2016 Obama's America Have you seen it ?

[JG55]

POSTED ON AUGUST 25, 2012 BY JOHN HINDERAKER IN BARACK OBAMA

2016, THE MOVIE

This afternoon my wife, our 16-year-old daughter and I went to see Dinesh D’Souza’s 2016 at a nearby theater. I believe the film opened here yesterday; the crowd was about average for 5:00 on a Saturday afternoon. The movie is very good. It has several virtues, starting with the fact that it is only an hour and a half long. (These days there is no premise so slight, no theme so insubstantial, no plot so thin but what the film takes 2 1/2 hours or more to unroll.)

2016 is beautifully shot and edited, as you would expect from a film that is produced by the same guy, Gerald Molen, who produced such movies as Rain Man, Jurassic Park andSchindler’s List. It is actually entertaining, a quality not achieved by every documentary. My 16-year-old enjoyed it, so I think its appeal will be broad. Dinesh D’Souza, who appears frequently and is the principal narrator (Barack Obama is the other narrator) is a likable figure, and the similarities and contrasts he draws between himself and Obama are revealing and effective. It would be a great thing if many millions of people see 2016, as it would tell most people a great deal that they do not already know about our president. Here is the trailer:

I have not read D’Souza’s book, The Roots of Obama’s Rage, on which 2016 is based, but I have heard Dinesh lecture on it twice. In a nutshell, his theory is that Obama’s world-view can best be understood by reading his memoir, Dreams From My Father, and taking it seriously. Barack Obama Jr., Dinesh argues, has assumed the anti-colonialist, anti-Western, anti-American, anti-free enterprise perspective of his father, which explains much of his otherwise-puzzling conduct as president.

I think Dinesh is on to something here, and his premise helps explain, for example, why Obama returned Churchill’s bust, backs Argentina in the conflict over the Falklands, and tilts toward the Palestinians. My question about Dinesh’s theory is whether it explains the essence of Obama’s philosophy, or is more of a footnote, or, put another way, the icing on the cake. Without doubt, Obama’s rather tortured youth is an important part of his persona. His bigamist father, an “intellectual†who was in fact a repellent alcoholic poseur, abandoned his family when Barack Jr. was an infant, and Barack only saw him once thereafter. Further, Obama’s upbringing in Indonesia and Hawaii no doubt lends a certain exoticism to his thinking.

But do we really need Barack Obama Sr. to account for his son’s hostility toward America and its traditional beliefs and values? I don’t think so. Obama came of age, over a period of decades, in an environment that can charitably be described as hard-left. His father and mother were both socialists or worse. His maternal grandfather selected a mentor for young Barry who was a long-time member of the Communist Party USA. The socialist New Party listed him as a member. His friend, colleague and fundraiser Bill Ayers is a terrorist who says he wishes he had set off more bombs. His college professor Edward Said was the leading intellectual voice of those who want Israel destroyed. His law school mentor Roberto Unger was too far left for Brazil’s socialist party, and was sent back to Harvard, where he declined all interviews lest he endanger Obama’s electoral prospects. The minister who converted him to Christianity was Jeremiah “Gad damn America†Wright. You can go on and on.

My point is that the cornerstone belief of 20th and 21st century American leftism is that the United States is too rich and too powerful. This is not a perspective that is unique to Barack Obama; rather, it is common to essentially every modern American leftist. (I say this in part based on personal experience and observation.) To take just one of countless examples, Hillary Clinton marinated in the view that America needs to be cut down to size just as much as Obama did.

That being the case, Obama’s efforts in office to weaken America are consistent not just with his father’s ideology, but with the entire culture of American leftism. That he is no outlier is demonstrated by the fact that essentially the entire Democratic Party has cheered everything he has done in office, from trying to socialize health care to apologizing overseas for the U.S. So in my view, Obama’s unique background and his tortured relationship with his absent father do help to explain some otherwise-puzzling actions, like returning Churchill’s bust. But they are not needed to account for the broader failure of his administration’s policies. Put another way, the oft-stated belief that Hillary Clinton would have been a materially better president is wrong.

Of course, that doesn’t address the ultimate point of D’Souza’s movie: what will happen if we give Obama another four years? Obama’s urging Russia’s president to tell Vladimir Putin that in a second term he will have more “flexibilityâ€â€“flexibility to sell out American interests, apparently, or what was the point?–is chilling. It certainly could be that in a second term, Obama’s anti-colonialist (i.e., anti-you and me) impulses could be fully unleashed, in a way that would make his first term look successful by comparison. Let’s not take that chance! If you haven’t seen 2016, I am pretty sure you will enjoy it, and if your undecided friends haven’t seen it, they should.

Edited August 26, 2012 by JG55

[1pointofview]

I went to a free showing at the opry mills mall last month that was sponsered by WLAC. Dinesh was there and got a chance to meet him. Sat behind Larry Gatlin and Ray Stevens who were at the movie as well.

I enjoyed the movie but I have been reading and following politics over the last 5 years so closely that I either knew most of the stuff in the Doc or was not suprised about the stuff I did not know. What gives the movie credibility is the parallels Dinesh lays out about his background and the back ground of Obama yet their outlook of life are polar opposite.

My only fear is that the media has covered for and created a narrative for obama for the last few years and that has created an opinion of obama for too many people that make a lot of those people believe this stuff is made up, even when so much proof is provided. I just hope the movie attracts a large number of people who are in the "midde". There are still millions of people who vote blindly and don't follow the news. I hope this movie does well because the more interest it generates the more likelyhood those people who go for the "entertainment" value will actually see it

Edited August 26, 2012 by 1pointofview

[JG55]

Seems to be the case that most of the information is already known but not talked about in the media. Most reviewers are saying the same thing. Nice to see a well done conservative documentary doing very well at the box office .

[Erik88]

I would like to go see it but my GF has no interest. Hopefully it will be in Redbox before too long so I can watch it.

[Sam1]

I went to a free showing at the opry mills mall last month that was sponsered by WLAC. Dinesh was there and got a chance to meet him. Sat behind Larry Gatlin and Ray Stevens who were at the movie as well.

Well heck we seen each other then, I was about 4 rows back directly behind him.

@Erik88, they said it is coming out on DVD in Oct right before the election

[1gewehr]

I went yesterday afternoon at Opry Mills. I was surprised to see the theater fill up. The thing that I found interesting was how similar the experiences of Dinesh and Barack were in coming to America, and having opportunities they could not otherwise have. But Barack was surrounded by anti-colonialist and Marxist family and mentors who taught him to detest the greatness of America.

The most important lesson I came away with is that Obama's actions seem to be entirely in keeping with a desire to send American wealth overseas and bring us down to the same level as Kenya and Indonesia.

There is still a lot in Obama's past that he needs to keep secret in order to be re-elected. If he fails in being re-elected, I am willing to bet that you see all of those suppressed stories of drug use, homosexual liaisons, Marxist and revolutionary involvement, and records held secret making the news.

[Trekbike]

But Barack was surrounded by anti-colonialist and Marxist family and mentors who taught him to detest the greatness of America.

The most important lesson I came away with is that Obama's actions seem to be entirely in keeping with a desire to send American wealth overseas and bring us down to the same level as Kenya and Indonesia.

Got to see it on Saturday evening. I agree with your comments above. Before I was just thinking he wanted to spread the wealth in the US. No, he wants to spread the wealth with the world and bring the US to it's knees. Before, I wasn't aware of all the anti-colonialist ties. It all makes sense now.

Go see the movie!

[kieefer]

This movie is really doing well for a documentary. People are waking up.

I may wait for the DVD.

[Jamie Jackson]

Excellent write up JG. Thanks!

My Wife & I just got in from seeing it at Turkey Creek in Knoxville.

The film was extremely well made and, even though I was aware of a good bit of the background info, it really did a great job of putting things together contextually.

I'm happy to see it's getting a wider release, and just hope more folks will get off their duff and go see it...and Pray there is still time.

So...Go See it. Take someone with you... and Vote your conscience.

[Guest mcgyver210]

Hopefully people wake up from the apparent Coma they are in because that is the only logical reason I can find the Foreign Anti American was elected in the first place. I haven't seen this documentary yet gut I know if this person stays in office he will not be satisfied with just a second term. He will destroy what is left of our freedom & show is true agenda in becoming a Dictator.

[Guest No Ammo]

I would like to go see it but my GF has no interest. Hopefully it will be in Redbox before too long so I can watch it.

Go with out her

[Guest nicemac]

Go with out her

Or replace her with a woman that is interested…