I was going through some old photos and found this picture of a much younger John Drew graduating from Occidental College back on June 9, 1979. As you can see, I'm wearing a red arm band. I was doing this to protest Occidental College's investments in South Africa. The fellow handing me my diploma was Occidental College president Richard C. Gilman. As I've written before, I was one of the founders of the anti-apartheid group that President Obama mentions in his book, Dreams of My Father.
From what Obama writes, I guess I had the unusual opportunity to meet the young Barack Obama at a turning point in his life. In Dreams of My Father, Obama writes he got one of the early signs of his interest (and ability) in public speaking during his participation in an anti-apartheid rally at Occidental College in Los Angeles in the spring of 1981.
I met him for the first time in late December 1980. By then, I was in my second year of graduate school at Cornell. I was visiting a girlfriend who was still attending Occidental College who introduced me to him and his friend Mohammed Hasan Chandoo, a wealthy Pakistani student.
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| John Drew graduates from Occidental College as a fully trained Marxist in June, 1979. |
My most vivid memory of my time visiting with Obama was the way he strongly argued a rather simple-minded version of Marxist theory. I remember he was passionate about his point of view. As I remember, he was articulating the same Marxist theory taught by various professors at Occidental College. Based on my more detailed studies at Cornell, I remember I made a strong argument that his Marxist ideas were not in line with contemporary reality - particularly the practical experience of Western Europe.
I went on to become an assistant professor of political science at Williams College in MA, and won the William Anderson Award from the American Political Science Association for my doctoral dissertation. See,
http://anonymouspoliticalscientist.blogspot.com/2010/01/victory-is-so-sweet-for-those-who-have.html
Obama, of course, became President of the United States in 2009. I cannot help but wonder if my common sense arguments ended up impacting his decision-making and career planning.
Nevertheless, I think my experience with the young Barack Obama is useful evidence of why he was able to win the trust and support of Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn and Alice Palmer. In 1995, as you may know, Alice Palmer represented the state of Illinois' 13th District. After she decided to run for the United States Congress she named Obama as her hand-picked successor to replace her. In June 1986, Palmer wrote an article for the Communist Party USA's newspaper, the People's Daily World, now the People's Weekly World. Amazingly, it detailed her experience at the 27th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Regarding Rev. Wright's affection for Marxism and socialism, please view the YouTube video below:
My gut feeling is that Obama won the trust of folks like Palmer because he never surrendered that tough, Marxist socialist ideology I saw in him as a sophomore at Occidental College. All in all, it takes me back to remember my days as a young revolutionary, the moments when - like Barack Obama - I sincerely believed a Marxist socialist revolution was coming to turn everything around and to create a new, fairer and more just world.
John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.
Comments
John, A lot of people say what we need to make everything "fair" is a "benevolent" dictator - the Only one of that fits that bill will be Yahshua - Jesus Christ for He will rule with a rod of iron when He sets up His Kingdom...that aside,
I am curious have you seen Conservative former Idaho legislator Curtis Bower's excellent documentary Agenda: Grinding Down America - if not take the time to watch it. You may know some of what is presented but I doubt all of it. even with your background. Since you are a political scientist I would be curious on your take once you have seen it.
I found it masterful in that Curtis consolidated 100 years of trying to take down America by making us immoral and driving the culture in a direction designed to destroy us. What I came away with was nothing is isolated, all things that are happening are related: the press, police, judges, military, managers, supervisors - all those in positions of authority, influence and power - its all about EDUCATION - what are they being taught? What is the value system that is being instilled in them? Nothing is by accident, nothing is isolated: Public schools greatest cultural influence in America...!
Some have said we get the kind of education the government allows, No, I think we get the kind of government education either teaches or indoctrinates for. The 60's American hating, bomb throwing radicals got control of the teaching colleges and teacher unions and found they could do much more DAMAGE to America in schools then throwing bombs. That is why we have gone from electing Ronald Reagan with a landslide in 80's to Obama twice! Just getting rid of Obama won't fix this:
On line Free FULL LENGTH Agenda: Grinding America Down; http://vimeo.com/63749370
Poison to America
Roger-
Obama has not gotten through to millions of patriot's who will see us through. It will not be the politicians who see us through. It will be patriot's who aren't afraid to get off their couch and take physical action against this entire corrupt regime. Starting with the IRS and telling them to get off my property or else.
I was at the VFW on May 31st and a gentlemen (Korea and Vietnam Vet) told a true story of when some men from Washington visited Kaufman, TX about prayer in school. They said if they didn't stop allowing prayer in school the Feds would cut off their funding.
The gentlemen in charge of that school told the men go outside while we vote on it. It wasn't one minute later that he invited the men back in and told them you can get your asses back on that plane to Washington and go to hell. We will continue to pray and I answer only to God.
That is the type of gentlemen who will save our country. Men of courage and action. Not couch complainers.
Oren, good point but somewhere in this mess there has to be a few good oathkeepers Obama hasn't gotten too that will see us through. Let's hope anyway.
Oren, the US Marshalls should go and collect Obama if those wonderful circumstances you spoke of should appear.
LAWRENCE RICHARD PARK, I COULD NOT AGREE MORE! i'VE SAID THIS FROM THE BEGINNING OF HIS CAMPAIGN>
IF ONLY "WE THE PEOPLE" COULD OPEN HIS (OCCIDENTAL TRANSCRIPTS) i BELIEVE WE WO0ULD FIND THAT HE SIGNED INTO "OCCIDENTAL" AS A FOREIGN STUDENT UNDER THE "FULLBRIGHT"
SCHOLORSHIP , WHICH MAKES HIM TOTALY "INELGIABLE".!!!
We can walk on eggshells and pretend all day long, but the one single reason Obama is illegally squatting in our Oval Office is because his skin is black..his ineligibility, shady past and associations, no real service to this nation whatsoever, much less experience...was all ignored. A white person, especially a conservative, would have seen their career end before it got started, media would have scorned, humiliated, insulted a candidate beyond imagination, and there would be death threats to himself, his entire family, and even the family dog. Appeasement and ignorance, what a nation-killing combo.
I believe there were allegations regarding Obama's Marxist ties and background that was definitely out there, just most everyone appeared to ignore it. I remember reading similar material 5 years ago regarding all the Marxist history of Ofraud-ulent.
No matter how much a person jumped up and down yelling about Obama's dark and wicked history, his falsities, etc., nothing was done because they were scared into a corner by bigots slinging the *race card* every step of the way. After all, exposing the illegal candidate might be looked at as blaspheme to the hailed fraudulent false messiah Obama.
I always hesitate on people that wait this long to bring this to the forefront. Why wasn't this brought to the Republican Campaign Committee as well. It sounds like something they would have jumped on.
There are none so ignorant in all the world than those that would give up what little common sense they were blessed with at birth than those that would take up the mantle of Marxism and communism to sound like an intellectual and then started believing their own fanatasies about how great life would be if everyone was like themselves . ALL COMMUNISTS , MARXISTS , AND PROGRESSIVES ARE OF THIS SUBHUMAN CLASS , BUT PLACE THE MANTLE ON OTHERS TO HIDE IT .
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