With the recent passing of the extension of the “Bush” tax cuts, I’ve been thinking a lot about the Obama presidency and how it will be remembered in history. I was thinking that the first “black” president is mostly going to be remembered for being the president that lived in the shadow of President George Walker Bush and the continuation of the Bush presidency. As much as President Obama used to talk about “change you can believe in” the truth is not much has really changed. We have heard about these tax cuts for years. The Democrats knew years ago that the deadline for these cuts was looming. However, they have failed to grasp that fierce “urgency of now”. President Obama in seeking to be more like his predecessor has ended up diminishing his own presidency.
Many people may be thinking that the American people wanted these tax cuts because we have been indoctrinated with this information for the past couple of weeks. We have all heard about the polls and how people are for the tax cuts. I am doubtful that most people even understand what is in the tax cut deal. They probably don’t know that much about it. They just may be happy that they got “their cut”. I don’t know, nor do I presume to understand the masses. I just know that there is a breaking point and kicking that can down the road means something else is going to have to go soon. The budget is good until March but rest assured something will have to give soon and I suspect it won’t be good for the little guy.
In my mind, President Obama has become that “token” black president that ends up being just another “Yes” man to the whims of the wealthy and the corporations. Was he chosen just because he was black? Was that to appease those of us that clamor for social justice? Is this what one of my brother’s meant when he said Obama was “black enough”? I never really understood what that meant. I am so disappointed in the direction that our country continues to be going that I am dumbfounded as to how this “historic” presidency has become nothing more than another tribute to the wealthy and corporate America, much like the last presidency.
Here is what Obama said about change during the election:
“We can’t be fooled because John McCain – I’ve been talking about change since we started this campaign- some of you were involved. I talked about change when we were up, I talked about change when were down,” Obama told the crowd of 1,700, “But now suddenly John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin, they’re out there saying ‘we’re for change.’ ‘We’re for change too.’ Well I’m glad that they now agree with me but we’ve got to change America.” But let’s be absolutely clear about what change means – change isn’t just a word.”
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/obamas-change-s.html
Change isn’t just a word. Frankly, I don’t see any real change. During the campaign his motto was “Change we can believe in.” In September of 2008 he changed that motto to “Change we need.”
He talked about more of the same versus change. It’s our turn he said. Barack said “Change is coming to America.” He talks to these Iowans with such platitudes about what change is and how it is coming to America but I feel like most people probably now think all they got from his election was some crappy t-shirt.
Here is Obama on passing the tax cut bill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NiBh7tr9bU
When Bush was president he squandered the good will of the people after September 11th. We all were one and the whole world was with us. Much could have been done at that time to bring our country together and do some good but instead that good will was squandered. We went to war in Afghanistan and ultimately Iraq on borrowed money. We didn’t sacrifice a thing. We went on a proverbial drunken spree while the corporations ran amuck through our money and pilfered goods left and right. No bid contracts were given to corporations like Halliburton, Dick Cheney’s love interest. Money was flowing from each of our pockets into the deep pockets of corrupt corporations that didn’t care so much about the care of the soldiers as they did about their bottom line, the money that they could make off the war and recently Congress cannot even see to it that the first responders from 911 who have given so much are taken care of. They would rather pass tax cuts for millionaires than pass anything for the people that really sweat to save and build this country!
Now in walks Obama ready to continue all of the insane policies of the Bush presidency. From the two unfunded wars to Guantanamo, torture and even now for the tax cuts. We have all been told that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. These tax cuts haven’t created jobs. We have lost jobs under those Bush years. Some may think about their own tax cut and think it can be justified, just for that reason. I have this feeling that we will all suffer greatly for the lack of will that we have today. The day of reckoning is coming closer and I’m not talking about 2012 and the end of the world. I’m talking about the end of the dream our country has had for so many years. As we continue down this path of self destruction we are creating a debtor nation. I, for one, am sick of the Chinese junk that keeps being sent to our country. Nothing lasts any more. When my dad died he had a washing machine that he owned for over 30 years. We’d be hard pressed to get 10 years out of the current washers. We are consuming junk and that has become the new norm. Nothing lasts and neither can our democracy if we continue to let the corporations have control over congress and our country.
President Obama should be ashamed of the direction he is taking our country. Like his predecessor he had a moment of clarity when he had the whole country and even the world ready to follow him. He has proven to lack the leadership necessary to talk truth to the people. He has chosen to align himself with the corporations and big business and has forgotten the plight of the poor. He continues politics as usual with the same lethargic ideas of the past. He has forgotten the little guy and has dined with the wealthy and now, like Bush, those are his base, his people. He is more interested in his next vacation than in the plight of the American poor, homeless, jobless and working poor that think they’re middle class. He shows no compassion for the needy. We hear Michelle on TV asking us all to step up and send money to Haiti when we have Haiti on the streets of every city in America. President Obama cannot seem to recognize this and has removed himself from the plight of the American people. Maybe he thinks that the poor will always be there, so why bother. Whatever it is, he is not a president of the people or for the people. He is a president for the wealthy and the corporations. It always comes back to business, the business of the wealthy, not the business of the people. Even his talk about education is all about business. Everything is about business and creating the future little worker bees to step up and do the work for business. It isn’t about the life of our country and our freedom, because we have given up some of that freedom to be safe in this crazy insane place, which has a pyramid scheme where the wealthy and business are at the top and the poor are at the bottom. However, just like a real pyramid those at the top need those at the bottom to help them stand tall. This has been forgotten under the Obama presidency. We are back to more “trickle” down theories that never seem to have enough trickles at the bottom to really affect the lives of the poor. Change we can believe in has been forgotten. Hope has been replaced with the hopeless.