I'm continuing with postings by other progressive bloggers in the lead up to the US election .....
The choice is stark. Do something different, or continue
with the crony plutocracy. The only choice for change is Obama-Biden. The Goodfellas style bust out of the world’s
economy must be stopped. Obama will try and do this, Romney will exacerbate it.
That’s the big picture that has earned Obama my tepid endorsement. My limp handshake gripping his performance
should be tempered by the fact; he faced and faces a bewildering chain of
constraints.
Top Ten Reason to vote Obama
1) The middle class is his tribe. Survival for the middle class is not rhetorical
proposition. Obama may not be its greatest champion, but compared to Romney he is a Mother
Teresa.
2)
Without damaging the Democratic Party’s defense credentials
he has ended two pointless wars. Furthermore, he derailed Netanyahoo's
scheme to start a war with Iran. This achievement should not be
underestimated. Its a given if both Romney and Netanyahoo govern
simultaneously Iran will be preemptive collateral damage.
3) Obama care was a courageous step toward bringing America
into the moral and civilised world where Health care is a human right.
4) Climate change is part of his belief system. His work on
green energy and just leading the public opinion on this issue has been
groundbreaking. Case in point the new mileage requirements for cars. Policies
that have already become huge game changers; real change that benefits US citizens
and the world every day.
5) His support for high speed rail. Anyone who has ridden
the fast rails knows that a nation that does not have a high speed rail infrastructure
is not going to be a player in the 21st century.
6) His reforms on education. Taking the baloney out of no
child left behind.
7) His return to the world of international agreement. The
king never wants to be bound by law. America has been the king for a long time.
However Obama recognises the kingdom will run better if there are clear rules.
The absolute rejection of the role of international jurisprudence was the worst
instinct of the Bush world view.
8) His recognition that government has a huge role to play
in citizen’s life. Things need to be done, so will a private organisation do a
better job of running and regulating your life, or a public institution?
9) His admittance of defeat in the war on drugs. The actions
have not meshed with the words yet.
However an Obama victory means this is another war that will be wound
down, while Romney will clearly double down on crazy.
10) His clearheaded Vulcan like vision for NASA. Why spend
scarce resources on photo ops? NASA has been revitalised to do the hard
R&D, and let private enterprise fill in space.
Steve
On (1)--He followed the Bush schedule on Iraq, reluctantly. And he did a "surge" in Afghanistan; they're not leaving because Obama wants to, they're leaving because they've tried everything and failed, and the war's become deeply unpopular. But he has engaged in a number of other conflicts, mostly just quietly, although Libya was a bit more obvious. Libya is now a chaotic, violent wasteland; instead of a dictator plus social programs, we have rule by warlords. Heckuvajob, Barry.
On (3)--Obamacare is a courageous step into the amoral and uncivilized world where an individual can be forced by law to give money to private for-profit enterprises. It was dreamed up by the right wing Heritage Foundation.
On (4)--On climate change he's done diddly. Some fuel efficiency standards for cars? Really? Gonna take a bit more effort than that before he ranks up there with the likes of, say, Nixon.
On (5)--And has this support had any practical results whatsoever? I'm sure he thinks lots of wonderful thoughts in the privacy of his own mind.
On (6)--His stance on education has been egregious, as bad as Bush or worse.
On (7)--What return? Speaking politely does not a rule of law make.
On (8)--What recognition? He bends over backwards to talk free-market.
On (9)--See (5). He thinks nice thoughts, that's nice.
On (10)--Case in point re. 8. Leave it to the private sector, brilliant. Not.
Obama's bleedin' useless and worse than useless. The only thing you can say for him is he's less horrific than the Republicans' stooge-of-the-day, in this case Mitt Romney.
Posted by Purple library guy | 5:53 pm, November 05, 2012