2016: Obama's America

That I cannot recall a serious documentary film made about a president who was still in office at the time of the film's release, at least not a film with a wide theatrical release (can we count the propaganda laden Fahrenheit 9/11?), speaks volumes about this film's importance. That no president that I have ever studied in school has been shrouded in so much mystery and controversy speaks volumes about the legitimacy of a documentary investigating who he is and what he has come from. 2016: Obama's America explores the history and influences of our current president Barack Obama, from as much an objective standpoint as I think one could take without simply saying nothing. While lacking the flashiness and polish of a Michael Moore film, director Dinesh D'Souza wisely goes straight for the facts, tossing aside all the propaganda, assumptions, theories and pretty motion graphics of more famous documentarians. How can I say "fact"? How do I know? Because much of the film explores the writings and quotes and interviews from Obama himself. It's straight from the horse's mouth. Much of it is alarming, I don't know how it could be seen any other way by anyone who loves this country. Much of it also puts away petty arguments about things that don't really matter when it's all said and done. D'Souza affirms that Obama was born in Hawaii, which I'm sure will anger some people. But there are bigger issues at stake in this film, which is about our very real state of affairs here in the United States of America. While it does naturally take a partisan stance, it is as objective as documentaries get, and should be seen by all. And if box office numbers mean anything, it is being seen by quite a few (it posted Top Ten numbers for this past weekend, and only projects to grow to more and more theaters). The film's tag-line, "Love him or hate him, you don't know him" could very well be the complete review for this film.

-Thomas Bond, TheFilmDiscussion.com

Well-done, thought-provoking movie. This film provides insight into Obama's childhood, his influences, his beliefs, and how all of these translate into his plans for America, especially with regard to national security and foreign policy. There's something for everyone in here – Democrats, Republicans, liberals, conservatives, and anyone else. Independents, in particular, will benefit from a deeper understanding of the man they helped to elect to office four years ago. Even better, this movie offers a very insightful analysis of why Obama's words have failed to match his actions. Hats off to Dinesh D'Souza and Gerald Molen for a powerful film!

Contrary to my expectations, this was not a scare-fest along the lines of "The Day After Tomorrow." Instead it's kind of an egghead treatment that starts by asking, Why did Obama disappoint so many of his supporters? He was voted in by Democrats, independents, and a few disillusioned Republicans. Many of them are feeling betrayed.

I'm gay, he betrayed me. I'm Green, he betrayed me. I'm a DREAMer, he betrayed me. I want card check, he betrayed me. I want to close Gitmo, he betrayed me. I want the rich to pay higher taxes, he betrayed me. I want single-payer healthcare, he betrayed me. I wanted transparency, he betrayed me.

D'Souza replies: The reason is, these piddly Democrat-Republican squabbles are not Obama's concern.

According to D'Souza, Obama's aim is way beyond this two-party conflict that the rest of us Americans are locked in. Thanks largely to Obama's often squalid overseas upbringing and the education his parents and grandparents designed for him, he takes a much broader view of America: as a colonialist thief of other nations' natural wealth. He has essentially projected the sins of Britain onto America. The British Raj, Churchill's suppression of the Mau-Mau Rebellion, are examples of the crimes he lays at America's feet. Rapacious British = White = America. That's why he wants to level America by reducing its military power and individual Americans' standard of living. Of course this is misguided; America is itself a former British colony which expelled its overlords in a bloody revolution.

D'Souza intuits much of this from parallels to his own life; he is Indian, and he was advised by his grandfather not to go to America, where "they're white." He lived in Third World squalor, he escaped courtesy of an educational opportunity in an elite American university, he was born and graduated and married in the same years as Obama. He "gets" the whole anti-colonial mindset.

But for most of his evidence, he simply quotes Obama's own words in "Dreams from My Father" and hunts down the teachers and mentors that Obama himself credits. Frank Marshall Davis, Jeremiah Wright, some Brazilian Communist who was expelled from Brazil and found a welcoming and lucrative home at Harvard. He also learned from Bill Ayers.

D'Souza concludes from Obama's first term that he's just not that into the Democrats. He used them (along with the independents and disgusted Republicans) to get himself into power, but he's got another agenda all his own that is well beyond disagreements over who pays what tax rate and whether teenage rape victims should be forced to become mothers.

Therefore he'll adopt progressive issues where they help him and not an inch further. For instance, when he saw some of his base slipping, he did finally evolve his own, deep, personal, individual view on gays marrying -- but he also flat-out said he's not going to put any energy into it as President.

One may agree with Obama's agenda, one may not. It does overlap the liberal agenda in some areas. Indeed, there are plenty of American liberals who feel America should be taken down a peg for the good of the world. But Obama is not motivated by the same things American liberals are. He's not at heart a Democrat, or a progressive, or a liberal, or a leftist. He's more of a sort of confused anti-colonialist.

D'Souza devotes only a few minutes at the end of the movie to the world's prospects if Obama gets a second term. Just a few. Essentially, "there will be no place to hide" if Islamists expand, if American military power is significantly reduced, if our wealth is flushed. It will be bad for the world and bad for us.

8/10 because of its slightly choppy structure.

I saw this movie tonight with my father, and was slightly skeptical. I half expected it to have an in your face approach like the conservative talk radio hosts always seem to have. I can say that as a 20 year old that considers myself to be somewhat more of a moderate than a conservative, I really appreciated what this movie brought to the table.

It was very informational about who Barack Obama is and where he came from; as well as where his parents came from and how their views were shaped and molded. From what I learned in this movie, President Obama's views are simply a consequence of his upbringing and he completely holds true to his father's ideals. Unfortunately, those ideals seem to have connected him with some "shady" people, including communists. I definitely learned some startling statistics and first hand accounts of his life from friends and family members that have shaped my opinion about this man.

I would say that this movie is quite obviously going to be popular with the conservatives, but it worthwhile to see even for a liberal voter. None of the facts or stories in this movie seemed to be fictional and were fairly presented.

"obama is an anti-colonialist." that was the main accusation of the film--which takes its sweet time getting to the point. ironically, our nations founding fathers were anti-colonialists, hence why they rebelled against the British, who used to be our colonizers... also thrown into the film--of course--the obligatory pro-colonialist, feel-good belief of "maybe if whites were still in control over indigenous people, they would be better off." along with some inaccuracies...

supposedly obama will do nothing to stop Iran from acquiring wmd... i guess dinesh didn't catch the news about assassinated iranian scientists, and repeated hacking of their nuclear facilities... i bet dinesh was one of those guys with the "osama loves obama" bumper sticker on his pickup truck in 2008. and lets not forget the folks who were salivating at the thought of sticking it to the hippies once wmd were found in iraq!

oh, and supposedly obama wants to sabotage the USA by getting us into debt... funny, dinesh didn't make this accusation against bush, when he set our current economic trajectory. in fact, obama has slowed the increase in government spending when compared to bush, whom dinesh probably voted for twice.

the films main message is: "let our government take care of your country." and this is coming from the guys that say government cant do anything! this movie is a tome of wisdom for its key demographic, but comes off as a comedy to the informed viewer.