2016: Obama's America The Movie

This is my second review of a political documentary in less than a week. This film is by Dinesh D'Souza, an Indian immigrant who came to America in the 1980s and became a part of the Ronald Reagan staff. He developed a love for America and the fact that anyone, even an Indian immigrant, could make something of himself.

In this documentary, D'Souza attempts to get to the core of Obama’s mysterious political ideology. Why do I use the word “mysterious”? Simple, no Presidential candidate in history seems to have done such a good job hiding his agenda. The documentary plays numerous clips of Obama supporters in the media who admit they did not truly know what Obama’s ideology was. They literally had no idea. As a result, Dinesh attempts to extrapolate Obama’s ideology from his friends and associates. Consequently, this is not a documentary that will convert Obama supporters. It is preaching to the choir. Critics attack the documentary as “guilt by association,” but this is only slightly true, for in Obama’s own autobiography (from which the film constantly quotes), he states, “I chose my friends carefully.” He states that he “only” befriended certain types of people, which include “Marxist professors.” Clearly a man is known by the company he keeps, and if Obama chose his friends “carefully,” then his friends are a fair way to evaluate his ideology, barring any evidence to the contrary.

D'Souza begins with Obama’s childhood. Using words from his own autobiography, he notes Obama’s obsession with a father whom he only met once. He had built up an idealistic image in his own mind of his father, but the truth hits hard. His father was a polygamist and allegedly a wife abuser. He only visited Obama once in his lifetime. Despite these revelations, the very title of Obama’s autobiography, Dreams from my Father, show a desire to follow in his footsteps. It is at this point that D'Souza shows how Obama Sr. was a revolutionary who had helped the government leaders of Kenya overthrow Britain. He shows Obama Sr.’s hatred for the West and for what he perceived as Western imperialism.

In one of the most interesting sections of the documentary, Dinesh interviews Obama’s poor step-brother who is living in a shack. That step-brother, George Obama, shows character. He does not criticize Barack for not helping him. He declares that he is an adult and responsible for himself. I liked that. If we had that view as Americans, we would not want Obama’s “help,” either. Further, he declares that Kenya is not better off since the expulsion of the British. He even suggests that Kenya would be better off had Britain not left.

From here, D'Souza embarks on a brief history of Kenya and the socialist ideologies of the revolutionary friends of Obama senior. He further traces the friendship and associations of Barack Obama with radicals like Frank Marshall Davis (a Communist Party leader), Edward Said, the eco-terrorist Bill Ayers, and, of course, racist Jeremiah Wright, whose church Obama was a member of for twenty years—to whom he dedicated his book, who married him (well, actually he married Michelle), and baptized his children.

Ultimately, D'Souza concludes that Obama is not so much a socialist per se, as an anti-neo-colonialist. He believes that Obama is deliberately attempting to degrade America’s influence in the world, because he believes that America is a colonial nation. In some respects, the argument holds up well, as it does explain many of Obama’s attitudes about America which seem so foreign to the West. I can vouch for the fact that many countries have a false view of America which stems from the idea of Western colonialism, as expressed by the British Empire (which we revolted from 200 years ago) in centuries long past. I am not convinced that Obama is deliberately degrading our country, although that does appear to be one of the effects of his influence.

What I like best about D'Souza is that he loves America, because he sees beyond our mistakes and realizes that even when we talk about America’s short comings, it is a way of admitting that if we fall short of our ideals then we are conceding America’s superiority in ideals. America was founded as a nation where all men were created (by GOD) to be equal. If we failed in equality in the past, it is still a recognition that we should be equal—something many other countries, to this very day, deny!

Of the two political documentaries I have reviewed this past week, I prefer “Runaway Slave” for the primary reason that a fair and objective person should be able to see the truth of “Runaway Slave.” While I do see truth in “…Obama’s America,” I do not believe that it will convert the unbeliever (politically speaking, of course). Nevertheless, “…Obama’s America” does a good job of helping to unveil some of Obama’s hidden agenda. It sends a dire warning of what will happen if we continue down the path of deficit spending, weakening our armies, socializing medicine, and other socialist and “anti-imperialist” agendas. Those who are concerned about the direction of our country should definitely check out the film, if only to get a different perspective on Obama’s past, and our future.

Violence: Minor / Profanity: Minor / Sex/Nudity: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

• Positive
• Neutral
• Negative
• Young people