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Politicians in Paris do photo op rather than participate in demonstration

Why I pay very little attention to demonstrations: A wide shot of the big name politicians at Sunday’s Paris demonstration against Islamic terrorism shows that none of them were really at the demonstration.

Instead, the politicians were gathered together on a separate street, guarded by security, so that they could link arms just for a photo op. The march itself was elsewhere. I also suspect that they all just gathered very quickly to take the picture than scattered their own separate ways immediately afterwards.

This is why I don’t really care that Obama nor anyone important in his administration showed up. Maybe they should have, and in fact maybe it is another sign of Obama’s incompetence that he did not make sure there was an important U.S. presence there, but who really cares? This is just for show.

What would really mean something to me is if these political leaders actually used this meeting to organize some concrete action to deal with Islamic terrorism. Did they? I think not. As far as I can tell they have made no plans to do anything about it, other than maybe increase security in their own nations, which is merely another way of restricting the freedoms of their own citizens.

Hardly what I would call fighting back against tyranny, terrorism, and oppression.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


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"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

5 comments

  • pzatchok

    France is sort of screwed.

    It has a colony in Africa and pretty much they had to grant the people living there full citizenship.

    And since most are Muslim. Well you get the idea.

    This also means that the rest of the EU is also screwed since members can freely move about with little restrictions. They can also move to other nations with little trouble.

  • Cotour

    A prescient observation.

  • wodun

    Obama had one of his top staff in Paris at the time. Holder should have attended, even if it was just a photo op. Going through the symbolic motions is part of what diplomacy is.

    I agree that actions should show more about resolve and intention but Obama’s upcoming meet up on “extremism” is just going to be as much of a theatrical puff piece photo op as the rally in question.

  • Cotour

    I believe that Obama is very careful to not appear to confront Islam directly, what believe, he blatantly does not.
    This is either because he:

    1. Sincerely is attempting to effect a change in how people view and discuss the issue.

    Or

    2. Its against the rules of his core belief system to do so.

    Choose one.

  • pzatchok

    Holder probably did intend to go but was told the wrong time and place for the photo op.

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