As the calendar year comes to a close, it’s important to reflect on the challenges and opportunities laid out since Obama took office in January; the critical points of 2009 that will define 2010.
First let’s look at the bad. The two truly dangerous failures of the Obama administration thus far are:
1) The economy: Obama pledged to implement a recovery plan that would yield immediate results. Nearly 12 months later the unprecedented $3 trillion deficit has yet to create new jobs or stabilize the still perilous housing market. Besides being another failed government spending program, the recovery plan has left America with a $13 trillion national debt, which now exceeds the annual GDP. That means America is living on borrowed money more than ever.
The addiction of debt-based spending is a downward spiral that results in more and more American currency going to foreign bond holders, thus devaluing the dollar. Not only does this make all imported goods more expensive (which alone hurts the economy), it forces an increase in interest rates on bonds to make them more attractive to foreign investors.
The debt is fast becoming a existential problem for a government which cannot “outgrow” the problem, and rather than tighten its belt, is planning a new huge spending program for health care. Keep your eye on this as Obama spends even more in 2010.
2) Foreign Policy : By speaking softly and carrying no stick, Obama has essentially jettisoned America’s deterrence vis a vis hostile countries the world over. North Korea thumbed its nose at the US as it test fired its long range missiles, with no American response. Instead, the US was forced to station defensive surface-to-air missiles in Hawaii for its own defense.
Iran continues to build its nuclear-holocaust weapon unabated as the Jimmy Carter of our day also manages to allow a much needed insurrection opportunity following the rigged Iranian elections go wasted.
Even in less hostile waters Obama has shown himself to be a total failure as a diplomat. His much touted visit to China accomplished nothing, and his one-sided approach to the Arab-Israeli has not even yielded the limited goals he hoped for. Instead he has managed only to damage American-Israeli relations and raise Arab hopes - only to be dashed – leaving a sense of heightened frustration.
Afghanistan too, has seen a deterioration over the last 11 and a half months, despite Obama’s build up – a build up which deepens America’s commitment to a conflict that increasing numbers of American’s no longer see the benefit of.
But no, all is not lost, for Year of Obama has also given us hope for the future. Because of Obama’s failures and radical policies, American’s have made an about-face on the president, one going beyond the typical mid-term decline in ratings. A poll conducted by Rasmussen 12/24/09 gave Obama a disapproval rating of 56%, with 44% of respondents “strongly disapproving” of his administration. Compare that to his 65% approval rating with only 16% strongly disapproving when he took office January 20th. Hopefully voters will remember 2009 when they enter the voting booths in November 2010.
The second important development of 2009 was the emergence of the so-called “Tea Parties”. Its been long in coming that average Americans do what the far-left thrived off of during the Iraq War under Bush; make their opinions known. The armchair democracy of relying solely on voting to affect change isn’t enough. To maintain a healthy democracy, the people must be ready, willing, and able to make the kind of demonstrations that gain attention and remind politicians who really is in charge. This is equally true for Republican administrations and lawmakers. They too have been guilty over the last few years of ignoring their constituents. Hopefully this phenomenon will affect real change in coming year.
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