A TV Commercial Airing Using Children... Pledge Allegiance To China
The First Amendment has never been so abused as when adults use children to sell an adult message. Parents became outraged when they heard that POTUS 44 was scheduled to speak to children in their school on Tuesday Sept. 8th. calling it a "Socialist" act. Many POTUS have addressed school children for decades and from both parties yet, every interaction or action POTUS 44 makes is subject to cries of "Socialism" and more--none of the detractors are calling him an American President--I find that odd.
I think it was Sunday night when I first heard--not saw the commercial with children reciting "The Pledge of Allegiance" only it was to China! I was at the computer and did not see it I have not viewed it until today after searching on Google. I found the clip on Youtube and here is the text.
"Children: I pledge allegiance to Americaʼs debt, and to the Chinese government that lends us money. And to the interest, for which we pay, compoundable, with higher taxes and lower pay until the day we die.
VO: American tax payers owe more than $500 million in interest payments every day to cover our governmentʼs debt, much of that debt is owe to foreign governments. Go to DefeatTheDebt.com.
Girl: Debt Stinks."
Origin: DefeatTheDebt
August 31, 2009
(less info)
http://www.defeatthedebt.com/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>~~~~~~~~~<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
I choose NOT to include the video it is disturbing enough without the voices of grade school children speaking these words. Anarchy begins where the "First Amendment" leaves off and this commercial is offensive to all Americans by its nature. You may not agree with me yet, I ask you, is this what you want to explain to your young child watching Disney or other channels with children’s programming?
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Comments: 228
I agree Spencer; it is befuddling to me as to how low some will stoop.
It reminds me of the 1960s when people were integrating neighborhoods and the fear mongers employed boogieman themes to scare folks from remaining in previously all white neighborhoods.
Was it really broadcast during children's shows? That would seem like a silly waste of money since they're trying to affect voters, not children.
This is a clever political advertisement. It is not aimed at children. It addresses a real concern. As far as I can tell it's not lying. The debt is large and we owe a lot of it to China.
I think increasing the debt now is the only prudent course and is a risk we have to take. I think this is a result of bad policies from the Republican side of the aisle. But reasonable people disagree with this.
This ad, to me, is reasonable disagreement. It's not like the lies being spread about healthcare, which I think is part of a much larger problem right now.
If your answer is that that would be acceptable, or even an excellent point, then what you object to is the anti-Obama slant--the veiled reference to the idiotic "indoctrination" accusations, and the lie that he (or Democrats) are responsible for the debt. I object to that as well, but then that's what needs to be pointed out instead of suggesting that this somehow abused the First Amendment. Children are used in ads every day, and you can bet their parents signed three consent forms before this could be filmed and aired. (I would also give kids a lot more credit--they do understand obvious satire by that age.)
If you say that a similar production with a liberal message would be offensive too, then I'll respect your position, but I really don't "get it" at the gut level. I assume it's based on a feeling that the words and the ritual of having children recite them in school every morning after roll and lunch count are sacred. That would explain the reactions of horror, but I just can't see it that way, sorry.
Personally I DO object to child exploitation in all forms yet, political messages drag down the credibility level, for me. I could not take anyone serious when they use a child to encourage me to their side of the world. It takes a great deal of strength to sustain independent thought. Yet, independent thought is valuable when it is pared with a well rounded education.
Since you've only addressed me once directly--I think--I'll respond to that--yes, I think I should--from the planet, since my "independent thought" obviously doesn't fit in anywhere.
[Edited and reposted for some appearance of sanity. Sorry.]
What I'm wondering about is this: as a Democrat, and an Obama-supporter, why are you insulting other Democrats and Obama-supporters here? Even though Sandy and myself are rather set in our political ways and are hardly about to start campaigning for Palin because of such experiences, I don't quite get your objective.
I can see that this conversation is a road to nowhere and I would not like to continue. It is sad indeed that the difference in views are cemented to a difference in parties. That is sad.
All of that should have made it clear that I'm not defending "obscurities and self-interests" (or global cancers, I hope). What I'm defending is the First Amendment, and an avoidance of double standards.
As for my tone--where did my tone violate the standards of civil discourse? I wrote a long and honest comment to explain my position to you, without any personal insults.
(I note that you do not wish to continue this conversation, but then you shouldn't slam accusations of "defending obscurities and self-interests" on people whose actual arguments you haven't honestly and meaningfully engaged.)
I need not slam anyone I simply point out the absurd.
Is this your explanation for refusing to address my questions?
According to the press release put out by the folks who produced the ad (the Employment Policies Institute, headed by Richard "Dr. Evil" Berman), the commercial runs on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and CNBC, which is hardly children's programming.
Speaking of ads and children's programming, needhim.org will be handing tickets out for god in spots they're broadcasting during "Get Schooled: You Have the Right", a documentary sponsored by The Gates Foundation, that features President Obama. That program will air on Nickelodeon and all Viacom networks. Pisses me off, but they have the right.
The other pisses me off, too.
I'm sorry I didn't see your comment sooner! You're spot on when you bring out "pledge allegiance to the corporation..." The fascists would still be screaming like scalded dogs!
You can scream out obscenity at a leftist town hall meeting, but God forbid you say anything against a right wing belief.
Don't be surprised.
We need to get this under control though. If we're going to properly indoctrinate children we can't allow them to know or understand the truth that we've borrowed way too much money from other countries, and our dollar has lost a substantial portion of its value against foreign currencies. Just keep the kids mindlessly mouthing the words to the real Pledge of Allegiance every day and keep them occupied with other red, white, and blue propaganda, and well be just like -- business as usual.
The truth is one thing the image of using schoolchildren to drive a wedge between anyone or thing is wrong. Remember, everything on the Internet has no shelf life.
Defeat the debt
The commercial is not focused on any one individual or political party but simply on stopping the massive out of control government spending.
Here's another site you probably won't like, Citizens Against Government Waste another nonpartisan 'lets control the massive out of control government spending' site.
You are trying to make the issue ethics!
You support Obama and his massive spending, so anyone who challenges massive government spending is against Obama.
You can't challenge their stand against massive government spending so you challenge the commercial they make...A very effective commercial at that.
There is nothing wrong with producing a commercial and using children in it. Children are used in commercials all the time and I have never seen anyone including yourself complain before now, only now that you and your fellow Obama supporters perceive this commercial to be anti-Obama do you speak out against children being used in commercials.
If I were SHOUTING I would be posting in all caps.
Which is why conversations have to start with honest people. Integrity matters, though clearly some people lack it.
Honest conversations also require working with factual information. Which can't be done when there are people out there lying and stealing.
Honest people are rear in today's world and NO ONE in ADVERTISING can be accused of 100% truth. I actually have not an ounce of fault with the “Intended” message I do not care at all for the presentation.
Try another approach.
Like?
O.K.
"So you see nothing wrong with using children to sell a negative misleading message today when the problem began years ago under another party's watch?"
How is the message misleading?
In reading the words you posted and watching the commercial there is nothing misleading about it.
And what makes the message a negative one?
It is not negative to try and address this issue.
Where in the ad do they imply that the problem is a recent one?
They don't.
"The truth is one thing the image of using schoolchildren to drive a wedge between anyone or thing is wrong."
What wedge are they drying to drive and between whom?
Yes Johnice it IS about honesty and hypocrisy, and it IS about those who apply criticisms concerning honesty and hypocrisy dependent upon whether they agree with the proscribed ideology or not.
To manufacture an outrage for the sole reason to demonize those who you disagree with is not a display of honesty and hypocritical in itself.
You have to make believe that it is there, no understanding required.
You don't respond to my request to clarify how you come to your interpretation because you can not twist their words into what you suggest they mean in any way that will appear plausible.
"A very effective commercial at that."
Johnice,
You are aware if Bank A loans money to Bank B and if Bank B gets too overwhelmed. Bank A can end up OWNING Bank B.
Now, substitute the word China for Bank A and U S A for Bank B
This is not about Obama, it's about the absurd spending that ALL the powers in Washington D.C. are doing.
Aniko made some valid points/ excellent comments. You might want to re read, and give some open minded thought.
Thank you, I try!
You will never sell the machinations of a shrinking majority in a Nation committed to diversity.
I guess that means you don't think much of the founders of our great nation.
I'm quiet sure they would not recognize "their" country as it is today. Thomas Jefferson would surely suggest an armed revolt.
It makes a needed and truthful case for the state of our republic through the children ... but I did have some aversion to it due to the use of the children.
A-OK with the premise because it does accurately reflect where we may be headed - have been heading for some time - but using the children? Not so sure that was a good thing.
You cant restrict it or you lose it completely.
~M
The issue isn't first amendment rights: if it were, then the right wouldn't be trying to control the debate by turning the country into a thugocracy and shouting down the valid opinions and concerns of citizens who are moderate or left leaning.
~M
I also agree with you on the free speech idea -- and might I say if we are concerned about that ... seems like the next Czar on the radar should be Mark Lloyd. He's got the same leanings as Van Jones but is also a proponent of "diversity" localism ... would love to see the fairness doctrine come back but will settle for something that has the same result but is called something else...
BUT it is the truth.
We should have laws about who buys our debt.
BUT it is the truth."
Ethics and civility in speech, politics, and daily life has eroded the "Truth" is received better with etiquette than with a slap=in=the-face or manipulation. When messages manipulate the “Truth” it sullies the waters and displays vindictiveness and ranker.
Government is similar to a business as it must pay employees, pay for equipment, maintenance and Health benefits, sick pay etc. Then there are the Federal supported State services and projects which must be factored in. That money must come from somewhere and cutting taxes on the 1.2% and making the 98.8% of the Nation to pay for everything is wrong.
Perhaps you have never heard the phrase, "he who is fore-warned, is fore-armed". Mull it over for awhile and see if you can apply it the atmosphere in our nation right now.
I'm not surprised by the commercial, as children have been used as pawns in many political commercials (and on the sides of campaign buses, etc.). To me the issue is the hypocrisy. The message of the commerical is not that China owns much of our debt, it is that some bizarre concept of a socialist president is being pushed, which feeds off the inherent xenophobia of some people. It's cynical, and it's dishonest.
It's valid to have differences of opinion on issues, but not valid to lie about what the issue is so you can block any honest debate.
We need to stand up for honesty and integrity.
A child acting independently is a far cry from a group of children being used--Children cannot legally sign contracts under the age of 18, these children reciting the text above are actors and have no interest in the words yet, I guarantee you years from now they will recall the text and question EVERYTHING, including why people are so evil to each other. They will not recall it with PRIDE!
Johnice, do you know that these children have no interest in the words? I understand being manipulated as a child and later regretting things I said or did. I was raised Catholic, fed a lot of inaccurate information which I repeated, and regretted it terribly when I grew up. That regret made me determined to speak openly now, to undo the damage.
My original question: How do you know these children have no interest in the words? To clarify, I'll ask more questions. Do you have some evidence that these children were blindly led into this by their parents? That no one discussed the issue with them ahead of time? That someone did discuss it with them, they disagreed, and were forced to participate? Or did you make an assumption? And if so, would you mind explaining your assumption.
My point: I understand being manipulated as a child and later regretting it. As a child, I was fed inaccurate information. As a child, I went along with that information so, given a choice to participate in an ad that propagated such information, I would willing agreed to do so and I would have understood what I was doing - even if my understanding of the situation was based on incorrect information.
I modeled, as did both of my daughters. I would not have accepted a job representing something that I opposed nor would I have asked my daughters to do that. My concern is that someone like you might have seen my children in an ad for something that offended them and assumed that my children had been "used" when that wasn't the truth.
My grandchildren were in a political ad last year. They knew the politician, liked him and what his ad said, and willingly chose to participate. People who did not like him or his message could say the same thing you are saying now. I would disagree that they were 'used'.
I repeat what I said prior to your repeat.
"The point is, we should be paying only for what benefits us and throwing money into the pockets of people who abuse us." This makes no sense what so ever!
Your crap his crap I will take the high road and not step in your crap.
He appears to be a free thinker and I have no doubt that his thoughts and opinions will change many times as he grows to adult hood.
I myself thought I was liberal until my early 20s when I realized that I had as many conservative ideals (or more) as I had liberal ideals. And that my own dislike of conservatives was driven by the perception given them by thye msm.
I always thought I was a free thinker until then which was when I realized that I was just following the crowd in thinking conservatives were mean evil and nasty!
Your Grandson as well as mine will make up their own minds.
We have ten grandchildren and I see it as a glorious time for them to be alive with both great potential and challenges to be overcome!
But then I've always been a the glass is half full kind of person.
So what you are looking for is a life without challenges--good luck!
Where did that come from?
A reading comprehension problem maybe?
Nonsensical!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Or maybe Chairman Hussein, can send Bill Ayers and Jeff Jones an advisor to Hussein Obama Jr. to the schools and have a teaching moment for the kids, on how to plant a bomb in capitalist bldg. Evil Capitalist Corporations.
Thanks for stopping by!
micky d. Sep 6, 2009, 9:18am EDT
Now that Hussein Obama's commy advisor Van Jones has quit-does that mean he is free to go to our school-kids and preach to then how great Communism-Marxism is?
Or maybe Chairman Hussein, can send Bill Ayers and Jeff Jones an advisor to Hussein Obama Jr. to the schools and have a teaching moment for the kids, on how to plant a bomb in capitalist bldg. Evil Capitalist Corporations.
Commissar Obama had his campaign started in the home of American terrorist bomber Bill Ayers, Jeff Jones the co-founder of the terrorist group Weather Underground are currently advisers to Obama- Jeremiah Wright a complete vile white hater-america hater and 20 year pal of Hussein Obama's- baptized the girls. Aniko, I know what a Communist is-Marxist is- Racist is, and who they are,
Obama-Van the commie man-Jeremiah Wright- race inciter-Bill Ayers-Mark Lloyd, another socialist bum Czar for Obama- FCC Czar.
Aniko, I am not poisoning the well-. I am speaking the truth everything I have written names and all are FACT.
What upsets you leftist Obama worshippers is peoples dare to stand up to the left, and what really has your type crazy is that people like me are no longer intimidated by your name calling- All Racist- hate the black man non-sense!
Obama is a complete disaster- a very weak man- incapable of leading.
Aniko, Hussein is the name he used during his inaugural, and I will continue to use it no matter what people like you have to say about it.
The people of America do not care anymore about what vile names they are called. Aniko!
I don't "worship" Obama--I just think he's a lot better than the alternatives. Your attempt to present an opinion that differs from yours as mindlessly "worshiping" a person is another way to avoid valid arguments.
There is no doubt that some people in Obama's environment have been influenced by Marxist philosophy. I don't see "environmental capitalism" as consistent with Marxism, though, and what I'm looking at is the overall picture, not the early history of a few of his "people".
Well said! Although, I am an Obama supporter and I say that with out shame and or regrets, compared to the choices available today, and I have followed politics since the late 1940s. POTUS 44 has the intellect and the following to make this Nation great again and it will cost more but a Rolls Royce cost more than a motor scooter.
Language phobias are causing the Right serious problems.
I think when looked at objectively one will see at least as much if not more name calling coming from the left.
It is a common tactic of the left to resort to personal attacks when faced with opposing view points.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Your response serves as an almost perfect example.
Thanks for re-enforcing my point.
I support a man who is now our President and that is my view the problems other have with listening to a Black man who is well educated is a long standing issue in this country. They began screaming in the 1970s that Blacks could not read the news on T.V. Now it is the POTUS and that really cooks their gonads.
I worship no one whose feet touch the ground when they walk.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Play nice--Dan loves to agru with and without points he is damaged and do not feed into his delusions.
A perfect example of a BDL.
A liberal who due to their hate and bias can not see any position but their own.
Johnice, you do seem to make the attempt at verbally sparring, but seem to be a bit of a novice at it!
Nice try though.
Pretty lame there Johnice.
If you're going to try your hand at personal attacks it helps that they have some basis in reality, if they are just insults (which yours is) they are not very effective.
Johnice R. Sep 7, 2009, 9:24am EDT
Aniko,
I support a man who is now our President and that is my view the problems other have with listening to a Black man who is well educated is a long standing issue in this country. They began screaming in the 1970s that Blacks could not read the news on T.V. Now it is the POTUS and that really cooks their gonads.
I worship no one whose feet touch the ground when they walk.
Is, Bill Ayers a american hating terrorist friend of Obama's
Is Rev. Wright a lunatic racist friend and mentor of The Obama's..
BY THE WAY, MY KIDS WILL DELIVER THEIR OWN MESSAGE NOT THE MESSAGE OF A FAR-LEFT-SOCILAIST PRESIDENT- WITH TIES TO COMMUNIST.
Your questions are as ridiculous as your drugged out writing style.
You will never earn respect when you cannot be considerate enough to call people by their name and not one of your variations. Try civility and listening to others and maybe you will have dialogue which makes a point rather than war and is readable.
“Anger is not for me to avoid, it is your obligation not to ignite.”…jrk
"Twisted little man."
"when you cannot be considerate"
National pride and its symbols are not as sacred as they once were or is it the people who are less civil and respectful of what America is and can be?
Thanks!
If you can't explain the difference there is not enough of one to make a difference.
And how do you feel about that "God" word being in the pledge?
Burning a flag is a statement degrading an oath/pledge is anarchy(Political disorder and confusion). That is what you bring to the table--so patriotic. NOT!
The insults escalate!
But of course the reason you escalate the insults is because you can't show a disconnect between the two, at least not a very good one.
I find that people who think themselves smarter than others usually mouth off with impressive words and phrases and then can rarely back them up.
Thanks for not disappointing.
As a Conservative I have been called names-accused of being racist-homophobes-want to starve old folks- against education because i oppose failed public schools- and want to give school vouchers to minority kids. I rail against the absolute failure of the liberal welfare plantation that has wrecked havoc on inner-city families.
Johnice, with all due respect, Obama is a disaster in the making- he is a weak man- a non leader, and the rest of the world sees it. He surrounds himself with socialist-marxist- and a few Communist, there is no denying that.Johnice, in 7 months time Obama has made more mistakes than other presidents did not make in 7 years.Johnice, stop look and examine what is going on- one blunder after another.
The world is giving him the finger-Iran-N.Korea-Libya-Iraq-Soviets. Were we not told that when Obama gets elected the world will once again love America- for heaven-sakes Obama traveled the Globe bad-mouthing America to tin horn dictators apologizing for America and now they are sticking that finger in his face.
Obama, its not personal, its that you are not up to the task of leading the free-world and Johnice that is quite evident after 7 months of chaos- he can not even lead his own party.
You are assuming that POTUS 44 is as dumb as to be a follower --he is a leader and is well educated enough to know the difference in information and mandates. I wish you were as gifted.
Interesting, thanks! You are still predictable and wrong.