After Obama’s election, Liberals began falling all over themselves, comparing him to Abraham Lincoln.
For example, here’s the plagiarist historian Doris Kearns Goodwin gushing after Obama’s ’08 Inauguration:
And this, from CBS: The Obama-Lincoln Parallel: A Closer Look
But now, with much of the world in chaos (great job, POTUS!), it seemed we would be done with these absurd comparisons.
So, you can imagine my surprise when I recently came across an article in the Investor’s Business Daily, in their “On the Left” column: Obama’s Amnesty Would Be Like Lincoln’s Emancipation, by Charles Lane:
Not since Lincoln pondered his Emancipation Proclamation has a president considered a more sweeping change to membership in the American community than the relief for illegal immigrants that President Obama is contemplating.
Really?
Because never in the history of the United States have we had such a craven Leftist president who cared less about economic relief for its legal citizens.
There is obviously no analogy between slavery and the disadvantages that the undocumented face today. The undocumented arrived voluntarily, searching for a better life. Also, they established residence unlawfully, for which there must be some reckoning.
Thank you, Captain Obvious.
Still, the presence of 11 million people whose labor and cultural contributions benefit the U.S. — yet who exist on the margins of society — creates dilemmas both practical and moral….
The idea behind Obama’s action on immigration, if he attempts it, would be akin to that which drove Lincoln’s action: the president as liberator….
There’s just one problem: Our system does not let the president make laws on his own, no matter how good his intentions….
Problem? No, Mr. Lane, this is not a problem. This is what separates us from becoming a banana republic.
It would bring many hard-working people out of the shadows, turn generations of Latinos into Democrats and secure its author’s place in history….
Yes, it would “secure” Obama’s “place in history” — as the one who presided over the transformation of the U.S.A. from a Constitutional Republic to a failed European-style welfare state.
Related:
Charles Krauthammer: Investor’s Business Daily — Obama’s Coy Threat To Act On Immigration Would Tear Up The Constitution
Warner Todd Huston: Breitbart — NBC: Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ Reminds Us Obama’s Awesome
Thanks, Shifra. How generous of Captain Obvious to acquiesce the reality that illegal aliens were not brought here unwillingly on slave ships. This reminds me of the editorial cartoon ridiculing the need for a border wall comparing it to the Berlin Wall. I used to think leftist tools like that cartoonists and Captain Obvious were just idiots, but I am noticing a pattern here where the leftist media attempts to shut down the correct logical conclusion in order to promote their global third world without borders utopian dream. Thanks to new media, the days of Walter Cronkite are over, and this tactic will not work anymore.
Well said, Rob_W..
Ditto, Rob.
Is it 2016 yet? How much can change in 8 years? Everything.
Lincoln delivered Emancipation Proclamation, 100 days after Gettysburg. OsonotLincoln probably wants a site of violence so he can deliver Amnesty Proclamation. Preferably the border but Ferguson might do. Columnist may be setting the ground.
Correction: 100 days after Antietam.
Shifra, I’m sorry to disagree with you here, but any hypothetical executive order Obama might give to declare a general amnesty would indeed be strongly analogous to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Hear me out.
As Goodwin observes, a president cannot make laws, and the Emancipation Proclamation was not a law. Although it served Lincoln’s purpose to free the slaves, it was technically a war tactic, issued to deprive the South of labor and material needed to maintain its military.
Like Lincoln, Obama is engaged in a war against America. In Obama’s case, this war is against the American heartland. A general amnesty would strain the budgets of the heartland public infrastructure — schools, welfare, police, medical, etc. — which would do much to deprive Obama’s enemies of resources. In the meantime, the amnesty would provide cheap labor for Obama’s corporate allies. It would also shore up Obama’s sagging political base.
It’s worth noting that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation only applied to states in rebellion. It exempted slave-holding states that had not seceded. Thus Obama is following Lincoln’s precedent in protecting his cronies from the impact of his decrees.
You can see that general amnesty is a brilliant military move in Obama’s war, pulling resources away from his enemies, while strengthening his allies. And, like the Emancipation Proclamation, it’s done in the spirit of general enlightenment. Anyone that disagrees is a racist.
Well, Maynard, I’m not a constitutional scholar (although I did stay in a Holiday Inn once 🙂 ) and yes, there are definite parallels between Obama’s amnesty shenanigans and Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. If you read Lane’s entire article, he does address this issue. But I wrote this post because some of his statements really “stuck in my craw.” (And please do not ask me where the craw is located; I have no clue 🙂 )
Ones craw is usually between their watchamacallit and their thingamajig, but knowing you Shifra its probably between your kitandkabootle and your wallawallabingbang.
Shifra, as you are well aware, a large part of the enemy psychological operations are designed to have exactly that stick-in-your-craw effect. And of course our own psych boys do exactly the same thing in reverse. For example, at some level we understand Obama’s vacations and golf games are of no material importance in themselves, and we wouldn’t bat an eyelash if the country were in good shape or moving in the right direction and our otherwise-decent leader needed to blow off a little steam. But the picture of Obama fiddling while Rome burns expresses the spirit of our era, so it’s worth speaking of. (Speaking of Rome burning, I bet Obama’s planning a huge holiday to celebrate the bicentennial of the British burning Washington, coming up in a couple of days.)
But why am I telling you this? You already know it better than I do, being one of our upper echelon psy-ops yourself.
Libs just spew for effect now. Fact, truth and reason are down the road.
About the only thing I see that relates to Abe Lincoln, is Obammy resembles Abe’s donkeys rear end. I think Abe’s donkey was smarter.