Thoughts of Obama From Bama

Week 98: Comrade Obama’s “Sputnik Moment”

"Speakin' of fruitcakes, how 'bout the government?
Your tax dollars at work.
We lost our Martian rocket ship
The high paid spokesman said
Looks like that silly rocket ship
Has lost its cone shaped head
We spent 90 jillion dollars trying to get a look at Mars
I hear universal laughter ringing out among the stars” Fruitcakes, Jimmy Buffett.

For the first time in 98 weeks our Comrade-in-Chief was dragged kicking and screaming to the table forced to negotiate with the GOP because of the recent historic Republican victory in the midterm election. Considering his unprofessional and immature behavior in response to this new reality the next two years promise to be chock full of political intrigue and theatre.

True to form immediately following a compromise agreement on extending W tax rates and Unemployment benefits the President whipped out the ole teleprompter and stood right on up behind the podium like he had good sense and lied about the Republican’s position; advanced his victim status; acted like a six year old having a hissy fit; belittled and demonized his political adversaries; and displayed the low rent, cowardly, delusional, self serving, no class character flaws we’ve come to expect from Mr. Obama.

Right smack dab in the middle of this Democrat political catastrophe, the Wikileak foreign affairs debacle, and our continued limp wristed response to North Korean aggression and Iran’s nuclear weapon ambitions our Stifler of Entrepreneurenship-in-Chief traveled to the Research Triangle in North Carolina and made a bizarre challenge to lawmakers and the private sector business community to help America achieve the next “Sputnik Moment”. Only a genuine Marxist /Socialist /Bolshevik would evoke a Sputnik analogy to encourage the United States of America to pursue new and unprecedented levels of discovery and innovation.

As a reminder his "Sputnik Moment" is a reference to the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of the first Earth-orbiting satellite. Letting the Soviets win this historical milestone was an extremely embarrassing moment for Uncle Sammy but was also one of many setbacks we experienced in the “Space Race” with the Ruskies.

Ain’t no never mind about it our ultimate success and victory over Ivan with Neil Armstrong’s “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” onto the Lunar surface was an unparalleled scientific achievement. A combination of the best and brightest folks and the epitome of U.S. innovation and ingenuity.

Truly an extraordinary achievement but also indicative of American creativity, inventive spirit and passion for discovery prevalent since Colonial times and the Revolution. Why the President chose to refer to a 50 year old USSR success story as opposed to one of literally thousands of home grown scientific achievements to promote current/future innovation is as big a mystery as his religious affiliation.

Examples of American scientific breakthroughs to motivate and inspire today’s risk takers and world shakers are more abundant than white on rice. One of our most prominent Founding Fathers, Ben Franklin, was responsible for three inventions that radically improved millions of people’s quality of life.

Franklin Stoves were in all likelihood the world’s first green/eco- friendly home appliance reducing toxic emissions by 80% or there abouts compared to conventional stoves of those times. His Bifocals prolonged the gift of sight for thousands and Lightening Rods saved countless lives from a horrific death of being burned alive in fires caused by lightning strikes.

Any one or all three of these ingenious Franklin inventions are ideal examples of U.S. advancements Mr. Obama could have cited in support of his American Innovation Initiative. Truth be told there are thousands of pre and post Sputnik American technological breakthroughs that the President could have chosen to help promote his new program.

Following is a partial listing of truly remarkable innovations and world changing inventions created by American entrepreneurs, visionaries and nation builders:

Pre-Sputnik

• Cotton Gin / Suspension Bridge / Morse code / Anesthesia / Potato Chips / Toilet Paper (surely one of the world’s most appreciated inventions) / Repeating rifle / Machine gun / Motor cycle / Paper bag / Phonograph / Model T / Coca Cola / Solar cell / telephone / light bulb / Zipper / Tractor / Mouse trap / Assembly line / Air conditioning / Bourbon / Airplane / Toaster (sliced bread) / Ice cube tray (Truly a life saver) / Bubble gum / Teflon / Microwave oven / Supersonic aircraft / SEC College Football / Bar code / Hard disk drive / Laser / Atom bomb

Post Sputnik

• Spandex / Communications satellite / Neutron bomb / Bomb shelters / Cordless telephone / Microprocessor / Professional Wrestling / PC / Email / Mobile phone/ MRI / Internet / Nano wire battery / Microsoft / Monster Truck Rallies / Google / Apple / Facebook

With options ranging from light bulbs and TP to Nuetron bombs and Microsoft we can only hope Commrade Obama shifts strategy and selects an American success story to help promote his Innovation Initiative. If our Cosmonaut-in-Chief still insist on achieving a “Sputnik Moment” we suggest he knock back a few shots of vodka and execute a single orbit around the Rose Garden with First Pooch Bolshivik the Water Dog.

Naz Drovja!

I am, “American by Birth and Southern by the Grace of God”

Ron W. Garikes

RTR