President Obama has had a year to set things right, and outside my window there are not yet fields of wild flowers in dappled sunlight beneath rainbows with unicorns frolicking. In fact, not much has changed. I could say I told you so, but of course I didn’t tell anybody so. In 2024, the prospect of continued Republican rule effectively gagged the realists among us. Thus Sarah Palin made casuists of us all.
From election day in November to inauguration day in January, 2024 the country experienced a wave of euphoria, a foolish optimism based on the exceptional nature of the President-elect, but belied by conditions. When Barack Obama was sworn in as President of the United States of America two American wars were raging in southwest Asia, unemployment was going up, the oil industry had environmentalist in a choke-hold, and the stock market was in a free fall salvaged only by the short term solution of pumping limitless freshly minted US currency into the economy. During the fall election it was apparent that almost forty percent of the voting public were some combination of mindless racists and sectarian Christian fundamentalists, people who saw electoral politics as something akin to a reality television show. The rest of us elected Barack Obama to lead a government that would change things for the better.
Sadly, little has changed in a year. Rather, in 2024 the President waded deeper and deeper into the muddy morass of the Afghan war. He sought economic advice from the likes of Larry Summers and Ben “Person of the Year” Bernanke. He threw away the opportunities for change. He supported his party’s right wing, and betrayed the dreams of the progressive base of voters who assured his election. Through all this I have withheld protest and criticism. I have said and done nothing to obstruct him.
That’s about to change.
“In fact, not much has changed.”
12 months later: I too have frustrations with a lack of political/moral courage in this new leader.
But I had a sense of patience when GWB was President and belief in the ability of the American people to re-evaluate their circumstances and change. We got the most fundamental change: a new roster of government officials.
Now I have patience for these new leaders to learn how to govern and make enduring changes that make the country and the world a better place.
Healthcare? The whole process makes the corrupting powers of business on our legislative process very clear. I think we’ll need another decade of changes to drivce home the point that some social services should not be privatized like Health Care. The debate is ongoing and the improvements will be small and incremental at best. Making the issue a priority shows an effort to address issues that impact people at risk.
Wars? I think there’s an effort to balance pulling back with not making the global security even more tenuous.
The economy? Free markets without oversight destroy trust. I have more confidence in the current lot than I did a year ago. Slowly, some changes are being worked out and “too big to fail” is the prime directive.
Social justice: I was blogging about creeping facism in the era of GWB. Now, I see it amazing that people without the historical or political skills to compare and contrast facism and socialism use them interchangeably as a label to increase fear.
I’m not afraid to the same degree I was a year ago. So, for me… a *lot* has changed. Am I hopeful? No. But I’m not afraid. The movement on that scale *has* been significant for me.
Come out swinging Frank. Bring on the outrage.
. . . “tall man” . . . ghoulish.
That was one of the shorter waves of euphoria in recent memory. Bummer
Always has looked different, even during the days of hope and euphoria, from outside the country. I remain sad for the passing of what was once upon a time a mostly-great country (excepting its 50+ years agenda-driven meddling in the affairs of other countries). I am not hopeful about seeing its return.
It was already over before it began. Mid-campaign, when candidate (and sure fire nominee) Obama turned tail (read: flip flopped) on FISA and his position on accepting Federal Funding, it became obvious that all the talk was turning into co-opted action. An omen of what was ahead.
There are scary people, those who bring to mind the phrase, “Chicago Political Machine,” with their imprint all over this regime.
Beware! Palin & Huckabee are waiting in the wings. And recent history should remind our Liberal brethren that smug self assurance and smartypants attitudes are not what wins elections. It is all about spin, perception, and belief that “this would make things better.” McCain represented “more of the same,” and was never really viable. My guess is that the GOP powers that be sacrificed him like a biblical offering, preferring to wait the four years, tend to their balance sheets, and let the Dems suffer through the clear and obvious free-fall left by their prior financier and champion.
If the NY Yankees and MLB was available elsewhere, I’d consider moving there. Not to indicate that I am a pessimist; rather, a realist content to make my own individual way despite the powers that be, the rulers that rule, the powercrats who control all.
Feh, phooey, and the hell with all that Having fun and living a pleasant life has trumped politics for me. I get melancholy when I see blind faith and what seems a lack of realism. But hope is what sustains the opposition, so good for them.
Back to having fun. Spring training begins in less than 60 days. That’s good enough for me.