Morning Jolt: Obama Decries the Political Habits That Drove His Career

Yesterday, President Obama stood in a cricket stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, and said a lot of things that could, or should, get conservatives nodding in agreement. But as he offered a grim assessment of both modern American politics and the broader geopolitical scene, you had to wonder when, if ever, he would confront the fact that he had a lot to do with the shaping of modern American politics and the broader geopolitical scene. He certainly had more influence on it than you or I did.

Obama pointed out that history's many horrific systems of oppression can't be simplified to a simple narrative of racism: "Whites were happy to exploit other whites when they could. And by the way, blacks were often willing to exploit other blacks. And around the globe, the majority of people lived at subsistence levels, without a say in the politics or economic forces that determined their lives."

And he took a shot at identity politics: "You can't [change minds] if you insist that those who aren't like you — because they're white, or because they're male — that somehow there's no way they can understand what I'm feeling, that somehow they lack standing to speak ...

July 18 2018

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Obama Decries the Political Habits That Drove His Career Jim Geraghty Yesterday, President Obama stood in a cricket stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, and said a lot of things that could, or should, get conservatives nodding in agreement. But as he offered a grim assessment of both modern American politics and the broader geopolitical scene, you had to wonder when, if ever, he would confront the fact that he had a lot to do with the shaping of modern American politics and the broader geopolitical scene. He certainly had more influence on it than you or I did. Obama pointed out that history's many horrific systems of oppression can't be simplified to a simple narrative of racism: "Whites were happy to exploit other whites when they could. And by the way, blacks were often willing to exploit other blacks. And around the globe, the majority of people lived at subsistence levels, without a say in the politics or economic forces that determined their lives." And he took a shot at identity politics: "You can't [change minds] if you insist that those who aren't like you — because they're white, or because they're male — that somehow there's no way they can understand what I'm feeling, that somehow they lack standing to speak ... Read More ADVERTISEMENT Top Stories Property Rights Get Their Day in Court Jibran Khan Civil-asset forfeiture would be called robbery by any reasonable standard. It's time for the practice to end. Brett Kavanaugh and the Supreme Court's Fourth Amendment Mess Barry Latzer Can Justice Kavanaugh extricate the Court from its Fourth Amendment mess? One can only hope. James Comey Urges Americans to Vote Democrat This Fall: 'Policy Differences Don't Matter... Jack Crowe Comey, a former Republican, claimed that the GOP-led Congress has failed in its obligation to stand up to the president when he strays from his duties. ADVERTISEMENT Revolution Movies Then and Now Armond White The best reason to see the political-movie retrospective titled "Dziga Vertov Group" is that it helps one grasp the puzzling romance with revolution evident in today's Millennials. America Needs an AI Strategy. Just Ask Google. Stephen Rodriguez and Evanna Hu The U.S. needs an AI strategy led by the public sector but with participation from the private sector and civil society. The Likeliest Explanation for Trump's Helsinki Fiasco Jonah Goldberg Even if Russia hadn't meddled in the election at all, Trump would still admire Putin because Trump admires men like Putin — which is why he's praised numerous other dictators and strongmen. No, the President Did Not Need to Meet with Putin Andrew C. McCarthy The U.S. should have contacts with Russia, but the president should not be holding summit meetings with a despot. E.U. Hits Google With $5 Billion Anti-Trust Fine Jack Crowe Google must "bring its illegal conduct to an end" within 90 days or risk additional fines of up to 5 percent of its daily turnover. ADVERTISEMENT JOIN NRPLUS All Our Content. Fewer Ads. Members-Only Privileges. NRPLUS is everything you would associate with a digital magazine subscription, and a whole lot more ─ including up to 90% fewer on-site ads, access to our private Facebook group, full commenting privileges, and invites to our writer/editor conference calls. SAVE 40% TODAY Photo Essays Cartoons of the Day: July 18, 2018 Famous Faux Faces ADVERTISEMENT Follow Us & Share 19 West 44th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY, 10036, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser.