After reading the text of Obama's September 23rd address at the United Nations, I was overwhelmed by the hypocrisy. Excerpts of his speech are below, with my comments in caps.

"On my first day in office, I prohibited - without exception or equivocation - the use of torture by the United States of America." (NOT TRUE. HE LEFT OPEN THE USE OF EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION, SO THAT OTHER COUNTRIES CAN DO THE TORTURING FOR THE U.S.)

"I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed..." (THE PRSION AT GUANTANAMO BAY IS STILL FULLY FUNCTIONAL, AND BY ALL REPORTS, THE PRISONERS ARE SUFFERING WORSE ABUSE NOW THAN THEY DID UNDER BUSH.)

"In Iraq, we are responsibly ending a war." (THERE ARE ROUGHLY AS MANY COMBAT TROOPS IN IRAQ TODAY AS WHEN OBAMA TOOK OFFICE IN JANUARY 2009.)

"I have outlined a comprehensive agenda to seek the goal of a world without nuclear weapons." (THE U.S. IS GOING AHEAD WITH A BUSH ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM INCREASING NUCLEAR WEAPONS PRODUCTION. THE “COMPLEX MODERNIZATION” INITIATIVE WOULD EXPAND TWO EXISTING NUCLEAR SITES TO PRODUCE NEW BOMB PARTS. THE ADMINISTRATION IS PROPOSING TO BUILD NEW PLUTONIUM PITS AT THE LOS ALAMOS LAB IN NEW MEXICO AND EXPAND ENRICHED URANIUM PROCESSING AT THE Y-12 FACILITY IN OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE.)

"To confront climate change, we have....moved from a bystander to a leader in international climate negotiations.....the days when America dragged its feet on this issue are over....As we head into Copenhagen, let us resolve to focus on what each of us can do for the sake of our common future." (IN FACT, EUROPEAN LEADERS ARE ALREADY EXPRESSING CONCERN THAT ONCE AGAIN THE U.S. WILL FORESTALL ANY MEANINGFUL PROGRESS ON CLIMATE CHANGE WHEN REPRESENTATIVES MEET FOR CLIMATE TALKS IN COPENHAGEN IN DECEMBER.)

"No one nation can or should try to dominate another nation." (THIS FROM A MAN FIGHTING WARS OF AGGRESSION IN THREE COUNTRIES AND MAKING VEILED THREATS OF MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAN.)

"No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed." (SO WHY DOES THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION CONTINUE TO FINANCE AND OTHERWISE SUPPORT THE ISRAELI OPPRESSION OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE?)

"A fragile consensus stands in the way of this frightening outcome - the basic bargain that shapes the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. It says that all nations have the right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have the responsibility to move toward disarmament..." (IF ALL NATIONS HAVE THE RIGHT TO PEACEFUL NUCLEAR ENERGY, AND SINCE THERE IS NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER THAT IRAN IS PURSUING THE DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, WHY IS OBAMA RAMPING UP HIS RHETORIC AGAINST THAT NATION? AND IF NATIONS WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MOVE TOWARD DISARMAMENT, WHY IS THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION STILL WORKING ON THE DEVELOPMENT ON NEW NUCLEAR WEAPONS?)

"The world must stand together to demonstrate that international law is not an empty promise, and that Treaties will be enforced." (THE LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIES OF WHICH THE US IS IN NON-COMPLIANCE IS WAY TOO LONG TO INCLUDE HERE. AT THIS POINT IN HIS SPEECH, OBAMA WAS REFERRING TO NUCLEAR  WEAPONS TREATIES, AND A STRONG CASE COULD BE MADE THAT THE US IS FAR AND AWAY THE MOST EGREGIOUS VIOLATOR OF THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY.)

"...we can recognize that he yearning for peace is universal, and reassert our resolve to end conflicts around the world. That effort must begin with an unshakeable determination that the murder of innocent men, women and children will never be tolerated." (SINCE OBAMA TOOK OFFICE IN JANUARY 2009, HIS ILLEGAL DRONE ATTACKS IN PAKISTAN HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS. IN THAT SAME PERIOD, MANY MORE INNOCENT CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED BY US BOMBS IN AFGHANISTAN. MOREOVER, OBAMA SEEMS PERFECTLY WILLING TO ACCEPT THE MURDER OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS BY US CLIENT STATES, NOTABLY ISRAEL.)

"We will permit no safe-haven for al Qaeda to launch attacks from Afghanistan..." (BY ALL ASSESSMENTS, INCLUDING THOSE OF THE CIA, AL QAEDA BASES ARE NOW GONE FROM AFGHANISTAN, YET THE WAR AGAINST AFGHANISTAN GOES ON.)

"...we continue to emphasize that America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements." (YET THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL AND MILITARY SUPPORT FOR ALL OF ISRAELI'S ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES.)

"....we will work with the world's largest economies to chart a course for growth that is balanced and sustained. That means vigilance to ensure that we do not let up until our people are back to work. That means taking steps to rekindle demand, so that a global recovery can be sustained." (REKINDLING DEMAND AND REDUCING EMISSIONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE GOALS. YOU CAN DO ONE, BUT NOT BOTH.)

"...we must champion those principles which ensure that governments reflect the will of the people...governments of the people and by the people are more likely to act in the broader interests of their own people, rather than the narrow interest of those in power."  (A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS WANT US TROOPS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN. A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT MEMBERS OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE PROSECUTED FOR THE WAR CRIMES THEY COMMITTED. A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS WANT SINGLE-PAYER HEALTH CARE. SO OBAMA'S WORKING HARD TO IMPLEMENT OUR WISHES, RIGHT?.)

"The test of our leadership will not be the degree to which we feed the fears and old hatreds of our people."

(ON AUGUST 17, 2009, ADDRESSING A VFW CONVENTION IN PHOENIX, OBAMA SAID, "THOSE WHO ATTACKED AMERICA ON 9/11 ARE PLOTTING TO DO SO AGAIN. IF LEFT UNCHECKED, THE TALIBAN INSURGENCY WILL MEAN AN EVEN LARGER SAFE HAVEN FROM WHICH AL-QAEDA WOULD PLOT TO KILL MORE AMERICANS." ISN'T THAT A QUOTE FROM BUSH?)

"True leadership will not be measured by the ability to muzzle dissent, or to intimidate and harass political opponents at home." (AT THE RECENT G20 MEETINGS IN PITTSBURGH, LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL AUTHORITIES WENT TO EXTRAORDINARY LENGTHS TO MUZZLE DISSENT AND INTIMIDATE AND HARASS OBAMA'S POLITICAL OPPONENTS, USING TEAR GAS, PEPPER SPRAY, SMOKE CANISTERS AND A SOUND CANNON ON PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS, ARRESTING ALMOST 200 OF THEM.)

"...no individual should be forced to accept the tyranny of their own government." (THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS SEEKING TO EXTEND THREE KEY SPY PROVISIONS OF THE PATRIOT ACT THAT ARE DUE TO EXPIRE NEXT YEAR. HIS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS PROVING TO BE JUST AS SECRETIVE, TYRANNICAL, AND OPPRESSIVE AS BUSH’S - AND IN SOME CASES EVEN WORSE.)

"I pledge that America will always stand with those who stand up for their dignity and their rights- for the student who seeks to learn; the voter who demands to be heard......the United States of America will never waiver in our efforts to stand up for the right of people everywhere to determine their own destiny." (SO WHERE IS OBAMA WHEN IT COMES TO STANDING UP WITH THE PEOPLE OF HONDURAS. WHY IS HE NOT SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL COUP REGIME AND HELPING TO RESTORE THE DULY-ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY?)

"Democracy cannot be imposed on any nation from the outside. Each society must search for its own path..." (ISN'T IMPOSING DEMOCRACY OSTENSIBLY WHAT WE ARE DOING IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN?)

"...it (the UN) also struggles to enforce its will" (NOT IN SMALL MEASURE DUE TO THE VETO POWER OF THE US AS A PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL.)

But let's forget the glaring contradictions and blatant lies in Obama's speech. The important things, after all, are that he makes us feel good and he doesn't sound like a idiot every time he gets in front of a microphone.

Paul Donahue
Pacifica, CA