Vet's comments on Obama

[General Spoon]

or those of us who are interested in what a retired military has to say.

BMC Harold Estes is real. In 2005 he was the president of the Honolulu Council of the Navy League of the United States.

This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii

for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes

all over the country. A humble man without a political bone in his body,

he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now.

He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the

president.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year.

People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain

wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly

before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate.

Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor

allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one,

is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do

but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the

world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:

" We're no longer a Christian nation"

" America is arrogant" - (Your wife even

announced to the world," America is mean-

spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching

that nonsense to 23 generations of our

war dead buried all over the globe who

died for no other reason than to free a

whole lot of strangers from tyranny and

hopelessness.)

I'd say shame on the both of you but I don't think you like America nor

do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do for the obvious gifts

this country has given you To be without shame or gratefulness is a

dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals."

Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that

11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British?

Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man that

500,000 men died for in the Civil War ? I hope you didn't mean the ideal

470,000 fathers, brothers,husbands,and a lot of fellas I knew personally

died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation

push us around because we stand for freedom.

I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than

discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood

when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.

Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I

can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue

..You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of

murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to

jump to conclusions and conde mn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his

fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do

what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college

professor in Massachusetts who was putting up a fight ? You don't mind

offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend

Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are,terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had

to defend your country with your life but you're the Commander-in-Chief

now,son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for

40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're

not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is

not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest

challenge ever presented to any president.

You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our

bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul

of who we are as Americans is our big fight now. And I sure as hell don't

want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.

Sincerely,

Harold B. Estes

When a 95 year old hero of the "the Greatest Generation"

stands up and speaks out like this, I think we owe it

to him to send his words to as many Americans as

we can. Please pass it on.

[Hero]

I'm glad to see this article because it means that I'm not delusional, or at least that I'm not the only one that's delusional in this particular way.

The way I see it, Obama was elected based on his appeal to the far left of mainstream politics, which is still pretty central. He made endless promises about rejuvenating and reshaping everything about America, bigger promises than George W. Bush or Bill Clinton or even Reagan ever made during their campaigns, and 74 percent of voters in my county (93 percent in Oakland) ate it up.

Since then, Obama has done nothing but weaken his own position and debilitate the country, selling out to all kinds of people who he claimed to hate during his campaign, in domestic policy primarily to the big banks that gave his campaign lots in bundled contributions and in foreign policy primarily to Saudi Arabia, Iran and China. I've read literally hundreds of articles and news stories in the last few months that support this view, many of them from sources that support the president.

The worst part is that Barry doesn't even say what he's doing in his myriad speeches. It's the exact same pseudo-intellectual garbage we heard when he was on campaign, presenting himself as the only logical voice. He leaves it to his lieutenants to state his real positions and intentions when anyone does, and lets them take all the fire for it. His origin in tough Chicago politics is apparent, too--he obscures information about his background before he decided to run for president and is the first president in a long time to openly call certain American people and organizations enemies of his administration. Let's not even bring up examples of hypocrisy or lies, then this post would go on for pages.

A bit over a year ago, everyone was asking this question: "Who could ever be worse than George Bush?" Hopefully everyone will have seen the answer to their question by 2012.

Edited November 30, 2009 by Hero

[Phoenix]

Opinions:

Superseding facts since the dawn of man

[BK-201]

Pheonix, I do not see how this is superseding facts since the dawn of man as you have put it. Based on your facepalm it makes it seem like you have a negative view of this letter. Correct me if I am incorrect.

There was an interview done on NPR about how maybe the people who decided where the Olympics should have been held would be more inclined towards Chicago if Obama hadn't gone spreading stories of America's corruption. From my standpoint it seems like all he is doing is piling more debt to counter old debt. Obama should come back to America to do what he promised, fix America, not destroy it by flying expensive luxury flights. It seems to me that he hasn't done good on his promises. We need a comptent leader who will help heal America not destroy it even further.

[Defeatist Elitist]

How about no. I'm not going to say Obama is perfect, but that letter actually somewhat disgusts me.

[BK-201]

I just dislike how Obama says bad things about America.

[Defeatist Elitist]

I just dislike how Obama says bad things about America.

Why though? There are a lot of bad things that are true about America.

[uguu]

I just dislike how Obama says bad things about America.

Acceptance is the first step to solving a problem.

[BK-201]

Not if you repeat for the span of your entire presidency. How about less complaining and more working?

It really is necessary to go over a country on a luxury private plane and complain. What a great sign of humiliation isn't it? To go over to some foreign country on a luxury private plane reserved from you and say that America is overprivlidged. That really sets a great example for every American to follow doesn't it?

Edited November 30, 2009 by BlackKnight666

[Defeatist Elitist]

Not if you repeat for the span of your entire presidency. How about less complaining and more working?

It really is necessary to go over a country on a luxury private plane and complain. What a great sign of humiliation isn't it? To go over to some foreign country on a luxury private plane reserved from you and say that America is overprivlidged. That really sets a great example for every American to follow doesn't it?

...

Dude, that's what a lot of world leaders do. At least he's doing something. As I said before, he's far from perfect, but I hate this polarizing effect were people either think he's a God or some sort of devil.

The admission that the United States has problems is a good thing. And that's not like it's all he's doing. He does other crap too. I agree he could be doing more working, but since every single thing he does is opposed harshly and bitterly and dragged out by his political opponents, its no wonder he can't get anything done. He has done things so far though.

Edited November 30, 2009 by ZXValaRevan

[BK-201]

It is a bit more like me disagreeing with his policies. I will admit that. But going off to other countries saying how screwed up our nation is doesn't attract much sympathy. I think I'm still angry over the Nobel Prize.

[Esau of Isaac]

It is a bit more like me disagreeing with his policies. I will admit that. But going off to other countries saying how screwed up our nation is doesn't attract much sympathy. I think I'm still angry over the Nobel Prize.

Which he clearly plotted to obtain. What an evil son of a bitch.

[Hero]

Why though? There are a lot of bad things that are true about America.

I'll be the first to agree with you. America has done a lot of outright despicable things over the past couple of generations, in my view. I'm also not a big fan of where the American culture has been going in that same time. It's one thing for a president to recognize the problems his country has and explain how he intends to tackle them, it would be wrong if that didn't happen. But for the president to accuse his predecessors and constituents of being responsible for every problem he faces and every bad thing that has been done in the name of the government when he doesn't exactly have a clean past himself is going too far, it cuts national unity, nurtures the American inferiority complex and grows his own cult of personality even more.

The worst part about it is that what Obama expresses a very warped perception of what's evil and what's not. He is completely unrepentant when it comes to things like the US funding of mujahedin terrorists around the world until the 1990s or the US-driven bombing and destruction of Yugoslavia. He also became a mass murderer of civilians himself within his first month in office.

...

Dude, that's what a lot of world leaders do. At least he's doing something.

I would prefer if he did nothing over what's happening, personally. I think that even Bush's policies were better, when it comes to things that affect my life. A big proportion of the reforms and "urgent action"s Obama's been pushing are really aimed at rewarding the ones who funded his campaign and likely will do the same in 2012 or at consolidating his political support. Major Democrats have openly admitted that the whole cap and trade deal is aimed at expanding the business at places like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and the New York Stock Exchange. The bailouts were the same, and the trillion dollar stimulus package was the realization of practically every Congressman's pet projects before it was anything else.

As I said before, he's far from perfect, but I hate this polarizing effect were people either think he's a God or some sort of devil.

Barry brought that on himself when he made his extravagant campaign promises. If he hadn't presented himself as the next FDR and Abraham Lincoln in one, he wouldn't have disappointed people nearly as much. It's easy to trust him and assume good faith because he's still president and still defending himself, but we'll see what his legacy looks like in twenty years. Unless he turns around people will be calling him the next Jimmy Carter in his foreign policy and the next Herbert Hoover in his domestic policy.

Edited November 30, 2009 by Hero

[Altera the Hun]

It is a bit more like me disagreeing with his policies. I will admit that. But going off to other countries saying how screwed up our nation is doesn't attract much sympathy. I think I'm still angry over the Nobel Prize.

Which he clearly plotted to obtain. What an evil son of a bitch.

I don't think he even knew he was nominated for it when it was awarded to him.

As for the letter, props to the writer. I'd say chainmail the letter and spam the White House with it, but that wouldn't be doing it or the writer justice.

[Phoenix]

Pheonix, I do not see how this is superseding facts since the dawn of man as you have put it. Based on your facepalm it makes it seem like you have a negative view of this letter. Correct me if I am incorrect.

There was an interview done on NPR about how maybe the people who decided where the Olympics should have been held would be more inclined towards Chicago if Obama hadn't gone spreading stories of America's corruption. From my standpoint it seems like all he is doing is piling more debt to counter old debt. Obama should come back to America to do what he promised, fix America, not destroy it by flying expensive luxury flights. It seems to me that he hasn't done good on his promises. We need a comptent leader who will help heal America not destroy it even further.

Look, man. Obama is the kind of person you either love or hate. I too am struggling to remain neutral on the Obama issue. My only strategy is to ignore it altogether and just distracting my self with other things like Fire Emblem.

When I say Opinions supersede facts, I'm pretty much agreeing with the RevMan in the fact that even though he's not a Saint, he's not a devil either. Personally, I'm a conservative by nature, and so I'll probably never agree with him on many issues, but I don't like the fact that the country is INDEED POLARIZED on him so much. 45% Worship him, 45% Hate his guts, and 10% just don't f*cking care anymore.

Also a question. How on earth do you expect him to fix the country's problems in one year? How do you expect him to fix them in two years? I'll have you know, that if I could finish writing my Fire Emblem sequel in only three more weeks(instead of the estimated three months), I would... but that would be damn near impossible. Did people actually get duped into thinking that the economy would jump back up the second Obama sat down in the oval office? The truth is, Obama's promises are based on an EIGHT YEAR run as president, because it's going to take at least that long for him to fix anything. You want change? Then keep him in office for the next eight years and hope the change is good :)

[Hero]

Also a question. How on earth do you expect him to fix the country's problems in one year? How do you expect him to fix them in two years? I'll have you know, that if I could finish writing my Fire Emblem sequel in only three more weeks(instead of the estimated three months), I would... but that would be damn near impossible. Did people actually get duped into thinking that the economy would jump back up the second Obama sat down in the oval office? The truth is, Obama's promises are based on an EIGHT YEAR run as president, because it's going to take at least that long for him to fix anything. You want change? Then keep him in office for the next eight years and hope the change is good :)

I never expected much from Obama in 2008, I knew enough not to take his campaign promises seriously. But a lot of people did take them seriously, maybe because they were big promises. I don't think he could have ever gotten so many people so enthusiastic for his campaign if he had just repeated Clinton, Gore and Kerry's narrative again. It didn't work for Hillary Clinton.

A lot of those people who were so enthusiastically for Obama are disappointed now because they can see that in a lot of ways the situation is worse now than it was in 2008. Others are still content, telling us to give him time, but it seems to me like Obama was talking about dramatic turnarounds and visible results clear up to the point when a lot of his efforts, including the famous health care reform, got bogged down during the summer.

[BK-201]

He got his Nobel Prize days into his presidency in which he did a grand total of NOTHING. They awarded him on the basis that "it's the thought that counts". If he can get a Nobel Prize for thinking about peace then I should be getting one soon. If he had been nominated after he did something useful then I would be satisfied.

At Pheonix, I am not going to stand for another four years of a president saying "America is terrible" while the country is in turmoil. He needs to take action, not go around on luxury private jets to tell how sucky America is.

[Defeatist Elitist]

Also a question. How on earth do you expect him to fix the country's problems in one year? How do you expect him to fix them in two years? I'll have you know, that if I could finish writing my Fire Emblem sequel in only three more weeks(instead of the estimated three months), I would... but that would be damn near impossible. Did people actually get duped into thinking that the economy would jump back up the second Obama sat down in the oval office? The truth is, Obama's promises are based on an EIGHT YEAR run as president, because it's going to take at least that long for him to fix anything. You want change? Then keep him in office for the next eight years and hope the change is good :)

I never expected much from Obama in 2008, I knew enough not to take his campaign promises seriously. But a lot of people did take them seriously, maybe because they were big promises. I don't think he could have ever gotten so many people so enthusiastic for his campaign if he had just repeated Clinton, Gore and Kerry's narrative again. It didn't work for Hillary Clinton.

A lot of those people who were so enthusiastically for Obama are disappointed now because they can see that in a lot of ways the situation is worse now than it was in 2008. Others are still content, telling us to give him time, but it seems to me like Obama was talking about dramatic turnarounds and visible results clear up to the point when a lot of his efforts, including the famous health care reform, got bogged down during the summer.

He got his Nobel Prize days into his presidency in which he did a grand total of NOTHING. They awarded him on the basis that "it's the thought that counts". If he can get a Nobel Prize for thinking about peace then I should be getting one soon. If he had been nominated after he did something useful then I would be satisfied.

At Pheonix, I am not going to stand for another four years of a president saying "America is terrible" while the country is in turmoil. He needs to take action, not go around on luxury private jets to tell how sucky America is.

You guys are still somewhat ignoring the fact that when he DOES try to do ANYTHING to change, he is met with massive outbursts. If I were him, I would probably just try to shove it through, the Right Wing be damned, but he seems to want to try to appease them, which isn't inherently wrong.

Basically, you hate him because he's not doing anything, and a lot of people hate him because he's even considering doing something. Do you see how this is a difficult position?

Edited November 30, 2009 by ZXValaRevan

[Rehab]

Him getting the Nobel was a result of the Nobel Committee not having a lot of tact. For a person in a position of power who's going to get hurt somehow for taking a direct side on any issue, it's a much more awkward thing to have dropped on you than you'd think.

[Doom103]

If there is something I love its this country and everything that red, white and blue flag stands for.

Look I like Obama, he isn't a dumb guy and I like his character, but he hasn't done shit. O think he should take the advice from this guy.

And not once did he say Obama you suck or your terrible

This guy has a point in what he is saying. It even made me tear a bit at parts. This country means alot to me. Its worth dieing for.

[Meteor]

This letter seems pretty retarded to me. This part is the best:

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.

Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I

can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue

..You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of

murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

Start acting American? Is Obama not American enough because he's not blinded by pride? Not American enough because he shows respect and human decency to other world leaders? Leading by example is a perfectly valid alternative to leading by force.

When your battle-hardened field General asks you for

40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're

not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is

not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

First: I'd love to know how we're supposed to 'win' a fight against an idea. Apparently it's a cause worth forty thousand lives.

Second: Obama has repeated that he does intend to "get out" of Iraq. However, there are still pieces to pick up from the wreckage Bush left.

[BK-201]

There is a song that goes along the lines of "keep old friends, and make new friends. One is silver and the other is gold". Obama is clearly degrading us by going over foreign countries and saying how bad America is. Decency is not something that should be directed at one group but to a population. Is decency really the equivalent of going over to other countries and degrading one's nation?

[Hero]

This letter seems pretty retarded to me.

That's okay, from this post you do too.

Start acting American? Is Obama not American enough because he's not blinded by pride? Not American enough because he shows respect and human decency to other world leaders?

Estes is referring to a couple of now-famous incidents. One is where Barack Obama bowed to the Emperor of Japan. Normally this would be no big deal, a bow is comparable to a handshake in Japan, right? In this case, though, Barry bowed deeply from the waste and was answered by only a slight nod of the head, the way superiors have bowed to their inferiors in Japan for hundreds of years. As America's head of state, Obama is legally on the same level as the Japanese Emperor, who is head of state of a country which according to international law has the same status as the USA.

Worse yet, and this is probably what's really digging at Estes, Obama groveled before the King of Saudi Arabia, and didn't even receive a nod in return. That isn't showing respect and human decency to a world leader, it's kowtowing to the monarch in charge of one of the most evil countries to exist during my lifetime. Bush also visited Saudi Arabia a few times, unfortunately, but he never would have bowed to its King in a hundred years.

I'll leave you to ponder what the consequences of showing subservience to countries like Saudi Arabia are.

Leading by example is a perfectly valid alternative to leading by force.

I don't get it, are we all supposed to grovel in front of Islamist fascists now?

First: I'd love to know how we're supposed to 'win' a fight against an idea.

We'll never permanently win in Afghanistan with the way things are going right now, but a unilateral withdrawal from Afghanistan and Pakistan is just about the worst thing Obama could do right now in terms of the global war on terror. I have a couple ideas that I think might lead to a victory in those regions, but for political reasons none of that is about to happen. The best thing I see as realistically possible is for US forces to continue to secure border crossings and the big cities, as well as smashing the Taliban whenever it does something stupid. If this requires 40,000 new soldiers to be recruited and trained, it's well worth it. Better yet, transfer some soldiers from useless deployments like in Italy, Germany, Japan and Eastern Europe. It would be possible to get more than 40,000 extra personnel to Afghanistan if Obama just took the main body of the US forces out of those regions.

Even if Afghanistan will never be anything other than a second Vietnam war I'd like to see these soldiers used in the place of UAVs. Drones controlled by launching rockets that kill huge numbers of civilians who likely have no ties to the enemy is one of the worst decisions the US government has ever made, PR-wise. It's like something from the Galactic Empire. When I call Obama a great murderer, it's in reference to the many UAV strikes he's orders.

Apparently it's a cause worth forty thousand lives.

You got it. It's hard to see from the Western hemisphere, but Islamist terrorist groups like Al Qaida are trying to kill people like me. In my opinion, launching the global war on terror is the best thing the United States has done militarily since 1945. Now if only it hadn't been bungled since 2001....

Second: Obama has repeated that he does intend to "get out" of Iraq. However, there are still pieces to pick up from the wreckage Bush left.

The Obama policy is certainly a better one for American soldiers there, since they're no longer being given so many impossible orders, but I'd say things are a lot more chaotic and unsafe today for the average Iraqi than they were in 2006. Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia are sending arms and trained men to terrorist factions just as much now as they were when Bush was in charge, the only difference is that American soldiers are no longer standing in the middle of everything.

[Phoenix Wright]

Start acting American? Is Obama not American enough because he's not blinded by pride? Not American enough because he shows respect and human decency to other world leaders?

Estes is referring to a couple of now-famous incidents. One is where Barack Obama bowed to the Emperor of Japan. Normally this would be no big deal, a bow is comparable to a handshake in Japan, right? In this case, though, Barry bowed deeply from the waste and was answered by only a slight nod of the head, the way superiors have bowed to their inferiors in Japan for hundreds of years. As America's head of state, Obama is legally on the same level as the Japanese Emperor, who is head of state of a country which according to international law has the same status as the USA.

Worse yet, and this is probably what's really digging at Estes, Obama groveled before the King of Saudi Arabia, and didn't even receive a nod in return. That isn't showing respect and human decency to a world leader, it's kowtowing to the monarch in charge of one of the most evil countries to exist during my lifetime. Bush also visited Saudi Arabia a few times, unfortunately, but he never would have bowed to its King in a hundred years.

I'll leave you to ponder what the consequences of showing subservience to countries like Saudi Arabia are.

I agree with you here one-hundred percent. It's just my stupid fifteen year-old American pride, but I would never bow to anyone (if I was the President) and receive only a nod in return. Honestly, fuck that. I would never act as if I am some other monarch's subordinate. Again, just my stupid fifteen year-old pride, but Obama really should never have done that to either monarch. Not only does it show a sign of weakness, it gives a sign of vulnerability.

[BK-201]

Now that Obama is in office it seems every nation is starting to disrespect us. Groveling at the feet of equals is just wrong. There should be a mutual gesture of appreciation not us bowing down and licking their feet.