The Fall Of The Wall

Twenty years ago today the Berlin Wall came down, essentially marking the end of the Cold War and the fall of Communism in the world. It was a day of freedom, both in the literal and the figurative sense. The freedom-loving people of the world rejoiced.

Liberals joined hands with the ousted Communists, grumbling and gritting their teeth.

Here's one of the central figures of the day:

We don't know where the world would be today without Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, but I shudder to think about it. Most of America seems to agree, with fully 93% saying this was an historical event.

Too bad President Barack Obama disagrees:

World leaders -- and Germans in particular -- aren't happy that Obama is snubbing this momentous occasion. Der Spiegel reports that he's too busy. The truth, however, is a lot less excusable, as Michelle Malkin explains:

President Obama isn’t traveling abroad to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago today.

Of course not. There’s nothing in it for his Chicago cronies.

Also: There’s nothing for America to apologize for there today.

Sad but true.

After taking considerable political heat for the snub, Obama apparently conceded...a bit:

There is a fallacy in the theory of evolution, often cautioned against, to imagine evolution as one long "march of progress" in which every mutation and selection works, teleologically, to produce the supreme form of being (that would be us). It's a vanity science has no use of.

On the other hand, there is Obama. 100,000 years of human history have unfolded in just this precisely-right way to contrive in his person the Ultimate Man.

There is no agenda of Obama; rather, physics and history have an agenda leading us to Obama.

The universe has conspired benevolently to bring us him.

...

Did He Not Show Up Because It Wasn't All About Him? Left-wing German paper Der Spiegel seems to have gotten that impression:

There was one world leader absent for today’s commemorations marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Surprisingly enough, it’s President Barack Obama, who found time last year to give a campaign speech there last year, which Der Spiegel summed up as “People of the World, Look at Me”.

The White House has cited a packed schedule, though looking at it he had nothing much on yesterday (brief chat to reporters about healthcare – by far his biggest priority) and just blah briefings and a bill signing today until a metting this evening with Benjamin Netanyahu. This time, Der Spiegel has reported it as “Barack Too Busy”.

Pretty much at this point he'll only be traveling to pick up awards.

He offered a speech to the crowd via video, but I'm not aware if it was even a live broadcast. But, as usual, he spoke more about himself than Germany or the Wall.

As we discussed long ago, Barack Obama has voluntarily given up the mantle of leader of the free world. It is sad, disturbing, and vile, but it is nevertheless the truth.

In the meantime, the rest of us can be thankful for the strength and character of the Gipper and the Iron Lady for bringing down Communism without firing a single shot. History was made on this day 20 years ago because of their steadfast efforts, and not even the failures of our current President can erase the freedom of millions of people because of them.

There's my two cents.