Obama Derangement Syndrome
Like the Bush strain before it, Obama Derangement Syndrome is an overly hysterical reaction to what are essentially policy differences. The most recent episode of the podcast I contribute to, Shire Network News, dealt with this very real issue. (And this is a right-leaning podcast; we do police our own.) Talk of a possible military coup because of Obama’s policies is akin to suggesting that Bush would declare marshal law at the end of his term so he wouldn’t have to leave.
As Col. Cucullu, the featured interviewee notes, during at least one time in our history we had a wholly unelected President — Gerald Ford — who first replaced Vice President Agnew, and then got a promotion when Nixon resigned. We had this situation for a few years and yet no tires were burning in the streets. This particular republic has proven to be extremely resilient in the face of strangeness like that
I’d like to point out another, more recent example; Oath Keepers. Founded in March by a former Ron Paul staffer (which, in itself, throws a ‘paul’ over it), it is a group of "non-partisan association of currently serving military, reserves, National Guard, veterans, Peace Officers, and Fire Fighters who will fulfill the Oath we swore, with the support of like minded citizens who take an Oath to stand with us, to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so help us God. Our Oath is to the Constitution." They have a list of 10 specific orders they say they will not obey. (Compare this to the 7 promises that men of the Promise Keepers say they will keep. Odd coincidence there.)
OK, fair enough, although if they swore an oath, and they apparently take it very seriously, why do you need an organization to promote that fact? Following a quote from Gen. George Washington that starts, "The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves…", they say "Such a time is near at hand again." Really? Why didn’t this organization get started any earlier that March, 2009? Did something happen then that caused these people to think that they would need to strive even harder to keep said oaths?
A Presidential inauguration, perhaps, just 2 months earlier? Coincidence? I think not, especially given whom its founder supported in that election. And this from a group calling itself "non-partisan". Here’s an article in the group’s hometown newspaper, Las Vegas. I’ll let you decide how "non-partisan" they are.
This is ODS in action. At best, it’s inappropriate and nonproductive. At worst, it’s wrong and counter-productive. This is America, folks. We can handle this.
Filed under: Doug • Politics • Republicans
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Stuart Rhodes, the founder, in his official capacity at Oath Keepers, endorsed Adam kokesh for Congress. Kokesh is a member of the Iraq Veterans Against the War and was a Ron Paul supporter in the last presidential election. IVAW encourages military members to refuse to serve and deploy to war, so I’m not sure how Oath Keepers can reconcile that endorsement.