IPFS Letters to the Editor • Obama Administration
Where's the Change?
• LetterI\'m sure the media and the political pundits will have their own, drastically different versions of report cards judging the president\'s accomplishments (or lack thereof).
I\'m going to go through a brief checklist of things most people who voted for Barry expected:
1. Bring home the troops: D
Reason: 2,000 extra troops sent to Afghanistan, drastically elongated timetable for Iraq withdrawal (Bush even came out in approval), foreign Empire as spread out as ever.
2. Restore Habeas Corpus: F
Reason: Yeah, not even an attempt on this one.
3. Repeal Wiretaps: F
Reason: Obama has sought to make them legal.
4. Repeal USAPATRIOT Act: F
Reason: Again, absolutely no effort made here.
5. End Guantanamo, secret prisons, and torture: C
Reason: On the positive side he is supposed to end Guantanamo in a year, he has released documents showing torture practices, and the overall tone has changed. On the negative side the prisoners are going to be sent to other secret prisons overseas, no binding resolution has been signed to end torture (more of an empty promise), and no legal action is being sought against those who tortured under the Bush administration.
6. End the Bush Doctrine in Foreign Affairs: B
Reason: He has talked to leaders of other nations, and the tone has changed in approach. Unfortunately the actual policies have yet to turn a corner. We have yet to see the real outcome of this.
7. Promise of No Lobbyists in Administration: F
Reason: Every single appointee is a lobbyist.
8. An End to Special Interest Politics: F
Reason: Obama is more paid off than Bush
9. An End to Corporatism: F
Reason: Bailing out of well connected billionaire banksters, backhanded nationalization of certain industries (namely auto), business (banking) and government interests intertwined, private ownership but government control (Fascism/National Socialism).
10. Helping to Fix the Economy: F
Reason: Contributing to making things worse, heightened inflation of currency through printing, reckless spending, next to nothing interest rates, borrowing us into unpayable debt (he makes Bush look fiscally responsible).
11. Honesty and Transparency: C
Reason: On the positive side he released the torture memos, on the negative side the Federal Reserve has yet to tell us where 3 trillion dollars disappeared to.
12. Buying girls a dog: A
Reason: I would have preferred a Golden Retriever, but, I\'m sure Sasha and Malia are happy.
Summary: A\'s = 1
B\'s = 1
C\'s = 2
D\'s = 1
F\'s = 7
Overall: Epic Fail
1 Comments in Response to Where's the Change?
A lot of progressives didn't trust Obama from the beginning. But the ones who said he is better than McCain or Bush, are realizing Obama IS McCain or Bush. There is no freaking difference, except perhaps Obama is articulate and smooth.