Posted by
CUBFAN on Monday, July 28, 2008 10:50:00 PM
Which is more dangerous: hate speech or hype speech?
Hate speech is in your face, profanity and epithet laden, prompted by rage and ignorance, shocking to the senses, protected by the First Amendment (sometimes), and wrong.
Hype speech is inspiring, eloquent and uplifting, promoting unity and change, pleasing to the senses, protected by the First Amendment (always), and feels so right. But, it's still wrong.
Hate speech is negative. Hype speech is positive.
Hate speech is a full frontal assault. Hype speech is a sneak attack.
Hate speech is LOUD and %#&@ crude! Hype speech is soft and melodious.
Hate speech: bad. Hype speech: just as bad, but who's going to notice.
Barack Obama went to the other side of the world last week to find facts (in the Middle East, paid for by the taxpayers) and to generate publicity (in Europe, paid for by the believers). All of the media reports are in and mission accomplished! He has transcended the "presumptive nominee" of the Democratic Party to become the "presumptive president."
While in Germany, the Chosen One spoke before more than 200,000 young, adoring Germans gathered at the Victory Column in Berlin for a free outdoor rock concert--a little-known fact conveniently overlooked by the attendant media--with Obama on the dance card. Thus, this event was transformed into an Obamapalooza, with the centerpiece being a performance by the Upbeat Poet known as Barack the Magic Politician. In his soliloquy, he tore down figurative walls (a la Reagan), he proclaimed himself a citizen of the world (with apologies to Kennedy and James Cagney, although he was too modest to state that he was "on top of the world, grandma!"), he apologized for America's arrogance and mistakes (echoing John "reporting for duty" Kerry), and he waxed eloquently about nothing in particular--in short, it was a typical Obama stump speech without the faintings.
Whoa, I kinda got lost in my own rhetoric in that paragraph--just like our Uberhero, Obama the Magnificent! I wanted to touch on hype speech in this passage and its alluring danger. Not for the individual listener, but for the country. And this is why his form of hype speech is wrong, wrong, wrong...
Let me be crystal clear: I fear Barack Obama. Not the man, but the mantra. Perhaps "fear" is not the correct term, so let me clarify my position by stating that I question his motives. What's behind Barack Obama and his quest for president?
His mantra of "change" is vacuous. He does not represent change for the better, just a precarious move to the far left to socialist implementation of income redistribution--standardized wealthcare, not to mention healthcare. Add to these the prospects of increased taxes on income, business, profits, services, etc.
His mantra of "hope" is inane. Hope comes from within, not without. What are we supposed to be hoping for? Another four years of hopelessness from Democratic legislative and executive branches, and the dismal prospect of a left-leaning Supreme Court with two fresh Obama appointees (to supplant Stevens and Ginsburg).
His mantra of "yes, we can" is trite. What can we do with him that cannot be done without him? He insinuates that we are helpless (as well as hopeless) without his leading us to the promised land. True leadership is based on authenticity, love, and understanding. In other words, a true leader leads by example, not hyperbole.
Barack Obama the man is a likable guy; however, Obama's mantra is hype speech, pure and simple. I do not know what lies beneath the surface, and this fear of the unknown is unsettling. Even scarier are the throngs of followers blindly trailing his musings into oblivion chanting "Obama! Obama!" Forgive me, but the comparison to a B-movie ("Invasion of the Body Snatchers") is too obvious. What is not forgiveable is the thought of a political machine manipulating the masses with an attractive neophyte as bait.
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Finally, a group known as Citizens United Productions has produced a movie--HYPE: The Obama Effect--that examines Obama and his message (HypeMovie). As long as we're discussing "image is everything" and "style over substance," why not take a few mintutes to consider the Obama Effect (watch HYPE trailer)? You may think that five minutes does not define a person, but has five months defined this candidate? I say that that question is still open to debate.