As a child, watching my favorite television program, (at the tender age of 8, the original Star Trek fit this bill,) I can remember the character portrayed by Walter Koenig, Chekhov, claiming every single invention of man kind that showed any value as being Russian. There is no secret that Gene Roddenberry saw his 3 year hundred something episode of science fiction high camp as a symbolic back drop for the tumultuous times during which it was written. The major powers and cultures that existed during this time were amply represented by the various planets and empires that the Enterprise crew found on their 5 year mission which aired during only 3 original seasons. Chekhov’s musings of course were representative of the mirth all of America felt when the Soviets at the time laid claim to every single piece of technology ever created by man, including cars, radios, computers, transistors, iron lungs, paint, puppy dogs, and fast food.

Such is the truth of Marxist and Socialist societies. With the constraints of top down planning, and the freedoms of the people to create and be rewarded for their creation removed, societies stagnate. By the end of the cold war, the function of soviet scientists had become to buy or steal American technology and then reverse engineer it to make it work somehow in their own country. I had a good friend who worked as a member of the Secret Service and was assigned to James Baker’s detail while he was Secretary of State. During that time Baker planned a trip to Moscow for one G something summit or another, and he began complaining months in advance about the trip. I told him I thought it would be kind of neat to go traveling to the Soviet Union, and he responded with this. “The first time it was, but it really sucks there. Every thing is broken and in disrepair, and even what works is technology so old that going to the bathroom at night involves a flashlight and tennis shoes.” Part of the problem with central planning is that you don’t know what inventions are out there and possible, anyone who would invent those things is too busy being forced to work a structured plan that has removed all but force as an incentive. Pretty soon after that, the Soviet Union collapsed under the weight of its own economy being unable to feed its own citizens. As a matter of fact, not a single Socialist Society anywhere has ever succeeded or managed to survive for longer than 80 years.

Economic malaise and a need to be held in high regard as a great leader have provided some bizarre results over the years. Kim Jong Un, the child ruler of North Korea has listed some accomplishments in his official biography, which is growing daily. One such accomplishment is his very first round of golf on a championship course, in which without a single lesson, he managed to hit 17 holes in one. At least he has some room for improvement. Such is the character one would expect from a tin pot dictator. I feel sorry for the people unfortunate enough to live in North Korea, where basking in the preposterous narcissism of the totalitarian in charge is a poor substitute for actually being able to enjoy such overrated luxuries like eating, refrigeration, running water, and heat or air conditioning.

During the sixth Star Trek movie, a must see for any fan of the franchise, our good friends the Klingons reminded us of the need for failed despots to rewrite history to lend gravitas to an other wise lack luster performance of societal contributors. General Klang gave us this little gem, “in order to fully appreciate Shakespeare, one has to enjoy it in the original Klingon.” Even people as far to the left as the Hollywood crowd can understand the absurdity of political leaders who feel the need to rewrite history to put themselves in a positive light. Surely, that would never happen here in America, not with a society as enlightened as ours.

Think again. It seems as though our President has been busy, not doing his job mind you, but including himself in the histories of former Presidents and taking credit for their accomplishments. It matters not of course that as far back as Calvin Coolidge, he was not even a glimmer in a young hippy’s mind or her Communist revolutionary boy friend’s yet, he feels that it is important that we all know the real truth. That Barack Obama has so much free time on his hands that he was able to invent time travel and go back to help other Presidents in history get their collective acts together.

I suppose that I shouldn’t be surprised though, this is after all the same man who is out there telling us that he has actually cut spending over the last 42 months, rather than maniacally increasing it beyond even the wildest nightmares of anyone noticing our beyond asinine national debt.

Here from the Hotair piece are some of the more bizarre intrusions into other people’s accomplishments Barack Obama has placed himself. If you had told me a decade ago that any President would think to do something like this, I would have told you no way. There is no possible way that anyone this fouled up mentally could fool enough Americans into voting for him. I guess I lost that bet. The question is, now that the bloom is off of the Obama rose, are we as a nation dumb enough to do it again?

On Feb. 22, 1924 Calvin Coolidge became the first president to make a public radio address to the American people. President Coolidge later helped create the Federal Radio Commission, which has now evolved to become the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). President Obama became the first president to hold virtual gatherings and town halls using Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, etc.

President Herbert Hoover signed the bill founding the Department of Veterans Affairs July 21, 1930. President Obama is committed to making sure that the VA, the second-largest cabinet department, serves the needs of all veterans and provides a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life, and has directed his Administration to modernize the way health care is delivered and benefits are administered for our nation’s veterans. First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces to mobilize all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned.

On August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act. Today the Obama Administration continues to protect seniors and ensure Social Security will be there for future generations.

In a 1946 letter to the National Urban League, President Truman wrote that the government has “an obligation to see that the civil rights of every citizen are fully and equally protected.” He ended racial segregation in civil service and the armed forces in 1948. Today the Obama Administration continues to strive toward upholding the civil rights of its citizens,repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, allowing people of all sexual orientations to serve openly in our armed forces.

President Dwight Eisenhower established the President’s Council on Youth Fitness on July 16, 1956 (now known as The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports) after learning from a study that American youth were less fit than European youth. Today the Council is still going strong—with Olympians and professional athletes on board—working in conjunction with the First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiativeto help promote healthier lifestyles.

President John F. Kennedy famously suggested the American people: “Ask what you can do for your country.” In 1961, the Peace Corps was created, facilitating service among citizens working toward peace in developing countries. In 2011, President Obama celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps with a Presidential Proclamation.

President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare signed into law in 1965—providing millions of elderly healthcare stability. President Obama’s historic health care reform law, the Affordable Care Act, strengthens Medicare, offers eligible seniors a range of preventive services with no cost-sharing, and provides discounts on drugs when in the coverage gap known as the “donut hole.”

In 1973, Richard Nixon created The President’s Export Council, which was expanded and reconstituted under President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Today the PEC continues to work towards reaching President Obama’s goal of doubling the nation’s exports by 2014’s end.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter created the Department of Energy; today the DOE works with the Obama Administration to drive towards innovation in energy and reducing reliance on foreign oil with an “all of the above” approach.

President Reagan designated Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday; today the Obama Administration honors this tradition, with the First and Second Families participating in service projects on this day.

In a June 28, 1985 speech Reagan called for a fairer tax code, one where a multi-millionaire did not have a lower tax rate than his secretary. Today, President Obama is calling for the same with the Buffett Rule.

President Barack Obama awarded George H.W. Bush the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his commitment to service and ability to inspire volunteerism throughout the country, encouraging citizens to be “a thousand points of light.” The administration continues to promote service and civic engagement, honoring heroes of local communities as “Champions of Change” and fostering civic participation.

Continuing his work as a lifelong public service, Clinton created the Clinton Foundation in 2001 to improve global health, education, economies and environments. Affectionately calling him “Do-Gooder-in-Chief”, President Obama has worked with Clinton to make buildings in our country more efficient—announcing a $4 billion investment in energy efficiency upgrades for commercial buildings.

In 2002, President George W. Bush’s State of the Union was the first to be live broadcast on the Internet. In 2011 and 2012, President Obama’s State of the Union speeches were available in an enhanced live stream version that featured infographics, charts and data side-by-side in real time with the President’s speech.

Watch the video, it’s a pretty funny take on the whole thing as well.

Cross Posted at Musings of a Mad Conservative.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 25th, 2012 at 11:30 am and is filed under Barack Obama, Politics, Progressives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.