Posted by
Cary Wesberry on Sunday, July 20, 2008 8:31:56 PM
The audacity of being just plain stupid. The Obama campaign sure has an ability to inspire horror, whether it be driving the American enconomy into the ground where we should instead be drilling for oil or speaking at a monument placed by Adolf Hitler to symbolize Germany's military domination of Europe. Ed Morrissey accurately explains:
[...]
Hitler didn’t just move the monument to its more central location. He had a taller column built for it as well, to emphasize its message of German military domination over Europe. He saw it as a message to Germans of their destiny — as well as to other Europeans as their destiny as well. It was never meant as a symbol of peaceful, multicultural co-existence.
Team Obama has outdone themselves on symbolism with this choice. They’ve managed to make their hosts uncomfortable for a second time with their choice of rallying point, and perhaps more so this time. If one wanted to talk peace, what worse location could one choose than Adolf Hitler’s favorite monument to militaristic domination? One has to wonder how France, Denmark, and Austria will feel about Obama rallying German masses under the Siegessäule. Deja vu?
Obama could be excused for his gaffe, except for two reasons. His team certainly understood the historical weight that the Brandenburg Gate would have lent his event, so why didn’t they bother to ask the Germans about the Siegessäule? Quite obviously, the Germans understand the meaning and subtext of the monument, and most of them wonder why Obama does not. Maybe this is a better example of clueless Americans traveling abroad than those who can only say Merci, beaucoup.
Follow the link above to read all of Ed's post where you also find the original news report. I very much hope there is wide-angle video footage of this speech. The McCain campaign won't use it, but I will. The opportunities this footage would provide are countless for conservatives.
I don't believe Obama chose Siegessäule because it had anything to do with Hitler. The Obama campaign chose it because they have no understanding of history whatsoever, and what's worse is that they don't care to learn. This is an example of the foreign policy of an Obama Presidency.
My only question is: What's next, a policy speech at the stadium where Hitler conducted rallies in Nuremburg?