RUSH: This Washington Post story: ‘Amid Arab Protests, US Influence Has Waned.’ What this really means is that amid Arab protests, Obama influence has waned. Here’s a brief summary. This story maintains that we have lost on two fronts as a country. We are no longer a force to be dealt with
and that we are no longer the light of freedom to the rest of the world. That’s what this Washington Post story says. And why is that? They don’t say. They just want to blame the country. Why is that? What’s changed? We always have been the light of freedom to the rest of the world. We have always been a force to be dealt with. What’s changed? Clearly it’s Obama. We are not a force to be dealt with. He’s running around apologizing for this country as often as he can, to whoever will listen, no longer the light of freedom to the rest of the world. I mean you can sprinkle in a lot of other socialist Democrats as well.
But here’s a quote from the last line of the story: ‘Nobody’s listening to America anymore. It’s become irrelevant.’ This is some hack in the story. Why is that? Why has America become irrelevant? This is what David ‘Rodham’ Gergen is so worried about when Obama goes out there, makes a speech and tries to take credit for this mob in Cairo, try to get out in front of the mob and make it his. This story’s written by somebody named Liz Sly. Now, this is a news article, not an editorial. However, it reads as an opinion piece from the champions of democracy and the haters of dictators at the Washington Post. Its Dateline is Baghdad. ‘In days gone by, it was pretty much guaranteed that any demonstration in the Arab world would feature burning American flags and a blazing effigy or two of the U.S. president. At the pro-democracy demonstrations on the streets of Cairo and elsewhere –‘ do we know that’s what they are? We don’t yet know that, do we? We don’t know that this is pro-democracy. A lot of people are hoping it is. ‘At the pro-democracy demonstrations on the streets of Cairo and elsewhere –‘ where else is this happening? What am I missing? Yemen, Jordan, is that what she means? ‘– references to the United States have been conspicuously absent, a sign of what some analysts are already calling a ‘post-American Middle East’ of diminished U.S. influence and far greater uncertainty about America’s role.’
Well, now, I would think the Washington Post would be overjoyed at this. Isn’t this exactly what Obama said he wanted? Obama has run around: No longer is the US gonna tell people what they have to do. No longer is the US going to lead the world economically. No longer is the US going to be a dominating influence in the world. Those days are over. Obama has essentially said it in so many words. Isn’t that exactly what the Washington Post wants, or Madam Albright? We need a competing superior. It’s not good that the US is the sole superpower in the world, why, that creates an imbalance, terrible possibilities. Only if you think of the US as a bad guy. See, this is where these people lose us, and I know I speak for you. You and I see nothing wrong with the United States as the lone superpower in the world. We’re the good guys. We’re a force for good. The American people are the solution. We’re not the problem. But to people like Madeleine Albright, and I assume Obama and many of his administration, the United States has been the problem, in way too many places. Why else apologize?
Doesn’t the Washington Post want America to have less say in the world? Don’t they say we should let other countries take the lead for a change? It’s time to get ourselves out of every other nation’s business. Back to the story now: ‘For just as burning flags are not part of the current repertoire, neither are demonstrators carrying around models of the Statue of Liberty, as Chinese activists brought to Tiananmen Square in 1989.’ Yeah, well, look at all the good that did ’em. Just being realistic. Ask China’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate how much good it does to count on the US for support or leadership in the cause of freedom, if you can find him. The ChiComs have him in jail. The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner is in jail. The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner just held a state dinner for the jailer, Hu Jintao.
‘Middle East activists say they avoid references to the United States as a political role model for fear of alienating potential supporters, said Toufan Faisal, a veteran democracy campaigner in Jordan who has been advising young protesters in the Jordanian capital, Amman. ‘I don’t think America appeals to the younger generation,’ she said. ‘I’m cautious not to present them with the American example because there’s a negative attitude to America, a disappointment.” Yeah? What’s changed? The Post writes about this in the most curious of ways. I thought the Statue of Liberty was a symbol about immigration. They revel here in the country being trashed, and if they’re not reveling in the country being trashed they are perplexed as to why it’s being trashed. Either way we scratch our heads. ‘No one yet knows what kind of Middle East will emerge from Cairo’s embattled streets: a newly democratic one, an increasingly radicalized one, or perhaps one in which authoritarian regimes tighten their grip.’ But even though we don’t know, we gotta do it now. That’s what Mr. Obama has decreed. It must proceed immediately. That’s what he said, even though we don’t know what kind of Middle East will emerge.
‘Events in Cairo are unfolding too rapidly to predict, but one possible outcome could be a more visibly anti-American drift.’ The hell you say. A more visible anti-American drift? This, of course, ladies and gentlemen, could be why Mr. Obama wants to rush it through, of course. Well, I know that’s offensive to some, perhaps, to hear that. Remember now we do have a president who runs around apologizing. He does think this country’s transgressed. He does think that we need to be shown a thing or two, learn a couple of lessons. Mainly because, apart from the one and a half billion dollars in aid we give Egypt we haven’t done a whole hell of a lot to enable Mr. Mubarak, and apart from his keeping his hands off Israel, he hasn’t done much to help us, either. In fact, according to former Ambassador John Bolton, Egypt has regularly led the opposition to any American moves in the UN.
The story continues: ‘Reform of a particular sort could actually bolster US interests if it allows more open commerce and development of a strong middle class in societies often split today between a connected rich and a dispossessed poor.’ It sounds like they’re getting exactly what they want over there. Anyway the story goes on and on and on. And as I say, it basically paints this country as a loser, no longer a force to be dealt with, no longer a light of freedom of the world, no longer a force for good. And it’s either that we deserve it or somebody has made it happen, in which case you have to ask who. And I don’t mean Jintao.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: I think maybe the most appalling line in that appalling Washington Post piece is this:
‘America has had its Mideast moments,’ which means America has had our good moments in the Middle East, ‘not the least when Obama took office in 2009, pledging a new era in US relations with the Muslim world.’ Of all the things we’ve done in the Middle East, that’s the thing that stands out to Liz Sly at the Washington Post. Not that we’ve liberated 40 million in Afghanistan and Iraq. Not all the other good works that we have done in the Middle East. No, no! It’s Obama making a speech in Cairo that stands out. The bottom line of that Washington Post piece is that the US needs to change its policy to, ‘Why are we losing?
‘Why are we no longer a light? Why are we looked down upon? It’s because we have Israel as an ally.’ That’s what that piece is all about. She writes a brilliant piece on why we’ve lost it; she just gets it wrong. It’s Obama: why this is no longer a light-of-freedom place. It’s Obama: why the influence is waning. We don’t project power, we don’t do things for good the way we used to. No, this Washington Post piece is all about trying to sever our relationship with Israel. If we do that, then we’re good — and it’s a news story, although it’s not. It’s an editorial disguised as a news story. If we just throw Israel overboard, folks (chuckles), that’s our answer! That’s how we get back our good graces in the world.
All right, here is Peter in Phoenix. Peter, you’re next. Open Line Friday. Great to have you with us.
CALLER: Thanks, Rush. I was also raised in Missouri, what I affectionately call ‘the greatest state in the union,’ and my lifelong Democrat father made the mistake of popping me on a track that only had an AM radio when I was about 15 years old — and, well, he doesn’t have a lifelong Democrat son. My question to you is, in the spirit of Super Bowl week, I kind of got my rooting cap on and they’ve kind of portrayed this problem in Egypt as some sort of blockbuster movie; but I don’t know any of the politics behind it, and I guess my question is: I don’t know who to root for.
RUSH: That’s a great question. It is a great one. Nobody knows who to root for right now. But I’m gonna tell you something. I have taken the counsel of people wiser than I, scholars who have paid attention to this part of the world and have studied our relationship with allies who are dictators, allies who may not pass the moral smell test. But balanced out, there are a lot of people who would think: On this, we need to be rooting for Mubarak.
CALLER: And I’m inclined to agree with you.
RUSH: We need to have rooting for —
CALLER: (crosstalk)
RUSH: If you’re — if you’re —
CALLER: The prices were steady when he was in power.
RUSH: If you are concerned about US national interests, Mubarak seems to be who to root for, and I think that’s why that you see so many people dumping on Mubarak, both in the US media and elsewhere. There are so many people portraying this as a big democracy movement, ‘And that’s why we, the US, we stand for democracy, don’t we? We gotta get behind the protests.’ The Muslim Brotherhood does not equal democracy to me. Sorry, I just don’t get there. They want an Islamic state. The Muslim Brotherhood wants an Islamic state. I don’t know. Iran? Half of Iran? I don’t know. This is all aimed at Israel. Everybody’s got their ammo aimed at Israel over there. That’s what this is all about.
Indianapolis, John, I’ve got one minute and I wanted to get to you. What’s up?
CALLER: I hope the Navy never names any ship after Obama, and if the Navy ever decides to name something after Obama, name an anchor!
RUSH: (chuckling)
CALLER: Because to me, Obama’s no Ron Reagan. He is the gum that’s stuck on the sidewalks of presidents. Have a fantastic Super Bowl, and thanks for all you do. Thank you, sir. Bye.
RUSH: Wow! Now, there is the true illustration of brevity being the soul of wit. Did I hear him right? Don’t ever name a ship after Obama, but name an anchor after him? Now, that’s brilliant. And I’ve never heard that. I’m sure you have. I’m sure for you military people it’s probably a long-held joke: You know, name an anchor after somebody; it’s a new one on me — and boy, does that fit.