Obama Serene As New Caliphate Forms In Iraq: “The world is less violent than it has ever been”

Here are a couple of disturbing videos for you on this Thursday:

Via The Gates of Vienna, a caliphate forms right before our eyes:

Meanwhile, on Planet Obama, all is well. We’ve never been better. Since Obama became the leader of the free world, it is a safer, healthier, (thanks Michelle)  more tolerant, and more educated place than ever ever before.

Obama said this at a White House event on Wednesday where he took questions from Tumblr users.

You guys are fed a lot of cynicism every single day about how nothing works and big institutions stink and government is broken. And so you channel a lot of your passion and energy into various private endeavors.

But this country has always been built both through an individual initiative, but also a sense of some common purpose. And if there’s one message I want to deliver to young people like a Tumblr audience is, don’t get cynical. Guard against cynicism. I mean, the truth of the matter is that for all the challenges we face, all the problems that we have, if you had to be — if you had to choose any moment to be born in human history, not knowing what your position was going to be, who you were going to be, you’d choose this time.  The world is less violent than it has ever been. It is healthier than it has ever been. It is more tolerant than it has ever been. It is better fed then it’s ever been. It is more educated than it’s ever been.

As I  noted at The Conversation: 

…do you think maybe the people of Iraq, Christians throughout the Middle East, soccer fans in Brazil,  people who live on the Russian/Ukrainian border, school girls in Nigeria, Pakistan, or Afghanistan, and that Marine  currently in a Mexican jail for taking a wrong turn – might have a tiny quibble with that statement?

Watch Hagel Get Defensive When Congressman Asks Why Bergdahl Is Still In Germany (Video)

There were some fireworks at the House Armed Services hearing, yesterday, when Florida Republican Congressman Jeff Miller questioned Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel about Bowe Bergdahl. Hagel got offended when Miller asked why the administration was still keeping Bergdahl isolated in a Army base hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.

Members on both sides of the aisle – including Miller – wanted answers from Hagel as to why the White House neglected to inform them of the release of the five high risk Taliban commanders for the deserter, Bergdahl — as required by federal law. Hagel’s answer – essentially that time was of the essence – failed to satisfy most of the congressmen.

Things heated up when Miller asked Hagel why  Bergdahl  is still stuck at the Landstuhl Army base in Germany, unable to be questioned.

Transcript via Daily Caller:

“You keep saying we can’t get the facts from Sgt. Bergdahl until he returns home,” the lawmaker asked. “Have you ever thought about going to Landstuhl and talking to him there?”

“Well I don’t know how much medical training you had, congressman,” Hagel replied. “I haven’t had much. what we’re doing is we’re allowing –”

“Wait a minute. Wait a minute,” Miller interrupted. “Why hasn’t he been returned to the United States? We have seriously wounded soldiers that have returned to the United States almost immediately after they are stabilized . . . You’re trying to tell me that he’s being held in Landstuhl, Germany because of his medical condition?”

“Congressman, I hope you’re not implying anything other than that,” Hagel replied. “The fact — ”

I’m just asking the question!” Miller pushed back.

“I’m gonna give you an answer too,” the Defense Secretary said angrily. “I don’t like the implication of the question! He’s being held there because our medical professionals don’t believe he’s ready until they believe he’s ready to take the next step to rehabilitation.”

“So you’re telling me he cannot be questioned because of his condition?” Miller later asked.

“I’m telling you that the medical professions that rely on their judgment for his health — which I assume everybody respects — have made the determination and will make the determination that when he is ready to move and move to the next step, which most likely in San Antonio, then we can proceed,” Hagel concluded. “That’s what I’m saying.”

If the issue is Bergdahl’s psychological condition, why does Hagel keep saying it’s a medical doctor’s call?

Here’s the implication of the question, in case there was any doubt: There is now widespread suspicion that there is witness tampering going on at that army base in Germany – that Bergdahl is being told exactly what to say as instructed by a “hand-picked”, “very devoted team”.

Sadly,  we will probably never know what happened to Bowe Bergdahl during his captivity.