can we really understand Barak Obama?

Hi Carl and all,

I am about one-third of the way through the book whose BARD annotation appears below my name and I must say that it is fascinating. while I doubt seriously that I will agree with the author's conclusions, it does provide some interesting insights into Obama's early years and his relationship with his father.

The author is very likely a right-wing ideologue A la Milton Friedman.

I would recommend that anyone wishing to learn more about what may make Obama tick read this book. but first, do read Obama's "dreams from my Father" if you've not already done so.

Bob Hachey

 

The Roots of Obama's Rage
D'Souza, Dinesh. Read by Bob Moore. Reading time 7 hours 42 minutes.
Government and the Law

 

Conservative scholar revisits President Barack Obama's 1995 autobiography Dreams from My Father (DB/RC 43877) and concludes that Obama's political philosophy
is grounded in radical anticolonial views espoused by his African father in the 1950s and 1960s. Bestseller. 2010.

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Hi Bob, 

What I wonder is how knowing Obama's childhood, or his relationship to father, mother, grandmother or any of the other influences in his growing years is going to help us understand him?  Understand what?  Sure, it's interesting reading, and I do read lots of similar books.  But when I put down the book, I remind myself that this is someone's point of view.  No matter how hard they work to be objective, it reflects themselves as much, or maybe even more than the person they are reporting upon. 

For my simplistic mind, too much supposed information creates confusion. 

How I understand Barak Obama is by his actions, by the people he appoints to key positions, by the people he brings to dinner, and also I listen to what he says.  I can review his public record, too. 

I will never know Barak Obama.  But I do know some about President Obama.  I know enough to understand that he is moving further and further away from supporting the interests of Working Class and Lower Class Americans. 

I know enough about Barak Obama to understand that he is not one of my people, nor does he want to be among them.  His eye is on a more genteel life. 

When Obama is done with the White House, we will go back to being strangers. 

I have my hands full enough in trying to understand my wife, my children, my grand children and my wife's family.  Okay, so I'll never understand my wife's family. 

But I feel that sometimes we read this stuff and get the sense that we now "understand" or "relate" to the person.  I think this can not only be misleading, but it can create a false kindred with a person who has no such illusions about us. 

 

Carl Jarvis