Obama not attending Fall of the Berlin Wall 20th Anniversary Celebration

[RocketMan]

Obama has declined Germany's invitation to attend the 20th anniverary celebrations marking the fall of the Berlin Wall.  I guess it should not surprise us, given his beliefs.
Still, one would think that the seminal event of the 20th Century, the event that truly marked the fall of Communism, deserves some sort of acknowledgement on his part.

The National Review has gathered remarks by a number of folks commenting on Obama's refusal to attend the events.

Forgetting the Fall

Here is Larry Greenfield's comment:

LARRY GREENFIELD
GDR citizen Helke Dittrich, 25, managed to escape East Berlin by lying down between two hollowed-out surfboards. The Stuttgart shop mechanic Ulrich Werner, 27, whom she married afterward, smuggled her out. The surfboards were brought out on the rooftop of a Renault Fuego, which made its way across the Berlin Wall checkpoint.

The year was 1987, the year that Pres. Ronald Reagan, at the Brandenburg Gate, told Mr. Gorbachev to Tear Down This Wall. Reagan early and often promoted liberty, American exceptionalism, and human rights. All those who escaped Communism by hidden secret compartments in cars, or by tunnel, or by hot-air balloon, or in fantastic motorized water packs, and all those who died trying, had a friend in Ronald Reagan and the American people, including, previously, Pres. John F. Kennedy. From the Berlin airlift to spiritual uplift, great American leaders have always resolutely stood up for freedom.

Until now. Mr. Obama came to Berlin in 2008, while campaigning, and has continued to preen for foreign approval by apologizing around the globe for the United States. But this year, the celebrations will take place without him.

Berlin, 2009. Celebration of liberty and America’s heroic leaders. Mr. Obama, apparently this is not your place. President Reagan, meanwhile, will now have an exhibit dedicated to his leadership at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum.

— Larry Greenfield is fellow in American studies at the Claremont Institute and executive director of the Reagan Legacy Foundation.

[Fjolnirsson]

Perhaps it conflicted with his golf schedule...
Still, as you said, no surprise here...In other news, rain makes things wet!

[agricola]

Surely there are better things to beat him up with than this?  

[RocketMan]

Surely there are better things to beat him up with than this? 

Given that his attitude about this is only to be expected, probably.

[seeker_two]

Surely there are better things to beat him up with than this?  

Agreed....besides, it would probably bring up bad memories for most pro-communist political leaders....don't want to make him sad..... 

[Perd Hapley]

Surely there are better things to beat him up with than this?  

But this will do.  We'll just have to beat him some more on the other items.   

I think the leftist enemy has the right playbook - make a federal case out of everything.  Throw every solid object or glob of mud within reach.  No complaint too small, no accusation too outlandish. 

[French G.]

Celebrating commie fail/fall conflicts with his core ideals.

[Standing Wolf]

Still, one would think that the seminal event of the 20th Century, the event that truly marked the fall of Communism, deserves some sort of acknowledgement on his part.

Like his father, he's a Marxist. Why would he help celebrate one of Marxism's most blatantly obvious failures?

[Waitone]

. . . the event that truly marked the fall of Communism . . .

  Didn't fall.  It morphed and found a new host (c.f. US house vote on PelosiCare last night).

[Scout26]

Pretty sad.  The greatest triumph of American foreign policy.  Winning the (Cold) without firing a shot.

Surely that deserves the recognition of the sitting American President.

Apparently not.

-Scout26, US Army Cold War Veteran, 2nd Bde, 8th Infantry Division, Baumholder Germany, 1987-1991.  I was there when it fell.   

[HankB]

Why would Obama attend a ceremony celebrating an event he laments?

[MechAg94]

If he attended, he would probably speak.  If he spoke, we would probably complain about what he said.  He might as well stay home.

[AZRedhawk44]

If he attended, he would probably speak.  If he spoke, we would probably complain about what he said.  He might as well stay home.

Ergo, he should just lock himself in the bowels of the White House for the rest of his term.

He'd be my ideal president if he did that.  Not seen, not heard, not doing anything.  Just as FedGov should be.

[roo_ster]

"Many Bothans died to bring us this information."



http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZDFkZWRiMTk2YmJiNGVmNzg3MTljMDMwMGFjZWIyOWM=

Secret Copy of Obama Speech   [Mona Charen]

President Obama elected not to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall, but my sources have smuggled out to me part of the speech he would have delivered had he been there.

   Twenty years ago today, thanks to the leadership of General Secretary Gorbachev, the mutual suspicion between East and West Germany came to an end. The Cold War was a bitter time for many, particularly in my country, when paranoia and unfounded animosity toward other systems of government impeded peace and progress. Due to unfounded fear and misplaced priorities, my country sometimes supported regimes that did not deserve support. At the same time, the Eastern bloc nations also made mistakes. They were sometimes too quick to assume the worst about us without giving us the benefit of the doubt. After all, while decision makers in Washington DC may have made many dreadful decisions, I was only in grade school at the time.

    Thankfully, that time is past. Now, we can move forward together to create a world in which distinctions between command and free economies are gradually erased, and in which nuclear swords will be beaten into solar plowshares.

[seeker_two]

Good thing he kept his mouth shut....

[RoadKingLarry]

I was in Europe, (Italy at the time, sort of) 20 years ago. While we were engaged in operations in (actually under) the Med at the time and due to operational security reasons we didn't get the word till we got back to port. I remember it as being kind of a really big deal.

[MicroBalrog]

He ended up actually speaking. By video.

[sanglant]

Ergo, he should just lock himself in the bowels of the White House for the rest of his term.

He'd be my ideal president if he did that.  Not seen, not heard, not doing anything.  Just as FedGov should be.

any bill he doesn't sign becomes law, i'd rather have the president at least vetoing a bill or too, or maybe 90+ percent of bills

[Regolith]

any bill he doesn't sign becomes law

Eh?

I could have sworn it was the other way around - if he doesn't sign, it doesn't become law.  Part of the whole checks and balances thing.  

Whoops.  Nevermind. Been a bit long since high school civics...

[Jamisjockey]

I tried to be outraged.  And then Obama showed up at the funeral for the soldiers killed at Fort Hood.  I'd rather see him here (US) than there (Germany).

There are more important things to whine about.

[RoadKingLarry]

I tried to be outraged.  And then Obama showed up at the funeral for the soldiers killed at Fort Hood.  I'd rather see him here (US) than there (Germany).

There are more important things to whine about.

Not that he planned it that way of course. I might give him a point if he had planned to be in Germany and canceled because of the Fort Hood terrorist attack.

[Jamisjockey]

Some of ya'll are headed down the Obama Derangement Syndrome path, eh?  Much like watching the huffpoers react to anything Bush did.

[Standing Wolf]

Well, yeah, but at least he had the good manners to bow down to the emperor of Japan, so it's going to be okay.

[Balog]

Some of ya'll are headed down the Obama Derangement Syndrome path, eh?  Much like watching the huffpoers react to anything Bush did.

Worked for them didn't it?

[stevelyn]

Obama has declined Germany's invitation to attend the 20th anniverary celebrations marking the fall of the Berlin Wall.  I guess it should not surprise us, given his beliefs.
Still, one would think that the seminal event of the 20th Century, the event that truly marked the fall of Communism, deserves some sort of acknowledgement on his part.

You won't see Micky Gorbachev or Nelson Mandela there either. For them, the fall of communisim isn't something to celebrate.