Parallels: USA 2008 and SA 1992

You may have wondered why yours truly, Doberman posts about the US election on a blog focused on South African affairs and in case you missed the explanation the first time, here it is again. Anything that influences South Africa has a place here and the outcome of American elections affects the world hence its relevance.

We can draw parallels between the state of the US in 2008 and South Africa in 1992.

• Both countries [wanted/want] change.

• Both countries [faced/are facing] the changing of the guard – in South Africa handing power to blacks, in the US, 'handing' power to a black person. Actions that [were/are] unprecedented.

• Both countries [chose/ are choosing] to appease world sentiment. A dangerous proposition.

Obama’s skin pigment is not a factor in this argument. If Obama’s policies were more akin to McCain’s, I would be the first to back him. For instance, if it was Condi Rice and not McCain running for president, she would have my support.

We need to focus on the policies, visions and integrity of the candidates. The choices Americans face is the same that South Africans faced 16 years ago and the outcome will affect the direction of the country for the next fifty years.

The buzzword this year has been "change". The same word bandied about by 'our' Obama, FW de Klerk in the early 1990s.

FW de Klerk promised a new South Africa, a new direction, a deviation from business as usual. He promised a better future, a shared future, a fairer future, a future where we could all live as one, safe and prosperous, where everyone could share in the bounty of the country. Does this sound familiar?

There can be no doubt that America, as the world’s first democracy, has been - and remains - the most impressive nation that ever existed. Unlike Obama, McCain sees the US as the solution to the world’s problems, not the cause of the world’s problems. Michele Obama's statement that she is proud of America for the first time in her life is telling.

Obama wants change. Yes, change is good - but which kind? The kind that says to the world, “we’ve been bad and want to change our errant ways and we promise to please everyone”? South Africa tried that. Look where it got us.

The kind that says, “we don’t like you getting rich on the back of your own hard toil and sweat, but that you should feel ashamed for earning money and taking it home so you can take care of your family”. No, you are “selfish” (Obama) and “unpatriotic” (Biden) for not wanting to be taxed more so that we can take from you and give to the “poor”.

The kind that says, “we are too stubborn to admit that the US has won the war in Iraq and as we are about to win the war, we are going to pull out and let Iraq collapse back on itself”.

For the record, October 2008 is the first month that NO American soldier was killed in Iraq. Not a fact widely reported in US media because it is good news and good news hurts the "cut-and-run" chicken Democrats and Obama.

Obama is too proud to admit that he WAS WRONG on Iraq, that removing a vicious dictator from power, a despot responsible for killing 500 000 of his own people, starting two wars (Iran and Kuwait) in which one million people died, shooting missiles into Israel, that liberating Iraqis from that hell, was not worth the price.

Obama was wrong on the surge that was proposed by John McCain (January 2007) that brought about the turnaround in fortunes for the American forces in Iraq.

Obama was wrong recently when he told Georgia, a small country under attack by the Russians to “show restraint?!”

As Joe Biden himself stated, Obama will be tested within six months of taking office with a major international incident because he has shown that he has no capacity to deal with such issues. This view is shared by other world leaders most prominently, ironically, by the French president, Sarkozy.

That’s the first cross against electing Obama. He is unprepared to be Commander-in-Chief and will do damage to the progress the US has made in Iraq and Afghanistan. Granted, he says he would contribute more resources to Afghanistan but at a cost to Iraq.

The job in Iraq is almost done but an early withdrawal will see that country return to chaos and Al Qaeda re-establishing a foothold in Iraq. If that happens, be prepared for Iraq War III. Al Qaeda-linked websites have already voiced their support for Obama – although it is not something Obama wants or asked for obviously - but it is telling that they prefer Obama because he is the weaker of the two candidates on foreign policy - and if they can see it, why can't the American people?

So on foreign policy, Obama strikes out again. McCain wins easily.

On local matters, Obama is widely recognized as the most far-left liberal candidate in American presidential history.

What America does not need is a swing from a far-right to a far-left administration. America needs calm, a time to temper frayed nerves. The last eight years have been eventful and polarizing without extending it for another four years.

Of the two candidates, the one that has shown a willingness and ability to put “Country First” before partisan bickering is John McCain. McCain I believe will act to unite the country whereas Obama’s election will extend the increasingly intolerant demeanour of American society. Obama is not ready and is not a uniting influence. McCain is. Score two for McCain.

Obama’s shady dealings in the past with radicals is not known because the biased liberal media is more concerned with hit pieces on Cindy McCain (New York Times) and Sarah Palin’s wardrobe - I know.. really VITAL need-to-know information.

Indeed Palin's wardrobe expenses attracted more ‘coverage’ than Obama’s connection to the unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers or; the convicted slumlord Rezko who helped Obama purchase his million-dollar home, who was his first backer when he began running for office or; the former terrorist and spokesperson for the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Rashid Khalidi (a tape exists in which Obama attends a function where Rashidi denounces Israel but is being withheld by the Los Angeles Times because the contents could literally derail Obama’s chances of winning); his twenty year affiliation with the radical Black Ideology ‘spiritual’ mentor Reverend “God Damn America” Wright, a man that married him, baptised his children, where Obama attended church for 20 years (over 500 times) and “never heard Wright preach anti-white and anti-American vitriol” (yeah, right); Obama’s connection to ACORN, a community organising group that is being investigated for voter fraud in at least 15 states…and so on.

Obama distanced himself from all these groups when those connections became a liability and became politically expedient for him but expect them to walk right back in after the election.

None of these ties are widely reported because the liberal media from the New York Times to the LA Times is in the tank for Obama and the American people are being kept in the dark. Obama's 'explanations' are reported and just accepted at face value but no in-depth examination has ever been done. Now imagine if these associations had been McCain's.

Surveys have confirmed that media coverage has been 70% biased in favour of Obama as opposed to 36% favourable to McCain. The American people are being treated like mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed shit. 2008 is the year in which objective journalism died in the US. Some pundits have said that following the election, all the media that was pro-Obama will revert to being critical of Obama in order to recover some of their credibility and Americans will be asking why the hell were they not told these facts about Obama BEFORE the election.

Score three for McCain. He has better credentials, more experience, better policies all of it being withheld from the American people.

And the final argument against Obama is his “redistribute the wealth” policy, revealed in the unsanitised, unscripted conversation with Joe the Plumber. The man was approached by Obama, Joe asked a question, and Obama replied in an unscripted fashion and in those few minutes, the American people came to understand the radical plans that Obama has in store for them.

If you earn too much – in the opinion of politicians and who wouldn’t trust Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Obama to make that decision huh? – we will take it away from you and give it to others that earn less or choose not to work.

Obama proposes to increase taxes in a recession?!

Initially he said $250 000 to Joe the Plumber, then in the recent half-hour infomercial, he mentioned $200 000, then his running mate Joe Biden a few days ago said $150 000 and Bill Richardson, another Obama confidante, said $120 000. In 2003, Obama said in this interview, while starting his Senate campaign, that tax cuts should have been targeted no higher than the $70 000 level.

Which is it? And isn’t it amazing how the definition of “rich” for liberals keeps dropping all the time?

This is a way of preparing the American public for a rude awakening when he takes office. He will just say “but you were told...”. Obama proposes to give tax credits to 95% of the public but 40% don’t pay income tax?! Huh? Obama wants to ‘cut’ taxes yet wants to raise $1,3 trillion?! Like so many of his other policies, someone needs to teach Obama the fundamentals of simple arithmetic.

McCain’s approach is to cut corporate taxes and create opportunities for companies to employ people. He will not raise taxes. It is the correct approach in the midst of a severe recession.

Score four for McCain.

I will end the post now because it is a long read. I’ve laid out my argument in favour of McCain however I fear most Americans will never know the choices they face because they have not been told these facts.

Like South Africa, hindsight is 20:20 and perfect, and if the South African experience is anything to go by, Americans will be making a big mistake by electing Obama – as we did when we voted 69% in favour of handing power over in 1992 - without checks and balances.

Given the same choice today, knowing what we know today, I can absolutely guarantee that white South Africans would NOT have voted in favour of 'change'. I fear that the USA, once Obama opens the Pandora's Box, will never return to the greatness it once enjoyed.

My heartfelt plea to Americans reading this, take it from a South African that voted for 'change' and will forever regret it, sometimes, something that seems right at the time, "change" for the sake of it is not worth the risk.

As John McCain puts it (in his book Faith of my Fathers) when he was held in prison in Hanoi, he said, "In prison I fell in love with my country, and loved her before, but like most young people my affection was little more than a simple appreciation for the comforts and privileges most Americans enjoyed and took for granted, it wasn't until I had lost America for a time that I realised how much I loved her".

South Africans have lost their country. One million have been dispersed throughout the world never to get their country back. Millions more live in squalor and fear. Our country may never recover.

Americans, do not let this happen to you. Do not lose your country.

See the video below, see it over and over and understand what a tremendous man you stand to lose if you do not elect him. I urge you to pass it on, and even at this eleventh hour to persuade others to vote for this man.

America needs John McCain, again, now more than ever.