Why President Obama will fail.
US military spending, and military entitlements, comprise more than a trillion dollars a year; http://www.warresisters.org/pages/piechart.htm
Well over 50% of the federal budget is spent hiring, training and equipping, with an unprecedented WMDs arsenal, the massive Pentagon war machine; with no credible enemy in sight as for the last 60 years.
A larger amount of money is spent annually on military pensions, medical insurance, GI bill education etc. than maintaining this worthless absolutely evil standing army; a menace and pariah in the world. Unless the American culture is demilitarized this murderous black-hole will continue to suck the lifeblood and resources of the American people. Of course many Americans are employed in the military industry and America is essentially a warrior culture.
Pretty hard for Obama to take on this 1,000lb gorilla.
I doubt he will even try.
The second area where Obama will fail is perhaps more important. Justice. Without justice there is no freedom and there is no law.
If the colossal war-criminal Bush/GOP cult gets away with it, without prosecution and prison sentences for all, they will have destroyed America. The deaths and maiming of countless (actually purposely uncounted) innocent people, illegal invasions, torture, lies, treasonous use and abuse of the intelligence agencies, breaching treaties, bribery, election tampering….you-name-it…
If guys like Bush and Tom Delay not only get away with their multiple crime wave, but take incredible entitlements, pensions with them… the
injustice will be compounded.
I believe Obama will attempt neither of these important initiatives.
7 Comments
Spotlight
Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About The Seminal
Advanced search
Although it might take several years to get a true ‘take’ on Obama, your concerns, koolmuse, are very well-founded.
I agree with your views regarding the military, but, as yet, we are part of a terribly small minority, the vast majority of American citizens have not yet come to agree with us, and indeed, many here, at FDL are, apparently, still quite reluctant to recognize what is starkly evident to you and to me.
Until Cass (”Don’t crimminalise Political behavior”) Suntein is backed into a corner and, point-blank, required to answer what he thinks about politicizing CRIMMINAL behavior, it is uncertain that Obama will pursue the JUSTICE we so desperately need.
It shall be up to us, I suspect, Koolmuse, to INSIST, on a daily basis, that as President, Barack Obama has a sacred duty to rise ro the occassion with courage and sufficient imagination to really UNDERSTAND, beyond his own ‘political’ calculations, that the current ‘way’ of things will NOT leave his children (or most everyone else’s) a future worth having.
We shall see.
But we shall also have to ‘lean’ on him, politely but FIRMLY, that he truly understand that ‘this’ is not about him, his party or frivolous ‘bipartisanship’ but rather, about the quality of human existence and the capacity of our planet to sustain such existence.
Perhaps this is a task too daunting for any single individual, which is why we all should ‘help’ President Barack Obama every chance we get, as well as realize, that we shall have to be working on creating a viable future every single day for the rest of our lives.
Which strikes me as very wothwhile endeavor indeed.
DW
It really is unfair to characterize what you wrote as the failure of one person, Obama.
In fact, I’m totally against the idea that the President is the prime focus of legislation or ‘justice’. Per the constitution, such is the proper purview of the Congress.
And as I wrote yesterday, the problem is that the ‘hope’ will lead to truculence because of the lack of reality by those who based their ‘hope’ on one person.
If Obama wins and becomes the de facto leader of the Democratic Party he will lose whatever currency he has if he doesn’t immediately demand the resignation of Pelosi and Reid from their respective leadership positions in the congress as well as neutering Hoyer and Emanuel.
The next thing he needs to do after that is the prosecution of the cabal members who served under Bush for war crimes under US law including the prosecution of those who wrote the laws to allow war crimes which might come to include members of congress of both parties.
Absent these things his presidency will have no legitimacy in my eyes.
The fact that McCain has more than 10% of the vote going into this election is a very disturbing indication of the state of democracy in America,and the ignorance and stupidity of the American people.
The failure of the Democrats to impeach Bush, a clear violation of their Constitutional oath and legal duty, is a disturbing indication that those in government and those who elect them, have lost their perspective and sense of justice. Americans, including the Democrats, simply don’t know right from wrong. It’s goddamned pathetic!
For instance the US Constitution says:
“This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme
Law of the Land”
The US Supreme Court ruled and wrote that Bush violated many treaties.
It doesn’t take Einstein to make that connection. So what Constitution did Pelosi and her ilk take an oath to?
The same one that Obama will take an oath to?
it will be Obama’s duty to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute all of Bush/GOP crimes and include the FBI and all other law enforcement agencies in the process. If he doesn’t do it the system fails.
The fact that the American people oppose the Bush/GOP wars, not because they are evil, wrong and murderous… or that they were lied to, betrayed and bankrupted… but because they feel they are losing…is also very disturbing.
Disarming and dismantling the evil warrior/military empire that is America, seems far off of anyone’s radar.
Go anonymousource.com
ubetchaiam:
The rest of the Democrats already missed their chance to do the right thing. They should have impeached and prosecuted Bush in January 2007. Obama is the last chance to bring the GOP criminals to justice. And of course it will take a concerted effort of many to do it. Not just one man….though the “one man” will have to initiate the proceedings.
Its not unfair to expect it of Obama… it his his duty to do so. This isn’t my goddamned opinion….its a legal requirement, clearly stated in the US Constitution.
Believe what you want
Its not a belief. I quoted the US Constitution for chrissake! And the US Supreme Court wrote in their decision that Bush had violated international treaties. 1+1=2…you can believe otherwise but you will always be wrong.
Its not a friggin belief… its a fact.
Buying into “intelligent design” is a belief.