Disillusionment

-or-
"it ISN'T the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown"

When those who truly believe in Santa Claus finally realize that without a doubt that it was their parents that do the deed, and the guy in the suit at the mall is an actor, and that the TV weather guy that tracks the flying sleigh's progress on Christmas Eve is simply lying... you can almost see their entire world come crashing down around them.
For most of us, we make that critical discovery somewhere around the second or third grade. Which is when most people start actually paying attention to the world around them in any serious way. We learn the facts, then play along for those who still believe, and the myth propagates through to another generation with a wink and a nod between those who know the truth.
But of course, there are those who believe well into adulthood and simply substitute one Santa-figure for another.
Instead of a fat man with a reindeer their Santa becomes something from the Cargo Cult pantheon of somebody that will bring all sorts of good things to them if they just believe well enough long enough. Unable to envision and accept an "Uncaused First Cause" Creator GOD, they put their trust in teachers and bosses, politicians and sports idols. They hold fast to promises made in TV commercials and forwarded emails. And when one proves false, that Bill Gates isn't sharing anything and never has, and that 'friendship prayer blessing quiz' proves absolutely nothing, or that the latest "tummy buster" exercise machine will only work if they actually use it and quit eating donuts, they move on to another.

Except when the biggest ones of all fall apart in front of their eyes.

Then they become lost. Unsure of anything, they wander dazed and confused. In that state that the late Dr. Thompson called "fear and loathing" of all they held firm and familiar.

Then it is up to the rest of us who have known all along that there isn't anything in this world that you can trust in to help them along.

Let's look at a few of the recent 'Santas' that have indeed fallen to earth.

Tiger Woods

The best professional golfer of the modern era, and perhaps of all time.
He's won the British Open three times, the Masters four times, and every other major championship worth winning. He's been named the number one player in the world multiple times and is as of this writing for a total of over eleven years (576+ weeks and counting).
The gentleman had also recently been recognized as the first "billion dollar" athlete.
And all of that just since 1996 when he turned pro. Remember, Eldrick Tont Woods is only 33 years old, he was born in 1975.
Not bad, eh?

Idolized by millions his attendance at any golfing event instantly made it national news, doubled the attendance, increased the TV viewership multifold, and guaranteed mention on every sportscast in the world.
He was held up as the icon of how you can be a successful multi-multi-millionaire professional athlete and not be a publicity whore and target of umpteen celebrity dirt shows.
Oh well.
His feet truly were made of clay.

At least when he did it, he did it all at once in a massive spectacular flameout instead of a long slow spiral down.

Man Made Global Warming

The truth really was "Inconvenient".
Much of the data, as well as the programs used to collect it, had been manipulated to meet the expectations of politicians, or disregarded from the beginning. Many of the so called "Climate Scientists" on various panels turned out to be economists or social engineers instead of Climatologists. Those who had conflicting data from deep sea sediment core samples or the Pacific Decadal Oscillation were ignored and discredited. Evidence that the Solar Cycle was causing "Global Warming" on Mars and the moons of Jupiter was made fun of by smiling TV hosts that were in on the gag.
Other data and information that didn't fit the model (and the political agenda) was simply passed over, for years.
Even the vaunted and almost hallowed National Geographic and other equally reverenced publications threw their lot in with the warming alarmists. Especially in their content for children. Drowning polar bears became the catch phrase for millions of elementary aged school children who then pressured their parents into buying hybrid cars that they did not want and could not afford, which, truth finally be told, have a larger 'carbon footprint' for the overall lifespan of the car than a regular old gasoline powered sedan.

But then the lies began to melt faster than the glaciers as many polar bear population groups were found to be increasing and the ice caps regained everything they had previously lost in one winter. Even those who were on board began to point out that worldwide warming and cooling trends have happened before without any help from people and their cars.
Nonsensical claims from "Limousine and Learjet Liberals", including that "Global Warming" was pushing poor women in developing countries into prostitution, became a bit much for the public (read: "taxpayers") to tolerate.

Then the other shoe dropped.
It had been a massive political operation.
Those who needed the scheme to push their own agenda and to fatten their own wallets clung to it with the tenacity of a crying child begging for a toy.
It is likely some of them will continue to believe, with the Flat Earthers and those who still think there really is a Santa Claus or in Charlie Brown's "Great Pumpkin" as the case may be, and sit in the pumpkin patch and hope.
We should be kind to them and put some candy in their stocking instead of coal.

Obama

"Change we can believe in" now rings hollow to both his followers and his doubters.
That the man was a politician was never in question, just what breed of that particular species of lying scheming pond scum wretched loser he was remained to be seen.
Now we know.
He is one who will indeed say and do anything and everything to ensure his own re-election even at the cost of his own countries bravest citizens.

Somebody evidently forgot to tell Mr. Obama that it is a really an affront to both your hosts and yourself when you go into an Arab's home and talk bad about your own family or town. It is even worse when you do it as the leader of your clan. You insult your host and defame yourself. It is much worse when you do it as the President of the United States. And Obama has done it on the ground in several Middle Eastern countries. Most notably Turkey and Egypt.
The US President is not supposed to bow to a foreign king. He has done it on numerous occasions. At first it was explained away and made light of, his bow in Japan was exactly that and seen as a sign of subservience.
Then to openly insult one of the US's oldest and greatest allies by breaching protocol with its figurehead leader, return a gift symbolic of all the two countries had been through, and then shun their prime minister at another gathering, taken together is almost unbelievable. Yet that was what the President did with the Queen, a bust of Winston Churchill given to the People of the US in memory of September Eleventh, and Mister Gordon Brown.
Obama had promised openness and accountability. He told us to judge him by who he surrounded himself with. Then the openness and accountability went away as he surrounded himself with environmental extremists, communist union activists, conspiracy believers, corporate insiders, and old line political hacks. It wasn't politics as usual, it was politics worse than usual. He had taken every bad idea from the previous three administrations and made them his own.
These were not isolated incidents seized upon by "haters", it was an ongoing trend. This was how he operated and what he believed. This was- him.
But many who had believed still believed. Those who didn't were called names in person and in the press and all claims that maybe something wasn't quite right Inside the Beltway were dismissed.

Then it all came down in one speech. He tried to have his Policy for Afghanistan be all things to all people.
Obama praised Islam as a great religion, then in the same breath said that there were fanatics that were killing innocents in its name.
Later he said that the current Afghani government was corrupt, but that it would be capable of running the country once we're gone.
Then he declared that he is out to win that war, then said that US forces would pull out in eighteen months, just before Mr. Obama's the next election. The timetable for withdraw also means that the Taliban only has to stand down for a year or so, recruit and train, and then emerge from their caves and take over in about two years.
It was as if two different people had each written a speech, and then they combined them into one.
And even Mr. Obama's most glassy eyed disciples noticed.

The proof was standing right in front of us, staring at his teleprompter.
Obama was a Politican. And he embodies all that is wrong with that sort of critter.

As summarized in an email signed with the Vice President's name sent out the next day.

-----" It's a clean break from the failed Afghanistan policy of the Bush administration, and a new, focused strategy that can succeed.
Our new strategy ends the era of blank checks for Afghanistan's leaders, facilitates a responsible transition to Afghan security forces, and begins bringing our troops home in 2011.
...[hotlink to video removed for this posting]...
Thank you,
Vice President Joe Biden"
Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee...
This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

-----

So, were those glowing words from Mr. Biden or not? Who knows? The entire administration is smoke and mirrors.... no, ... smoke and teleprompters.

In another speech, this one in June of 2009 in Cairo, Mr. Obama made three points amongst a larger and more verbose set of remarks. But three that counted.

"In Ankara, I made clear that America is not - and never will be - at war with Islam. We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security. Because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as President to protect the American people."
President Barack Obama
Cairo, Egypt
4 June 2009

It proves something significant, whoever wrote the speech didn't know what they were talking about, and Mr. Obama wasn't world-wise enough to recognize it and correct it.
Whereas America isn't at war with Islam, a significant part of Islam is at war with America. Within the form of Islam that pursues violent jihad, the killing of infidels is encouraged, and since they are infidels, they are not 'innocent'. And if you, Mr. President, stand in their way, they will come for you as well.

The disillusionment of some of Obama's European fans illustrates it best.

Searching in Vain for the Obama Magic
"In his speech on America's new Afghanistan strategy, Obama tried to speak to both places. It was two speeches in one. That is why it felt so false. Both dreamers and realists were left feeling distraught.
The American president doesn't need any opponents at the moment. He's already got himself."
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,664753,00.html

Conclusion

As we said before. Some will continue to believe in Santa, even when the beard has been taken off, they will still believe.
It is up to the rest of us to pick up the pieces and move on.
It is what we have always done, it is what we will always do.

selah

[NOTE: The Desk is a US Citizen and a registered voter, as a Independent Conservative Libertarian.
The Desk is solely responsible for the analysis and conclusions hereby presented. If the reader has any issues with anything in the article they may contact the Desk through the usual channels.
Otherwise: Get over it!
thank you]

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