Hi and welcome to my new blog! As so many of you will attest, the Bush years caused great anguish and pain, and thousands of us could not wait for those dreaded eight years to end! Enter Barack Obama....a slick, handsome, educated, oratorical delight who appeared sincere in weaning the country away from fear and into hope and change. Alas....we now know that he is more center-right than progressive left and that his appeasement to those on the right have so far caused great consternation.
The question is are you also experiencing disillusionment, and why? Should we be throwing in the towel this soon? Does it not take time for his leadership to materialize in more effective ways? Divided progressives will not stave off the possibility of conservatives re-instating their ugly heads into the fray. Maybe the best of Obama is yet to come; maybe he has been biding his time in order to effect the changes that he elicited so eloquently on the campaign trail? I invite your comments.
Very good blog comment. I'm disappointed but not disillusioned. Obama is not a dictator. He cannot pass laws. The Congress does. So without majority support, there's only so much he can do. In terms of policies, I'm assuming that he considers all his options and chooses the best from his choices - which, as in the case of Afghanistan, may all be poor choices. I'm actually disappointed in his supporters. Unless he says exactly what we want him to say, we won't support him. There should have been thousands of healthcare reform supporters out challenging the teabaggers, for example - not waiting for Obama to lead the way. Then, we might have got the public option. Instead we wait to see what's in the healthcare reform bill, then we decide how we want to react. In other words, instead of being proactive, we're reactive. Then, we act surprised at the result. c.
ReplyDeleteOur governmental system was originaly designed to be conservately stabile, which means not too much change too fast for fear of goofing up, not too much power riding in the hands of any one individual. From then until now we have veered from that path to the point that "liberals" believe all new rules are good ideas and all old rules outmoded and decrepit, and across the political aisle "conservatives" resist all change except that flowing into their pockets. BOTH sides look on the system as a tool to engineer their private wishes and not as a forum to produce sane and logical results acceptable to everyone.
ReplyDeleteWe may never get beyond this, but if we don't, I'm afraid that we'll have more and more restrictions on our lives and more and more bureaucratic power will accrue. No matter which banner is raised above the chaos of Washington we shall continue to have economic fascists running things behind the scenes... people who believe that they are better suited to rule and who will spend our money freely maintaining that rule.
The party in power matters not at all.
A disturbing analysis, Michael, but most probably true...we have been naive and idealistic in the hope that real change can emerge if enough people raise their voices and say"enough." But the system that is in place does not allow us to have a voice that can be heard above those whose interests have nothing to do with fairness or justice for all.
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ReplyDeleteChris, this is Jeanne and I hope I've finally got this right.
ReplyDeleteIt is so horrible what is happening in Haiti and as bad as it is, it's being handled by the wonderful people who are always there to help in a natural disaster. It's the un-natural disasters that cause so much harm and offer little help to the victims.
I read with interest your comments about Obama. I think he, like most of the elected officials at the national level, is a tool of the hidden but extrodinarily powerful, wealthy few who run this country, probably Canada also, and rule in much of the world. I'm not sure we can elect an individual who hasn't been co-opted. When they run for office something always seems to happen.
I hope this gets through. If so I will post more later!
Just not being George Bush is a huge accomplishment for him and this country...
ReplyDeleteGood morning! The Haitian crisis has overshadowed other news items at this time, as the world helplessly watches the suffering. Although we can send money thoughts,and prayers, we are unable to stop the suffering and anguish that the people are experiencing yet again. I recommend you take a look at the A.N.S.W.E.R website or Act Now to Stop War and End Racism. It explains the history of Haiti as it related to France and the USA, and attempts to answer the question as to why Haiti remains so poor. It also indicated where you can send money. Please take a look and pass it everyone you know.
ReplyDeleteI personally am EXTREMELY disappointed with Obama's performance. My disappointment became serious when he accepted a Nobel Prize that he had not (and has not yet) earned.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm NOT totally disillusioned about Obama, who (I believe) DOES possess the ability, potential AND genuine good intentions to do a great deal of good for the US and for the world.
Will he realize this potential? To judge by the way things have been going since January 2009, probably not - unless citizens of the US and people around the world are able to demonstrate both the desperate need and the realistic possibility of effective action to Obama and his team.
Thanks for your comments, GSC. I think that many of us are disappointed that Obama has failed to win over his own party, as well as Independents. He has tried so hard to appease and even embrace conservatives, that, in doing so, he neglected to address the interests of progressives who worked so hard to make his win possible. Because he shows little emotion, except oratorically, we are left wondering how passionate he really s about changing the conditions that have made the US so despised by many countries. On the other hand, he inherited a position that will always be criticized from both sides of the aisle. It is almost a no win situation for him. Now the country faces the prospect of losing its 60th seat to a Republican, thanks to the ineptitude of Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley, whose smug demeanor has left the Democrats reeling at the thought of losing an opportunity to implement health care. Obama must be able to rise again above the ashes, as he is really our only hope.
ReplyDeleteNew topic folks! I am upset and conerned about the latest ruling by the US Supreme Court that knocks down Campaign Finance Reform limits! In a 5-4 ruling, those Justices on the RIGHT seem to have an agendy that is incomprehensible to anyone who believes in democracy. FASCISM is the merger of coporations and state, and this is exactly what will occur. According to the dictionary, Fascism refers to the dictatorial rule by the Far Right. If that is what is happening, then it is a joke to call Obama a Socialist, when a far more dangerous ideology awaits! What can be done to undo this unsettling ruling?
ReplyDeleteIt is a joke to call Obama a Socialist, or even "left wing". His eloquent SOU address was just that - eloquent...but what substance was there? What is he going to do to follow through on any of the vague suggestions he mentioned? Open up a highspeed train in Florida so people can get to Disney World faster! Jeanne
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