Though President Obama and his administration are critical of the French left-wing magazine Charlie Hebdo, they share a common objective. Both seek to ridicule and undermine ideologies and convictions that do not fall in line with their own.
In the aftermath of the terror attacks in Paris, the White House taught the free world a surprisingly acerbic lesson — like Charlie, President Obama’s brand of lampoon can be repulsive.
The White House’s brazen absence from France’s unity rally highlighted the sardonic enigma Obama poses to the world. For America’s allies, Obama’s actions and words must feel a lot like satire. The president’s provocative irony and double meanings have long pervaded his plot.
Concerning terrorism, Obama famously refuses to associate terror with Islam. He publicly scoffs at the idea that ISIS is Islamic, yet meanwhile, his administration insists terrorists at Gitmo be treated like (legitimate) Muslims. Everyone knows that the inmates are provided Korans, prayer rugs, and an Islamic diet. The prisoners even have exercise equipment made in the Islamic world because they refused to use anything made by infidels (well, alleged infidels since terrorists are not actually Islamic).
Nevertheless, in case Obama’s message remains murky, his administration also took extensive steps to ensure the Muslim world knew that Osama Bin Laden’s burial abided by Islamic law. A curious measure since the terrorist mastermind — according to Obama — “[was] irreconcilable…with Islam.”
Amazingly, the Muslim world voices no objection to Obama gratifying the murderers he accuses of perverting the peaceful religion. What ordinarily would look like insulting sarcasm isn’t what it appears, not with Obama anyway. Instead, treating savage killers as if they were (legitimate) Muslims is how Obama apparently shows respect to Islam and its prophet. This concept simply goes over the head of the average American (a common hazard with satire).
As a result of our own ignorance, Obama’s rebuff of the unity rally in France obviously seemed like an intentional dis towards America’s allies and a symbolic bow to the Islamic world. In reality, however, not sending anyone to represent America was merely the simple mistake that any leader of the free world could have made — except all the other leaders of the free world were present and accounted for.
Seriously, on top of that misunderstanding, who would ever suspect that sending folk singer James Taylor to pacify the people of France with a mawkish song about friendship might be interpreted as a symbolic exclamation mark to a nasty snub (i.e. Obama’s absence)?
Let’s just be glad the president has put that controversy to bed. Now, he can focus on the safety of our troops again. Granted, the president continues to mock the (pseudo-Islamic) terrorists publicly by reminding them they are not legitimate Muslims. But it’s nice to know that he will at least go after American journalists if they publish something that might provoke the jihadist impersonators to attack our military members. Like White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said, “The president…[has an obligation]… to advocate for the safety and security of our men and women in uniform.”
We all know how seriously Obama takes his responsibilities.
By now, most of us also realize President Obama considers himself the master of verbal irony (not to be confused with lying). He almost always means the exact opposite of what he actually says. Understanding his technique helps to decipher why he said that “no challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change” during his State of the Union speech.
What he may have been trying to say is what Israel also exposed this week. Iran has new intercontinental missile silos and a new ballistic missile. Obviously, if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon the world’s climate will change. This might be why Obama added, “the Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security. We should act like it.” A nuclear explosion would certainly heat things up. I am sure this is what Mr. Obama was implying. He just doesn’t like to scare people.
In fact, climate change may be Obama’s new euphemism for terrorism. It would not be the first word he has redefined. America and ally are two other examples. Then again, trying to make sense out of Obama’s satirical presidency is no laughing matter.
The president’s radical vision of the world certainly seems absurd, but not taking him seriously is proving to be an embarrassing and dangerous global mistake.
