Charles Krauthammer on Obama agenda and Czech President Klaus’ insights

Vaclav Klaus

Charles Krauthammer had some comments about the Obama agenda, and also mentioned something about President of the Czech Republic:

26 January 2013

WASHINGTON — The media herd is stunned to discover that Barack Obama is a man of the left. After 699 teleprompted presidential speeches, the commentariat was apparently still oblivious. Until Monday’s Inaugural address.

Where has everyone been? The only surprise is that Obama chose his second Inaugural, generally an occasion for “malice toward none” ecumenism, to unveil so uncompromising a left-liberal manifesto.

But the substance was no surprise. After all, Obama had unveiled his transformational agenda in his very first address to Congress, four years ago (Feb. 24, 2009). It was, I wrote at the time, “the boldest social democratic manifesto ever issued by a U.S. president.”

Nor was it mere talk. Obama went on to essentially nationalize health care, 18 percent of the U.S. economy — after passing an $833 billion stimulus that precipitated an unprecedented expansion of government spending. Washington now spends 24 percent of GDP, fully one-fifth higher than the postwar norm of 20 percent.

Monday’s inaugural address…It was a paean to big government. At its heart was Obama’s pledge to (1) defend unyieldingly the 20th-century welfare state and (2) expand it unrelentingly for the 21st.

The first part of that agenda — clinging zealously to the increasingly obsolete structures of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — is the very definition of reactionary liberalism. Social Security was created when life expectancy was 62. Medicare was created when modern medical technology was in its infancy. Today’s radically different demographics and technology have rendered these programs, as structured, unsustainable. Everyone knows that, unless reformed, they will swallow up the rest of the budget.

As for the second part — enlargement — Obama had already begun that in his first term with Obamacare. His Inaugural address reinstated yet another grand Obama project — healing the planet. It promised a state-created green-energy sector, massively subsidized.

The playbook is well known. As Czech President (and economist) Vaclav Klaus once explained, environmentalism is the successor to failed socialism as justification for all-pervasive rule by a politburo of experts. Only now, it acts in the name of not the proletariat but the planet.

Monday’s address also served to disabuse the fantasists of any Obama interest in fiscal reform or debt reduction. This speech was spectacularly devoid of any acknowledgment of the central threat to the postindustrial democracies (as already seen in Europe) — the crisis of an increasingly insolvent entitlement state.

On the contrary. Obama is the apostle of the ever-expanding state. His speech was an ode to the collectivity. But by that he means only government, not the myriad of voluntary associations — religious, cultural, charitable, artistic, advocacy, ad infinitum — that are the glory of the American system.http://www.lowellsun.com/oped/ci_22456281/obama-unbound-unleashes-his-ultra-left-manifesto#ixzz2J5s11tfc

Although years ago, US President Barack Obama declared that US government debt levels were “unsustainable,” I declared that Barack Obama would, in fact, continue to increase that debt. And he has. This should have raised more concerns than it has, but some are noticing. The fact that Charles Krauthammer also sees that what is going on with the USA is unsustainable shows that some others also realize something is terribly wrong about the direction of the economy of the USA (cf. Isaiah 30:12; Deuteronomy 28:42-45,47-52).

But I wanted to focus a bit more on the economically-trained Vaclav Klaus. Notice something that the BBC reported about him:

Mr Klaus – free market devotee and the bane of Brussels bureaucrats – will step down on 7 March after 23 years at the top of Czech politics. Few, however, believe he will spend his retirement on the golf course.

Vaclav Klaus is a bit like modern jazz. You either love him or hate him. The veteran politician – who served as finance minister and prime minister before succeeding arch-rival Vaclav Havel as president in 2003…

said Petr Honzejk, a commentator for leading financial daily Hospodarske noviny…”He taught Czechs capitalism.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20961896

Properly educated economists realize that economic growth comes from producing goods and services that others are willing to pay for (sometimes referred to as capitalism–though capitalism has additional meanings). Vaclav Klaus seem to realize this. In the long run, economists should realize that debt cannot continue to greatly increase forever. And one does not need to be an economist to realize that if something is unsustainable that it cannot continue forever. Thus, the USA is in for a rude awakening (Habakkuk 2:6-8; Daniel 11:39).

Now as far as other rude awakenings go, months ago, Vaclav Klaus made some warnings about some of what was really going on with the European Union that most discounted:

Václav Klaus warns that the destruction of Europe’s democracy may be in its final phase

‘Two-faced’ politicians have opened the door to an EU superstate by giving up on democracy, Václav Klaus, the veteran Czech statesman, tells Bruno Waterfield.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/9559937/Vclav-Klaus-warns-that-the-destruction-of-Europes-democracy-may-be-in-its-final-phase.html

Major new drive to claw back powers from EU ‘superstate’

New moves towards a European superstate have led ministers to step up a drive to repatriate powers from Brussels.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/9560306/Europe-EU-David-Cameron-referendum-superstate-repatriation.html

But Vaclav Klaus was basically right. The Czech President has always had concerns about the EU’s direction and he rightly sees that the EU will end up with full political union if it keeps going the way that many are trying to push it (see, for example, EU Nations Calling for Stronger Presidency, Elimination of UK Veto, and European Army).

The European Beast power (Revelation 13) is in the process of forming right now, yet many simply do not see it. Vaclav Klaus is one of few high level European leaders that not only senses some of it, but is willing to publicly warn about it. Other politicians oppose certain losses of sovereignty, but normally (other than some in the UK) seem less concerned about that.

But, as the BBC reported, Vaclav Klaus is on his way out. His expected replacement is believed to have a very different agenda:

Published January 26, 2013

PRAGUE – Left-leaning former Prime Minister Milos Zeman is leading in the race for the largely ceremonial post of Czech president.

With the votes from more than 50 percent of polling stations counted Saturday, the outspoken Zeman was leading with 57.62 percent of the vote…

Czechs are electing the country’s president in a direct popular vote for the first time, choosing a leader to replace euro-skeptic President Vaclav Klaus…

Klaus’ second and final term in office ends March 7. The new president will be sworn in the following day. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/26/milos-zeman-leads-in-czech-presidential-vote-to-replace-euro-skeptic-vaclav/#ixzz2J5rDxZM5

Mr Zeman is seen as a hard-drinking, chain-smoking politician, known for his witty put-downs of opponents.

As president, he will…support deeper integration of the European Union. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21210495

So, probably one of the biggest official voices on the continent that opposed what the European Union has been trying to do is being replaced by one who is believed to be much more supportive of European integration. Although European integration is something that Bible prophecy shows will happen (Daniel 2:41-43; Revelation 17:12-13), it also warns against it (cf. Revelation 18:4; 14:9-11).

Of course, in the USA and Canada, most just see a bunch of bickering European states and no real union. Yet, Bible prophecy indicated that there would be unity issues in Europe (cf. Daniel 2:41-43)–but that eventually a restructuring would occur, with complete loss of sovereignty (Revelation 17:12-13). And the world would eventually marvel at what happens because of this (Revelation 13:1-8).

Right now we see that the European empire is in the process of forming, with some occasional bumps in the road. And it may be fully formed within the next decade or so. Vaclav Klaus was one of the few voices over on the continent to warn what was starting to happen there, and he is basically being ignored.

People such as Charles Krauthammer and I have warned about the direction of the USA (with me more focused on the moral direction) and sadly have been ignored by too many. The end of the USA is coming and certain economic steps are accelerating that process (cf. Habakkuk 2:6-8; Daniel 11:39; Isaiah 30:12).

Although national repentance to prevent this seems impossible, personal repentance still is possible and is the only real solution until the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom–and that is the good news.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
What is the Gospel? True religion should be based upon the true gospel. What are some of the different gospels and where did they come from? Do you believe the true or a false gospel?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about?
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.