Monday, April 11, 2011

I never thought I'd be saying this

We lived through and survived the Bush2 years but our nation suffered under what was, until then, the worst presidency in my lifetime, which dates back to pre-World-War-II. I'm beginning to wonder whether Mr.Obama may take the title away from W.

One admirable trait that W had was his willingness to stand up and be counted, to say what he thought and to fight for what he wanted. I disagreed with most of what he wanted but at least W didn't continue Clinton policies he had inveighed against in his 2000 campaign. He didn't go into a negotiation already ceding a good part of his policies. He didn't sound like a member of the opposing party. He didn't appoint a raft of people who believed in Democratic ideas to his team. I can't say the same things about Mr. Obama. I don't see him getting better. My fundamental question - what does he believe in. Is there anything he would really fight for other than reelection?

Obama may be the last president I live under. I was born when we had a president, FDR, who cared about the world and fought for his beliefs. I'd like to see one of these presidents again before I shuffle off. Clearly, Obama is not such a president.
I have often said that the smartest person in the room does not necessarily make the best leader. Obama proves my point.

What we need is leadership by people who really care about this country. We don't have it now and have not had it for several years. This brouhaha about the deficit and government spending epitomizes our current state. How you can evaluate government spending without considering the benefits of that spending is beyond my ken. Ditto about revenue when crafting a budget. And why don't our leaders read the GSA reports on the waste and mismanagement in the government? Yes, we have financial - and many other - problems. But our leaders are not on a road to solve problems. They are on the road to win elections so that they can continue to live very well and soothe their egos. Is this the kind of leadership we want? I'm glad I'm old and will not be here in the final days of the American empire.

1 comment:

R J Adams said...

Well spoken, Al. Like you, in this era I'd not want to be young again. There was a time when honor and integrity counted for something, when business and politics had moral codes to adhere to. Now, it's all self-interest and stab-in-the-back tactics.
Obama is not right to head this nation. Clever use of fancy words is fine for a poet, but leading the free world requires more than that. The trouble is, I can't see anyone out there who even has the potential to be the 'right' one.