14 November 2009

Castro, like other two bit dictators, get giddy thinking about Obama! #tcot #iamthemob #glennbeck

HAVANA – Think you're obsessed with President Barack Obama and the many challenges he faces at home and abroad?

Well, you're not alone.

Fidel Castro appears to have a fascination with the American leader that would make Obama Girl jealous, writing obsessively not only about his politics, but of his youth and vigor.

And unlike with past American heads-of-state — he slammed President George W. Bush as a genocidal drunk — Castro seems to genuinely like the fresh face in Washington.

Since handing over the Cuban presidency to his brother in February 2008, the 83-year-old has continued to publish his thoughts in essays called "Reflections of Comrade Fidel," which are dutifully printed in state media and read repeatedly on government-controlled radio and television.

Hardly a week goes by without a mention of his nemesis to the north, the most recent on Thursday. In an opinion piece that took up an entire newspaper page, Castro waxed philosophic about everything from Obama's Asia trip to his prospects for re-election.

Last month, Castro pronounced it a good thing that the American president was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In September, he termed Obama's call-to-action on global warming courageous.

"It really is an obsession," said Ann Louis Bardach, a longtime Cuba observer and author of the recent book, "Without Fidel: A Death Foretold in Miami, Havana and Washington."

She noted that Castro confessed to being riveted by coverage of Obama's January inauguration, which he told visiting Argentine President Cristina Fernandez made him very happy.

Obama Girl, a.k.a. model Amber Lee Ettinger, sang of her crush on the presidential candidate in bit of political satire that went viral on the Internet.

"I think he has genuine appreciation for Obama," Bardach said. "He sees in him a charismatic politician and brilliant strategist, and he admires that. Obama is a guy who came from nowhere and wasn't part of the establishment, just like Castro."

Opining on the actions of U.S. leaders is nothing new for Castro, who came to power when Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the Oval Office and has been on the world stage long enough to see 10 other presidents in the same chair.

But in less than a year of near-constant commentary, Castro has called Obama intelligent, sincere, serene, courageous, honest and well-meaning. He praised his work ethic, pondered the historical nature of his barrier-shattering election and fretted that he might face assassination.

"I really hate to criticize Obama," Castro began apologetically in Thursday's column. "And I realize that that job in the United States is a giant headache."

Castro writes that he is impressed by the scope of Obama's agenda in Asia. The trip is scheduled to take the president to Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea for bilateral meetings with world leaders and to participate in two regional summits.

"Perhaps no other U.S. president would be capable of committing to such an intense schedule," said Castro, who was known in his youth for his extraordinary stamina — particularly when on the stump.

Still, the former Cuban leader can't help scolding Obama for continuing what he says is a U.S. tradition of strong-arm tactics and trickery. Castro criticizes him for maintaining the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay and for a pact with Colombia that allows American soldiers increased access to seven military bases in that country.

Some U.S. officials are skeptical of Castro's motives, noting the Cuban leader cannot be too critical of the first African-American president, who is wildly popular among Cuba's population. He also has had to formulate a fitting response to Obama's change in tone.

The American leader came to office promising to extend a hand of friendship to America's adversaries, but he has moved cautiously so far on Cuba. The administration has softened U.S. rhetoric toward the island and loosened some travel restrictions. But Obama has said he has no plans to lift Washington's 47-year trade embargo unless the single-party, communist state accepts some political, economic and social changes.

Cuba has indicated it has no plans to do anything of the sort, but that hasn't stopped the warm words.

By the end of Thursday's opinion piece, Castro seemed to have made up his mind: Obama is not perfect, but he's a lot better than the alternative.

Meaning to Castro that he won't last long atop the empire.

"Soon, the ultra-right of the United States will try to limit (Obama's) rule to four years," Castro warned, looking to 2012. "A Nixon, a Bush or somebody like Cheney will be the new president, and then the purpose of these unjustifiable military bases that threaten the peoples of South America will be very clear."

If two bit dictators are all obsessed with Obama shouldn't that be a concern for freedom loving Americans?

Posted via web from conservativedynamics's posterous

13 November 2009

Chinese greet 'Oba Mao' - If the Chicoms love him, that should raise serious concerns!! #tcot #glennbeck #iamthemob

BEIJING (AP) - The Chinese have learned English from his speeches and celebrated the way he rolls up his sleeves. Now President Barack Obama is finally coming, and he's being greeted with "Oba Mao" T-shirts and a statue of him that bursts into flames.

Sunday's arrival of a U.S. president admired for his charisma is already a source of profit and brief fame for some Chinese.

Strangest is the burning Obama, tucked away in a Beijing warehouse. Artist Liu Bolin hopes Obama can take time from his visit to drop by.

"He's so hot right now, so I wanted to translate that through my work," said Liu, who was inspired by the idea of the first black U.S. president.

The bronze Obama bust is modeled on Time magazine's "Man of the Year" cover and is speckled with holes for gas that ignites every couple of minutes.

It's a positive work, Liu said.

"Yes, setting something on fire can have negative connotations, but this piece represents energy and life that Obama has given to the world," said the 38-year-old, who made a similar piece for former revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.

"We're eager to see what he can do for China and U.S. relations."

One Beijing shop owner wanted to see what Obama could do for sales. Liu Mingjie created "Oba Mao" T-shirts, with the president wearing the uniform of the Red Guards, who caused chaos during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s.

"It's just kind of avant garde," Liu said of the images, saying they were no longer political, just fashion.

He sold hundreds of the shirts, to both foreigners and Chinese, until authorities told shops selling the shirts to stop.

"They're not allowed to sell these things because there are images of Obama wearing the uniform of the Red Army," a woman answering the phone at the Dongcheng district Administration for Commerce and Industry said Thursday.

Other inspired salesmen have used Obama for product "endorsements." One was for a knockoff handheld called the BlockBerry. Although the photo of the president showed his American flag lapel pin on backward.

Obama will have no trouble being recognized in China. He's been the top-ranked foreigner in searches on Baidu, China's leading search engine—No. 22 as of Thursday morning.

But it will take more than making United States history and winning a Nobel Peace Prize to make him a superstar.

"He's special for the Americans, but definitely not for the Chinese," said Shen Dingli, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. "On the contrary, we are always influenced by the tone of government-monitored media."

That media, so far, has not played up Obama's visit with the breathlessness of U.S. media—or of Chinese media whenever President Hu Jintao leaves the country.

"He's coming?" asked one clerk at a state-run Xinhua Bookstore, which displayed biographies of Obama and his wife, Michelle, as well as collections of his speeches.

At newsstands in the past week, Obama could be found on the cover of just one magazine: Men's Health.

At Beijing's epicenter of kitsch, the Silk Street market, shop girls giggled at requests for Obama products.

"Obama! She wants Obama!"

"I'm Chinese, I only pay attention to Chinese."

"I don't know him."

"No one have," a young man in a T-shirt stall said in English, before switching to Chinese. "Mao sells better."

___

Associated Press writer Chi-Chi Zhang and researchers Xi Yue and Yu Bing in Beijing and Ji Chen in Shanghai contributed to this report.


Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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If he had done that burning statue thing here in America he'd have Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson picketing in front of his home. Not to mention the NAACP, and he'd most likely be charged with a hate crime!!
Reply
3 replies · active 3 hours ago
We have images of Obama that we set fire too.
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2 replies · active 3 hours ago
Barak H. Obama, will you please go now? Go to China. I don't care how. Let us real Americans reset back to the Constitution!
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0 replies · active 6 hours ago
Liu Mingjie created "Oba Mao T-shirts, with the president wearing the uniform of the Red Guards"(ANNA).

Not to far from the Truth!

In the words of John Adams "In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress” (John Adams 1735 - 1826).

Reply
1 reply · active 5 hours ago
We have a fake Obama too.
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1 reply · active 4 hours ago
I just love obomber. I can't wait until he puts us all in jail. It will be a privilege to be a political prisoner under such a charasmatic tyrant!
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1 reply · active 24 minutes ago
Oba Mao sounds about right. They would be a great hit with the far-left too who have always liked Communist dictators. With any luck, Mao's and Obama's face will be on the some shirt and let that float around the net.
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0 replies · active 6 hours ago
People and their Obama worshiping... That’s weapons grade stupidity right there.
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3 replies · active 1 hour ago
In honor of Obama's visit to China, they have come up with a dish called Barack Chicken. It's a all dark meat, with many garnishes, but no real substantive flavor.
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1 reply · active 7 minutes ago
Hey Oba-Mao, why don't you stay over in China, and take Miss Blinky Botox Pelosi with you. Apparantly they LOVE naive, tyrannical, Leftists. And they are experts at imposing the government's propaganda and will (oh, sorry, the People's will) on their population, so you'll fit right in. And "special to Americans"? Are you kidding me? With a 46% approval rating, he's special allright. Besides being the cult-leader of a bunch of whiny, pseudointellectual crybabies, he a special disappointment for the majority of us.
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0 replies · active 6 hours ago
"Oba Mao"? Don't they sell those t-shirts in the U.S.? I thought they did. I've certainly seen his name written as such.

BTW --- anyone know what the "agenda" is on his Asian Tour? Just seeing the world while campaigning for King of The World or is there an apology he hasn't made yet?

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1 reply · active 4 hours ago
"mmm mmm mmm Mao Zedong Obama."

Fitting given his vision for America and his use of children to promote his vision while he is indoctrinating them.

Mao would be pleased.

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1 reply · active 6 hours ago
Are these statues, perchance, available as a set -- one for burning and one for hanging? Sign me up!
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1 reply · active 4 hours ago
Let's see here. In one day I've seen an article that discusses Castro's Man Crush on Obama and that the Chinese make what they see as a flattering comparison between Obama and Mao.... I find it funny that Americans can be so blind to the realities of who exactly this man in the White House is when it is so obvious to the rest of the world that he is a fascist/socialist (soon to be if he has his way) dictator bent on making this the United Socialist States of America.
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1 reply · active 4 hours ago
So what if the Chinese have flaming ObaMAO?

We have Obama the Chia Pet.

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1 reply · active 5 hours ago
Oba Mao is totally appropriate to celebrate "the coming" of Barack Obama. Mao is in the marxist pantheon of heroes and Barack even used a mythic marxist expression in his inauguration speech when the referred to "the long march", usually used by marxists in reference to Mao's commie hordes migration from western China in WWII to the Pacific and takeover of China in 1949. Most americans probably didn't catch "the long march allusion" in Obama's speech, or thought he was talking about civil rights, but I'm sure every Chinese listening did, as did all those graying radicals who read Mao's little blue book on campus in the 1960s.

Barf, barf. And barf.

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2 replies · active 1 hour ago
Funny is that no one is surprised.

Takes a red to grow a red.

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0 replies · active 5 hours ago
Mao, Mao, Mao, Mao

The secret ingredient in a Flaming Mao-Obama....Cough Syrup!!

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

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1 reply · active 5 hours ago
"That media, so far, has not played up Obama's visit with the breathlessness of U.S. media..." Boy, doesn't that reference say it all - breathlessness. Seems much of the US media is suffering from serious oxygen deprivation in this baselessly protracted `honeymoon' with the Obamas.
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0 replies · active 5 hours ago
Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm

Liar, Liar Whole Body's On Fire!

Reply
2 replies · active 47 minutes ago
We know he's a flaming marxist. His father was. A turd never falls very far from the A-hole. We can't wait ;til 2012 to flush him. The stink is ovewheming.
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0 replies · active 5 hours ago
How appropriate that the Chinese recognize Barry Soetoro as one of their own....a fascist communist.
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0 replies · active 5 hours ago
OMG how offensively racist! Oh wait never mind it was done in China not here in the USA.
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0 replies · active 5 hours ago
""Yes, setting something on fire can have negative connotations, but this piece represents energy and life that Obama has given to the world," said the 38-year-old, who made a similar piece for former revolutionary leader Mao Zedong. "

Anita Dunn must be so proud her favorite political philosopher and former boss are linked in this special way.

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0 replies · active 5 hours ago
THREE MORE YEARS ..... unless three good generals step forward and honor their oath before 2012.
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3 replies · active 3 hours ago

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      If the ChiComs love him, this should sent major flags up! All of his serious foreign supporters are Communists, third world banana republic dictators, or leaders of terrorist organizations.

      Posted via web from conservativedynamics's posterous