Ahhhh, America.
My natural web habits lately have involved a quick stop at my news RSS feeder... or whatever the current jargon for such things is. I can’t seem to help myself. I blame it on my parents raising me with CBC always on the radio, a year long job in the media industry, and a sick need to always know as much as possible... mostly about things that will only marginally affect me if at all.
At the moment it is the current opposition to Barak Obama that has me transfixed with wide open eyes of incredulity.
Just one short year ago, everyone down south of me (and maybe 5 people in Alaska) was so excited about all the ‘change’ that was coming down the road. It was the second coming of the messiah - an appropriately bi-racial one at that. I was never quite sure what Obama’s race had to do with anything. Nelson Mandela was also black, and so was Idi Amin. Race got nothing to do with how well or poorly you manage a country.
But I recognize that humans in mass form are notoriously stupid, and thus race often becomes part of the equation. I don’t agree, since you can’t do very much about how you were born, but I also recognize that I’m in the minority here. If you read this blog regular like, then I expect I’m preaching to the choir.
I guess America, and for some reason the Nobel committee, decided he really was the black Jesus, and big things were expected. Change.
I should also point out that I’m fully against one word slogans that are largely meaningless, but that is another post.
Well, Mr. Obama applied for, and got the crappiest job ever. He’s in charge of a mess that he did nothing NOTHING to create. He knew that going in, and I suppose I just assumed that most Americans were quite aware that the majority of them voted in an self-admitted c student frat boy a second time after George proved that he was not quite competent the first 4 years.
But now, according to the many news items I have been absorbing, America is no longer thrilled with Mr. Obama. Some still think he can do no wrong, which is moronic since he is a politician after all. However, even more are angry and disappointed. Apparently Mr. Obama is somehow to blame for the recession, the two ongoing wars, and pretty much anything else bad in the world.
This story from the Washington Post claims that President Obama is out of touch with the middle class, and if you bother to read it, goes on to explain how he rides around in Air Force One and has snipers around him and has a limo caravan... and thus he is out of touch with the common American.
I’m not really sure what happened to logic in the US media. Perhaps someone lost it these past 10 years or so, but let me clarify this ‘issue’ if only so my own brain can process this: The man is raised by a single mom, who does a pretty good job of making sure the boy does well in school, only ends up smoking a little pot, goes to a good school, turns down the richy rich jobs and instead works as a community organizer, has a wife and kids and I presume in-laws from the working class that drive him crazy when the stop by for a visit, becomes president of a mess.... and he’s the one that is not in touch with the middle class? Are you shitting me, Washington Post?
He doesn’t get to say no to security and all the other supposed perks. I would agree that the level of security is disproportionate to the risk and terribly wasteful, but does the american public really think that he can ask the Air Force to proved a cessna prop plane instead of a 747 to get around? Do they really think that he can force the secret service to change the huge limo for smart cars?
And if you think he is all powerful, remember that Barak can’t just get up one morning and say, ‘I’m gonna sleep in today, go for a quick walk around the park, maybe have a beer with my lunch and feed some ducks.’ Nope. To do that would create a commotion of secret service guys, helicopters, media... critiques of what beer he had, “was it an import beer? Oh my god, it was a Heiniken. He hates America. why does he think he gets to sleep in on a Sunday? He works for us. Why is he feeding ducks? What was the name of the duck, and what does it mean?” And so forth.
That is not power. I have more power over my day than that. So do you. (Unless you happen to be reading this Mr. Obama.)
It is beyond belief what the public has done to this guy. Build him up to something that is impossible for anyone to live up to, offer him a Nobel prize for peace before he has time to even figure out the mess of bubble gum George left him under the desk, and then get unreasonably mad at him for not being in touch with the supposed ‘common man’ of America.
If the story wasn’t enough to enrage me, I unwisely clicked on the comments section. Comments from the ‘common folk’ he’s supposed to be in touch with.
Oops.
Had I not done that I wouldn’t be writing this now.
One of the nastier comments accused Obama of being a communist. Another said he was a socialist, a liberal. It goes on and on, none of it making much sense.
There is nothing wrong with being a communist. It is just an economic/political model. I realize that many still believe in those moronic statements by Mr. Reagan, but a political theory is not in itself evil. On paper (paper only mind you) communism is actually a pretty good deal for those of us who happen to be lazy. It mostly doesn’t work in practise, but history has largely taken care of that. Get a grip.
Regardless, Mr. Obama is not a communist. He may indeed have socialist leanings, but America, look north a moment, we (Canada, I’m canadian... not proud, just am) are a socialist country, current idiot in charge not withstanding. Socialism is not a dirty word. Medicare is a good thing. It is considered progress when most of a population can get medical help when they need it for mostly free. Free is good. If your local Walmart gave away free hotdogs, I bet most people would think that was a pretty damn fine deal. Ultimately there is a price, but for an entire nation that has an obesity problem, I really thought you’d all be pretty excited about this.
I don’t think it is reasonable to expect perfection out of a politician ever. It isn’t even all the reasonable to expect honesty out of them. They got to say bullshit because the average citizen of anywhere demands that they promise things that they can’t possibly deliver.
I think the thing to do is not put the dude on a pedestal, since that creates the illusion that he is somehow better than you, but be reasonable. Keep the critiques logical and on topic. I am a firm believer in reasoned dissent. Maybe it turns out he is a jerk, but so far, he is doing a much better job than the last US President. You’d be hard pressed to argue otherwise.
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