Obama in Berlin: A man of many moments - UPDATED

In most colleges, Communications 101 teaches that in order to give a really memorable and meaningful speech, a speaker should have a genuine issue to speak about, and some relevance to the occasion. Think of Reagan hoping to “tear down these walls…” Martin Luther King longing for the day people would be judged not by the color of one’s skin, “but on the content of [one's] character… Churchill pledging victory and offering nothing but “blood, toil, tears and sweat…” Bush vowing to eradicate terrorism with a heart that “…will not tire…will not falter, and…will not fail…”

Senator Barack Obama went to Berlin today, a place to which he had no real connection, to make a speech for no actual reason, on no special occasion, and the speech reflected it. It was a brief speech of many words and a lot of filler.

There was some pretty language; I liked “a people of improbable hope…”

It was nice to hear the Berlin airlift mentioned - a true shining moment in American and USAF history - but Obama seemed curiously flat when describing it, and Berliners had lived through it. I wondered, as I listened, if any of them were thinking, “yeah, don’t bring that up; we don’t want to be reminded that we needed you.”

I give Obama credit for bringing it up, particularly since doing so could not help but make people recall (whether he wanted them to or not) that it was a compassionate and right-thinking America who - quite unlike victors throughout history - saved a vanquished enemy. It was a stark reminder that America-in-Victory builds no empire and asks for no land beyond what she needs to bury her dead; that America - sixty years on - is still fighting for the lives and freedoms of others, still spilling her blood, for human liberty.

And she does it whether anyone will join her in the effort or not. If tomorrow an American President were to say “we go to Dafar” or “we go to Somalia” I truly believe most Americans would say, “yes, let’s go; let’s save those people. Let’s not forget Rwanda and all we did not do, there.”

America does more than take meetings and draft resolutions. She saves; she frees. She doesn’t always do it perfectly, sometimes she makes mistakes, but she puts forward the effort, and she usually succeeds.

Obama was right to suggest that other nations need to do more. But he couched it in language that seemed to apologize for American leadership, and that was both too easy and a tad dishonest. If America had not shown leadership after 9/11, Al Qaeda would have done a great deal more damage than the deplorable bombings in London and Bali - recall, Osama bin Laden and his thugs had attacked American interests and embassies every 18 months or so throughout the 1990’s - instead, the next American president will deal with an AlQaeda that is greatly diminished in power and influence.

Had America not led, this would not be true, and Obama could have said it; it seems like the least a potential president could have done for his country.

Since Obama truthfully did not have a reason to be in Berlin, and nothing much to talk about, parts of his speech became time-killing history lessons or lists of worldly woes. Obama essentially said: “here is a list of everything that’s wrong in the world, and (once I’m president) we’ll fix all of it, with sacrifice and brotherly love.”

Ho-kay! Spoken to a people accustomed to the 35 hour work week, the six weeks holiday, and no desire to form the sort of military that would actually be needed to contribute to all of that world-fixing, because - as we have seen - UN forces, left alone, have proved rather spectacularly ineffective. What exactly will be sacrificed by the beer and bratwust-fed audience Obama addressed today? We don’t know. All we know is that this was the “moment” that they were called on to assist in the quest for hope and change. Or something.

This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink from our responsibility to combat it. If we could create NATO to face down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and Amman; in London and Bali; in Washington and New York.

Actually that “moment” has been 7 successful years in the making, thanks largely to the tongue-tied fella who said he wouldn’t “tire, falter or fail,” and his counterparts in Britain, Germany, France, Canada, Poland, Japan, Australia (until recently) and elsewhere, but why not stick to the narrative and pretend that we’ll only get around to “working together” once a New and Improved American President is finally at the helm?

That line is of a piece with this one:

Generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.

For a young man, Senator Obama certainly has identified and claimed as his own some essential and world-changing moments. How much real momentum he gets from any of them remains to be seen.

Also, apparently, how much cash.

UPDATE: I originally included, but struck from this piece, a line about how much of the speech reminded me of vapid pop-music, particularly “We are the world…” Seems I was not alone in hearing treacle.

Also seems I was not the only one noticing Obama’s many “moments”.

More on the speech & Obama in Germany:
“He’d make a good President of the World”
Ed Morrissey here and here
Shinkwrapped (H/T MOM)
Tom Maguire
Obama’s Berlin Subtext
“My New Messiah!”
Neo-neocon
Powerline here and here
What rising seas? What droughts in Kansas?
Lee Cary compares Obama in Berlin to Sarkozy in America.
“There wasn’t an original thought…”
“…it turns out the vague overture is the entire symphony…”
Ace O’ Spades HQ here and here
Ray Robison

Pajamas Media » Obama’s Hawaiian Dreams of a Denver Nightmare pinged back with Pajamas Media » Obama’s Hawaiian Dreams of a Denver Nightmare
Reaction To Dear Leader’s Speech in Germany–UPDATED « Blog Entry « Dr. Melissa Clouthier pinged back with Reaction To Dear Leader’s Speech in Germany–UPDATED « Blog Entry « Dr. Melissa Clouthier
The Wide Awake Cafe pinged back with Obama: We Must Remake Our World Again
You don’t mind if we actually vote first, do you? « I Think ^(Link) Therefore I Err pinged back with You don’t mind if we actually vote first, do you? « I Think ^(Link) Therefore I Err
Amused Cynic pinged back with Why I’m not writing about Obama these days….
Obama’s Germany Speech | bRight & Early pinged back with Obama’s Germany Speech | bRight & Early

by TheAnchoress @ 9:08 pm. Filed under America, Barack Obama, Bush Good, Election 2008

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16 Responses to “Obama in Berlin: A man of many moments - UPDATED”

Sadie Says:
July 24th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I don’t think it’s true that all an American president has to do is say let’s go to some horrible trouble spot and make it right and we’ll be there. After Iraq? What the dissension and acrimony over that intervention has done to this country? No. There has to be a better reason than it’s just the right thing to do.

But I don’t think we need to worry too much about Obama trying to extend American influence or change the status quo anywhere. Well, except here back home. Probably lots of unfortunate changes ahead for Americans if he gets in. This is a man who thinks $4 for a gallon of gas is a good thing. And that Americans are too comfortable in their warm houses in the winter time. Oh, yes. He’ll be too busy saving us from ourselves to worry about a few tortured, starving dead Africans.
ViolaJ. Says:
July 24th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
I have listened to his speech now a number of times and I agree with you. What exactly was he saying? As always, he has a wonderful way of presenting the speeches he gives. They are very impressive. But what, I wonder, is behind them? What real substance is there really?

I can’t help but worry about my German friends. They are spellbound by this man.
irascibleChef Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Well stated! This is my first time here and I like it quite a bit!

I’m not sure if you noticed during Obama’s speech that he kept saying, “Citizens of the world” this and “Citizens of the world” that, which sounded a little too close to workers of the world unite for me—right out Marx’s handbook!

Checkout the 10 planks of the Communist Manifesto by Marx on Wikipedia and see how similar it is to Obabma’s, Pelosi’s, and Reid’s. Of course you have to use today’s terminology and circumstances, but we are headed in that direction…

Thanks again! I enjoyed my stay!

—IrascibleChef
Obama’s Germany Speech | bRight & Early Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 5:30 am
[...] The Anchoress sums it up well: Senator Barack Obama went to Berlin today, a place to which he had no real connection, to make a speech for no actual reason, on no special occasion, and the speech reflected it. It was a brief speech of many words and a lot of filler. [...]
Amused Cynic » Blog Archive » Why I’m not writing about Obama these days…. Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 7:17 am
[...] Anchoress is also hard to compete with these days, coming up with such elegant gems as this one. Senator Barack Obama went to Berlin today, a place to which he had no real connection, to make a [...]
Hootsbuddy Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 7:26 am
If I might point to another less colorful assesment of the Berlin speech from this humorless, narcissistic, megalomaniac of an Anti-Christ, speaking to a throng of chanting foreigners…in English, mind you, since he’s not multi-lingual as he advocates others should be… which makes him a hypocrite as well (I’m trying to cover a lot of ground here in one run-on sentence), here is a more boring take from a professional poll analyst:

While he didn’t draw any specific contrasts, it is inconceivable that President Bush or Vice President Cheney could have given this speech with its focus on cooperation rather than their usual: “We lead, you follow.” One thing Obama didn’t do is a supply a nice zinger for the history books like John Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” or Ronald Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” For Obama, the real goal was to try to convince Americans that he is “presidential.” We’ll know in a week.
You don’t mind if we actually vote first, do you? « I Think ^(Link) Therefore I Err Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 8:25 am
[...] The Anchoress gets it right in a small little segment. Read the whole thing. Obama essentially said: “here is a list of [...]
ejhill1925 Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 8:29 am
It seems strange that Obama felt that he needed to give Germans a history lesson. If there is a people on this earth more acutely aware of their history than the Germans, I have yet to meet them.
Peter Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Did Obama ask the German’s for their vote in November?
The Wide Awake Cafe » Obama: We Must Remake Our World Again Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
[...] more on the hollow tooth read this offering from The [...]
Reaction To Dear Leader’s Speech in Germany–UPDATED « Blog Entry « Dr. Melissa Clouthier Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
[...] Again: From the Anchoress: Senator Barack Obama went to Berlin today, a place to which he had no real connection, to make a [...]
newton Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
A commenter here just said the word that I was missing: “spellbound.” I just hope that the American people are not that spellbound to vote him into office this November.

If the people are stupid enough to allow this to happen, I don’t know what to do. I can’t live around with people who can’t see the harm coming to them with those “shining lights”.

(Isn’t it funny that the name “Lucifer” means “light-bearer” or “the shining one”?)
irascibleChef Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Newton, be not afraid.

Yesterday, I left someone on the other-side these two thoughts: Why isn’t there a bigger difference in the polls between McCain and Obama—no logical explanation was given.

Second, I’m glad I believe what I believe in because we live in a democracy not a dictatorship and I will be okay either way (There might be some discomfort—I know, but it won’t be the end of the world. I’m concerned with people who see it the rockstar way—like it will be the end of the world if Obama DOESN’T get elected… The problem is that they never admit their idols can do no wrong… Because they refuse to admit they themselves are wrong.

What WILL they do? I know what they did—they were crying and in therapy when GW won his second term, regardless of how smart they were, regardless of how elite and superior they were, regardless of who said they were leaving the country if…
By the way those people, the talkers, they’re all still here.

—IrascibleChef

PS
a note about being wrong. Wouldn’t you have more respect for Obama if you could believe that he was actually happy the surge worked is working? If he came out and said I was wrong about the surge, but I’m glad I was wrong. We are safer because someone else was right and I was able to put politics aside because it’s GOOD for our country that the surge worked. But no, you won’t hear that and I will have less respect because of it.
Terrye Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Too bad he could not spend as much time visiting our wounded troops as he did performing for the foreigners.
irascibleChef Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Terrye, When asked about this B.O. claims the State Department requested that he not visit because it would look like he was campaigning. When further asked about the State Department just requesting no cameras etc. He talked about how he was just at Walter Reed and didn’t bring cameras. He could have and should have—if he had conviction he would have done what was right!

His answers will make sense to those drinking the cool aid, but what was his business speaking to hundreds of thousands of Berliners if not campaigning, even if he said at the beginning of the speech he wasn’t…

—IrascibeChef
Pajamas Media » Obama’s Hawaiian Dreams of a Denver Nightmare Says:
August 11th, 2008 at 2:58 am
[...] “It’s that all he’s got?” More ocean adjustment and invocation of “the moment” would likely bring eye rolls and guffaws, and not much tingling even from the increasingly [...]