chemman on July 27, 2009 at 10:06 AM
I don’t think he, Biden nor the rest of these politicians and journalists are any less ignorant of basic history than most Americans are. And keep in mind many of these people got their basic education from private schools and their college education from private universities. I seriously doubt that if they were home-schooled, prayed every day and studied the Bible rather than the evil Darwin’s theories they’d be any more knowledgeable.
The only history they care about is the history that they make themselves.
Dr. ZhivBlago on July 27, 2009 at 10:19 AM
I firmly believe that conservative philosophy is better for everyone, regardless of race, insofar as it promotes small gov’t and as little interference in one’s life as possible. Everyone who is interested in getting ahead should like that. I don’t wish or want the marches to be all white, but they are likely to look that way. There’s never been a better time to be a minority in America, and I hope people wise-up and grab the opportunities or else pretty soon the whole edifice will come tumbling down.
JiangxiDad on July 27, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Typical behavior of leaders of nations and civilizations that no longer exist.
thomasaur on July 27, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Somehow, I think McCain or Palin would have absolutely no reservation about defining their military objective as “victory.”
cs89 on July 27, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Obama doesn’t like anything about America. He would have preferred to have McArthur or Truman signing a surrender to Emperor Hirohito, in Pearl Harbor.
Star20 on July 27, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Victory may be a stated “objective” but the reality is that there has to be some measurement of what victory is. In WWII victory was “unconditional surrender” but the reality was that both Germany and Japan surrendered with conditions but it was still victory because the primary casus belli had been resolved to the allies benefit.
highhopes on July 27, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Wait, so you’re basing this on a hypothetical?
RufusW on July 27, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Dems and the MSM seem to have the same reaction to The One’s Gaffes:
“Forget it, he’s rolling.”
Come to think of it, they never indicated what state Senator Blutarsky represented? Maybe it was Illinois?
EconomicNeocon on July 27, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Did anyone check his credentials?
BigMike252 on July 27, 2009 at 11:57 AM
I think it depends on what exactly your education is in. Science, physics, engineering, mathematics, etc. You know, the “hard” majors. They mean something. Things like, oh, Afro-American Studies, not so much. Unfortunately, at the Ivy League schools they seem more interested in pushing “Luftmensch” degrees and less so in stuff that can be useful.
Rightwingguy on July 27, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Perhaps Obama flunked history and Columbia and that’s why he won’t release his records!
Christian Conservative on July 27, 2009 at 12:50 PM
This is also why a trump up story of how the Emperor had “no part what so ever” with the Japanese military.
Otherwise the Emperor would have been tried and executed forward crimes.
There was ZERO possibility the Japanese would have surrendered if the thought or believed their God would be executed.
DSchoen on July 27, 2009 at 3:36 PM
Are ya talking about his use of the word “invoke” as opposed to the correct word “evoke”?
Invoke as in
“to call forth or upon (a spirit) by incantation”
“to declare to be binding or in effect: to invoke the law; to invoke a veto”
“to call on (a deity, Muse, etc.), as in prayer or supplication”
Evoke as in
“to call up or produce (memories, feelings, etc.): to evoke a memory”
“to produce or suggest through artistry and imagination a vivid impression of reality: a “short passage that manages to evoke the smells, colors, sounds, and shapes of that metropolis”.
DSchoen on July 27, 2009 at 4:42 PM
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