My goal as an opinion columnist is to make you feel as uncomfortable as I possibly can about your own beliefs, specifically about your political beliefs, which-unlike religion and culture-have a direct effect on my life. And, from intellectual property to Israel , I hope I’ve done that for you this semester. I hope each of you has read one of my columns and then began to question the toughness of your ideals, at least for one second.
If that rings true, I’ve done my job.
I explained in this newspaper the disturbing lack of information behind the minds propelling the Kony 2012 campaign. Among other things, I mention how Joseph Kony hasn’t been in Uganda since 2006 and how the Ugandan military-the organization to which Invisible Children suggests we provide weapons and money-grew its power through the use of child slavery and continues to this day to torture and maim its own citizens for play.
I woke up to an unfortunate sight this weekend: hanging from various light poles around my neighborhood were little posters in support of Kony 2012. Despite the internet’s grid being full of information about the organization’s illegitimacy, a few idiotic souls still insist upon following the now-infamous public masturbation expert named Jason Russell.
Likewise, it is similarly disturbing to hear my peers drone on and on (pun clearly intended) about the virtue of voting for the Obama administration’s continued attacks-foreign and domestic-on our Constitution and lives under the guise of civility and peace.
The reason I’d prefer to hang out with Republicans than Democrats is not that I extol their ideals as being worthy of the White House but merely that they have to openly admit their corruption. George Bush, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney-they’ll all quite openly corrupt, yet Barack Obama does the same things and the population bows to him.
It’s almost humorous Obama’s campaign trail began with massive donations from Goldman Sachs, J.P . Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup-$2.9 million, to be exact. But I suppose that’s not too much money to donate when your candidate votes to bail you out with billions of dollars in taxpayer money.
A few years ago, Obama explained to Joe the Plumber how ” when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody .” People were scared he’d steal money from the rich and give it to the poor, but he ended up just stealing money from the middle class and then giving it the rich. Corporatism, not socialism, has been Obama’s glowing economic plan.
Both ideologies are antithetical to the free market.
And tell me again how Obama has been any different than George W. Bush in the foreign policy arena. The current president tried to extend US presence in Iraq, but failed after insisting American soldiers receive immunity from prosecution. Then he got mad and vastly increased the number of drone strikes in Pakistan, making sure to assassinate an American citizen (and his 16-year old son ) in Yemen on the way there.
In all sincerity, I hope you younger progressives will give Ron Paul a chance. Obama tends to do the Progressive-talk, but he does the Republican-walk better. You may currently believe Obama had no choice in these matters, but it’s clearly evident he’s had the option to change things all along.
“The Republicans won’t let him,” is a ridiculous excuse for a man in complete control of the military for three years straight.
As for me, it’s Ron Paul or bust. At least I’ll be able to sleep at night.
