The more things change…

By James White

It has been a while since I wrote one of these. I feel a little out of practice. What has happened since the last time I wrote? We have seen a new president elected, one that broke racial barriers and changed the direction of the country. We have seen the order signed to close Gitmo and the pledge to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq. We have seen several plans implemented to stabilize the nation’s economy. We have seen a true attempt at reforming healthcare. All good things, and this was all in 2008! So then what happened?

Gitmo was never closed and there are still troops in Iraq, Afganistan, and now Libya. Oh yes, we are fighting in a third middle Eastern country now. The stimulus plans, at best, held off a full-fledged depression but did not turn our country around. And healthcare reform? It became insurance reform, and was combined with a mandate that requires all Americans to purchase insurance. But don’t worry. If you choose not to, there really isn’t anything the government can do about it. Or at least that was the line we were sold along with the rest of the bullshit. This is on top of the various comments about cops acting stupidly, playing along with the birther movement, and not taking the lead on a single issue. The only real question here is, why have I not written before now?

Let me make this perfectly clear. I hated George Bush as president. I thought his policies were wrong and went against everything this country stands for. I thought his way of dealing with other countries was incompetent and dangerous. I thought Dick Cheney was pure evil on a scale that only fictional characters can achieve. But I do have to give the Bush administration credit. They did at least have a vision for the country and they were going to plow their way to that goal, no matter who stood in their way. They were not afraid to lose battles and they brought ideas before congress and the American people. They stood beside their policies and their beliefs.

These are qualities that the Obama administration is lacking. If there is to be any hope of his being re-elected, or cementing my vote at the very least, he will have to step up to the plate. I do not want him to become some sort of dictator. That’s not what I am saying, but he will have to show some backbone. He can not wait for the opposition to define what his administration is supporting (Ask John Kerry how that plan works out). He has to be confident in his beliefs, he has to stand behind what he stands for, and he cannot be forced into a position that he doesn’t agree with. This does not mean that he should not negotiate. There is still plenty of room for that while maintaining strength. Both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were very good at this. If Obama can’t find the line that he needs to walk, someone else will. And maybe someone else should.

Of course, the republicans don’t seem to have a very deep list of candidates to choose from, although they will be loads of fun to watch and discuss. These are not the only options though. There are plenty of independent candidates that need the support of the American people, if only to break the two party stranglehold that has gripped this nation for too long. They will need to have a strong candidate that doesn’t come across as some sort of crazy person that escaped from the mental institution long enough to show up for a couple of debates. It will also require a bit of effort from the American voter. You see, that is going to be the tricky part. I am guilty of it myself. People just don’t want to take the time, and some legitimately don’t have the time, to research the candidates. We are content with short sound bites that are provided to us from cable news, and don’t think that there is a network out there that doesn’t have its own agenda, even if that agenda is the almighty dollar. There are many who only watch long enough to get some juicy dirt on the person they hate. And there are far too many of us that do not care at all. As long as that is the case, the problems that I have mentioned, which are nothing new, will continue. No matter who is elected.

You can read this and more of James White’s writings and rantings at his blog, Lone Madman in a Crazy World.