So Obama won, and our country is heading towards a minimum of 4 and a likelihood of 8 years of deeply damaging foreign, economic, and social policy. However there are a few bright spots that accompany the Obama presidency.
1. The embargo on Cuba hopefully will end. This 50 year old economic embargo of a poor country just off the coast of Florida is insane. US does and has done business with regimes much less palatable than Fidel's (or should I say Raul's) Cuba. Does anyone really believe that Cuba is a more hostile nation than China, Vietnam, or Saudi Arabia? We actually entered military conflict against two of those nations on a much larger scale than anything we have experienced with Cuba (Korean War+Vietnam war > Bay of Pigs) and yet we do business with them. The hijackers from Saudi Arabia amongst other terrorist have killed more Americans than Fidel ever has. What threat does Cuba really pose to the United States anymore? Opening up Cuba to American commerce will be the most effective tool to bring liberty and freedom to this island. America needs to realize that its "culture of cool" and "marketing" are the greatest weapons to conquering hostile totalitarian regimes. Open trade with Cuba will benefit both the United States and Cuba, a minor economic stimulus that is all too important in this struggling economy.
2. Chicago will get the 2016 Olympics. The world is in love with Barack Obama, and with the upcoming Olympic bid for 2016 Summer Olympics this is something the Chicago Olympic Organizing Committee will seek to capitalize upon. Barack Obama has already played a key role in Chicago being chosen as the US Finalist, when he fully endorsed the Olympics through a video sent to the USOC lobbying for the Chicago bid. If Barack Obama so much as mentions Chicago and the Olympics in the same sentence again, undoubtedly the IOC will award Chicago the games.
3. Affirmative action is no longer justifiable. If a minority can obtain the most sought job in the world, surely there is no longer a need for a step up for anyone. Acceptance to school, employment search, and other processes that currently condone discrimination based on race, sex, or creed should come to an end. Realistically, I'm not too optimistic that this will happen, but Nebraska just voted down affirmative action, and I think we will begin to move on the right track.
4 comments:
I have to disagree with your third point.
If it was not for affirmative action in a form of oh say few million votes, provided through the efforts of white liberal guilt organizations such as ACORN, a black man would never become president. Why would he or the left establishment stop now? Also he had a white mother, so obviously he had advantages others don’t. Until there is a president who was born and raised in ghetto, and preferably has been convicted of a felony, there is a need for affirmative action.
Are you kidding!
How can anyone besides backward hicks prefer a conservative social policy to a modern western social policy? Do we really want another administration that fights against various forms of stem cell research? Thinks abortion is murder? Will do nothing to slow climate change? Instills fear in the population? Does next to nothing in terms of assisting research in energy technology?
I understand and mostly agree with the argument against Obama's proposed tax policies. I'm not a big fan of high taxes and therefore believe that besides years of fiscal stimulus, the government should tax as much as it spends. If it promises low taxes, it should lower spending.
As for foreign policy.... I used to support Bush, but I would have to be blind or in denial to ignore the disaster his administration has been to our countries standing and power in the world. The world is no longer unipolar, or soon won't be. Hopefully the new administration acts accordingly by respecting/repairing our alliances and building new ones, as well as not creating double standards, ones for the actions of the US, and ones for everyone else.
As for Zhenya's comment:
"If it was not for affirmative action in a form of oh say few million votes, provided through the efforts of white liberal guilt organizations such as ACORN, a black man would never become president."
The few million votes that Zhenya refers to were likely outweighed by the votes that went the other way, for the opposite reason.
I agree with Zhenya in that Obama did have an unfair advantage. Many people, like myself, feared the chance of McCain dying and Pailin becoming president. This may have cost McCain a few million votes.... after he appointed her, his campaign went on the decline.
Shabbat Shalom.
Btw, Rahm Emmaneul's dad was a member of Irgun! I'm hoping the apple didn't fall far from that tree.
Arturo
Zhenya-Acorn is not a government organization. If people want to organize privately to empower minorities, give scholarships, etc, I have no problem with it. I was talking about affirmitive action as far as government mandated requirements. As far as your last sentence I just hope it is a bad joke.
arturo- I don't subscribe to conservative social policy, but I respect religious people and the base that this country was built upon. If they care more about certain issues, than the rest of the population, well then I don't have a problem with their agenda winning. It might not be something I agree with, but if I care that much about the issue, I should make my voice louder than that of the opposition. To call people with religious value hicks is very deragotory, I would say muslims, hindus, orthodox jews, and christians would agree on 99% of social issues.
Bush's foreign policy is not nearly as damaging as Senior Obama's proposal to sit down at the presidential level with the Hitler of our time. I honestly could care less if the spineless Europeans love us or not, they are weak. If they are ever seriously attacked or threatened by China, Russia, or Islamic terrorists who do you think they'll come to? You should take a look into the latest book by Natan Sharansky which describes why the Muslim world is on the rise, and western civilization (especially Europe) is falling.
yes I was being sarcastic in my comment
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