Posted by After a series of essays regarding my distress over an Obama win last year, I changed my tune slightly and have tried my best to acknowledge that there are many Americans who agree with the way President Obama is handling the country and really see the government as an entity that should and can help the American people live happy and productive lives, even at the expense of personal liberties and high taxes.
One year later, I am still distressed and utterly unimpressed by the actions of this Whitehouse in more ways than one. The President is so wrapped up in pushing his domestic agenda; he is not dealing with real threats to the Nation and protecting our troops. (For example, there is no proof that American doctors are amputating a sick person’s leg for money, as the President claims, but there are soldiers who have had their leg amputated by bombs hurled at them by the enemy.)
The most important job of the President is to protect Americans from foreign foes, which involves assuming the position of leading the charge, particularly if America is entangled in military operations abroad. In Afghanistan, American troops suffered more casualties this month, than any other month in eight years. Yet, the President has not made a decision, outlined a plan, or come up with a strategy that helps the troops. Surely, the President needs time to formulate plans and goals, but we have been involved in a war there for eight years, and having been in charge for close to ten months, one would think a plan would have been established by now.
There is nothing unusual about criticizing the President and some media outlets have articulated those complaints earnestly. What is unusual, however, is the President’s reaction to such complaints. Instead of answering his critics head on, the President sends his peeps (government officials, liberal media, Hollywood, and Democrat thugs) out to disparage former President Bush and blame him for spending too much time in Iraq.
Further, the Whitehouse wants its peeps to marginalize FOX by ignoring their news stories and not appearing on its programs. The Whitehouse went so far as to call the popular news organization “not real” hoping it could insulate itself from answering the tough questions. (For example, the question of the day on CNN is “When will the President make a decision on Afghanistan? The question of the day on FOX is “Why hasn’t the President made a decision yet?” Not a huge difference, I admit, but enough to make the Whitehouse run scared.)
Neither of the two reactions outlined above helps to contain what has become an escalating War in Afghanistan. The President should be making the case that apprehension is a sign of strength, or explain why careful and slow review is necessary, but please do not insult our intelligence with smoke and mirrors.
Understandably, the very topic of Afghanistan is a source of angst for the President. Recall that he ran his campaign and career as an anti-war politician. Under President Bush, Obama was openly against BOTH wars; Afghanistan and Iraq. He changed his position at some point during the Presidential campaign, calling the Afghanistan War a war of “necessity”. Whether he changed his position for political expediency or had a serious change in viewpoints is unclear. It seems the President cannot reconcile his personal views regarding war, with America’s involvement in Afghanistan. (One has to wonder why he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize by a group of Swiss intellectuals who believe that war is never necessary in order to establish peace, especially when America is the aggressor.)
The situation in Afghanistan is screaming for attention. One can only hope the President has the determination and zeal to handle it, and that he understands who his true enemies are in the first place.
It’s “Obama’s war” now: let him fix it.
By Alice L. on Oct 27, 2009
The main job of the President is NOT to defend America from foreign invasion. It is, according to the oath of office:
“to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Incursions on rights are as much an attack on the Constitution as is a foreign invasion. I do not think we need to be intolerant of America’s socialists, but in my book they are traitors, one and all, and that includes Barack Obama.
When my great-grandparents and grandparents came to this country in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries this was still a largely free country with a laissez-faire, capitalist economy.
After a century of socialism I do not think the United States any longer has much to offer newcomers or children. A talented young person will find more opportunity in Asia or eastern Europe than here.
Socialism has been a destructive force, and the socialists, of whom Obama is one important one, have sucked this country dry. Nor have they done anything to help the poor. Their pattern is to give peanuts to the poor as they supply the rich with massive doses of Federal Reserve counterfeit. Barack Obama has pursued this strategy to a degree unimagined even under the glorified thief, George W. Bush.
In the 19th century the poor could save. Savings rates were on the upswing. Real wages were on the upswing. Today, only fools work hard. The nation has encouraged sloth, incompetence and massive waste on the part of the wealthy even more than on the part of the poor.
The socialists have subjected America to a maelstrom of destruction, and I pity your children, Raquel.
By Mitchell Langbert on Oct 27, 2009
Thanks for the correction, Mitch, and you are right. The President takes an oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
It’s a shame so many of our representatives either ignore it or dismiss it as antiquated. Oh the stupid and proud nature of men to think they are above the smartest document in US history!
There is hope, still. Take Lt. Col. Allen West running for Congress in Florida’s 22nd district, he carries a pocket-sized booklet of the US Constitution where ever he goes. I followed his lead, and ordered one of my own.
But I am no stranger to the Constitution of the United States, since my immigrant parents framed a copy and hung it in our living room, so as I child I read it often.
Maybe I should send the President a copy. And if I had enough cash, I would send it to all of them in Washington DC, too concerned with their own political posturing, to simply read what it says.
By Raquel on Oct 27, 2009
The president’s suporters are anti-war which is great attitude unless we have another 911. I fear the worse as the recent events in Chicago. Where did the president come from?
By Mike Campbell on Oct 27, 2009