Think about it. Look at the problems now pouring down on our country. 1) There’s the immigration issue - Texas is apparently still trying to succeed from the the union, while Arizona may be the first state to get kicked out. Meanwhile, American businesses continue to undercut Mexican corporations and entice their former workers to come north. 2) Korea is in a state of accelerated crises again as “Dear Leader” wobbles around, dribbling and shooting baskets with the War-ball 3) The world’s financial structure was short-circuited under the last administration and SOMEBODY has still got to fix it - still. 4) Israel apparently thinks God actually did give all of the land in the mid-eastern part of the world to them, and they can ignore all other laws passed by any other country. 5) The supreme court has a vacancy-pending, and there will be raucous cries from republicans during that process. 6) Iran is poised to go nuclear - like as in war - maybe - unless Israel hits them first . How would you like to reason with Netanyahu and Ahmadinejad? 7) We’re still trying to begin to recover from the greatest recession since the 1930’s, and the republicans still say “NO!” and the democrats say “eh - well, yeah, maybe?”. 8) Elections are coming up - soon, and 9) oh yeah, the gulf spill, and 10) a few incidentals (* see footnote).
Not the time for our own Dear Leader to go emotional on us. If you have a major leak in your house you don’t want a plumber to show up and cry. If a tree falls on your house you don’t want an arborist to come by and wring his hands. If your car won’t run right you don’t want a mechanic to raise the hood and say “Oh, I can’t believe this!” You don’t want your dentist to look in your mouth and say “uh-oh”, or your doctor to look at you, shake his head and say “Oh my God, I feel so sorry for you”. No. Times of crises are times for leadership. Leadership means an ability to examine the symptoms we all can see, determine what the problems really are and identify the causes of those problems. And then by selecting options, developing criteria and evaluating the whole mess to build a pathway into a new world. And here we are now, figuratively taking on water, with a tree on the house, and a car that won’t run, a tooth that hurts, and a pain in the ass - or at least the body politick.
What we need in these times is a leader who can preside over a group of experts. In this case over groups of experts. Now is the time for leadership from the top and also from those panels of “experts”. Is Obama the man for this job? Well this is where we find out. The question I’m asking, is he sliding back into America’s Tea Party past or is he leading us into the new world which lies ahead? We will find out soon. And no crying please.
(* Reference is to minor wars (in alphabetical order) in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and other assorted places)
(* Reference is to minor wars (in alphabetical order) in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and other assorted places)
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