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Desperately Seeking A Legacy

John Amendall

    People drawn to the White House by Potomac Fever commonly contract Legacy Fever leaving office.
    “How will history treat me? What will be my legacy? How will I be remembered? What influence did I exert on domestic and global issues? What will be my ranking? With James Buchanan or Jimmy Carter or with Wilson or Teddy Roosevelt?
    The last days of a president’s office resemble the Last Days of Pompeii wherein they consciously attempt to enhance their image. President Obama was no exception desperately seeking accomplishments to highlight his exit. Something to be proud of.
    He released 22 detainees from Guantanomo (GTMO). These people were suspected terrorists. Now they’re free to pursue their goals. He commuted sentences or released over 1200 prisoners from American prisons. These people were charged with dealing marijuana and other drugs. Obama consistently underestimated these people significantly contributing this national ruinous habit. This number of commutations exceeded by several orders of magnitude the numbers of other presidents in the modern era.
    The president exchanged five known active terrorists to obtain U.S. Army sergeant Bowe Bergdahl’s release from the enemy. The military did not share President Obama’s decision.
    When U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 30 others at Fort Hood Texas in 2009, the president called this an act of domestic violence rather than terrorism. Since Major Hasan was a Muslim the president didn’t want to offend Muslim sensibilities. Nevertheless the Major was judged guilty receiving a death sentence which will conveniently not be performed during Obama’s office.
    When history books are written about the Obama presidency there will be a large range of candor and accuracy between Obama apologists and mainstream historians.
    The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis prepared charts of Obama years on their own web site. The following is based on these charts.
    Student loans soared ranging from $100 million in 2008 to over $900 million in 2015. Almost 9 times greater during this period. While student loans are a sensible federal investment for the nation defaulting payments have increased accordingly. Its been predicted that student debt will be $ One trillion by 2017. Bernie Sanders running on a platform touting free college education with Hillary Clinton supporting the same at junior college wasted their irresponsible rhetoric because the president had effectively preceded them. This program requires regular control and sensible accountability.
    Food stamps program also soared ranging from $30 billion in 2008 to $70 billion in 2015. After reelection, within a week President Obama via executive order poured billions of dollars into the food stamp program. Almost 2.3 times greater during this period. A conservative estimate by the government is that there is at least $ One billion per year of fraud associated with the food stamp program. Food stamps were originally designated for food staples (meat, chicken, vegetables, dairy products). Now they can be exchanged for almost anything on the shelves (electronic toys, DVDs, cigarettes). People buy something cheap accumulating change which they use else- for other purposes. The original intent of the program has been grievously compromised. Over the years the government sold its soul to lobbyists seeking to enlarge the range of original products covered by the food stamp program.
    It is ironic that the Department of Agriculture responsible for administering the program, posts signs in our National Parks warning visitors not to feed the animals lest they lose the capacity to feed themselves. The government’s concern for the animals is commendable but misdirected.
    When Obama took office in 2008 the Federal Debt (GDP) was $10 trillion. Faced with this challenge and the responsibility to reduce it, the figure was approaching $20 trillion by 2015. While it was irresponsible that previous administrations had allowed the GDP to increase to $10 trillion, the Obama administration doubled this in eight years. Failure to address this looming and threatening problem was gross fiscal irresponsibility.
    Money printing ranged from $1,600,000 in 2008 to $4,000,000 in 2015. This was an unprecedented increase. There was a strong association between money printing and student loans, food stamps and the GDP. His administration solved this problem by simply printing more money. Fine tuning government spending by reducing Department budgets (5%, maybe more in some Departments) might’ve been a more sensible and fiscally responsible solution.
    Health insurance costs ranged from a CPI less than 105 in 2008 to 124 CPI in 2013. Dogged supporters of the largest federal social program (Affordable Heath Care Act –Obamacare) since LBJ’s Great Society railed against the greedy avaricious insurance industry. Supporters conveniently ignored Obama’s reassurance to the public that there would be no appreciable cost in insurance premiums. It is predicted that insurance premiums will increase by 25% in 2017. The president chose his own legacy changer failing to deal with the GDP.
    Throughout his presidency Obama repeatedly urged the U. S. to adopt the U. K.’s program of socialized medicine. This in the face of his own unfavorable program. Confusion about dhimmitude exempting Muslims from observing Obamacare continues to draw attention. If this exemption is upheld, it would permit entry of sharia into a Federal program.
    Before the vote on Obamacare no less a person than congress woman Nancy Pelosit said: “Let’s pass the bill (over 1000 pages). Then will find out what’s in it.” If an elected official doesn’t read these bills who does? Don’t they have staff to attend to this major responsibility and advise them accordingly? It’s not reassuring to know that the leader of the minority, sight unseen about the bill, uncritically and enthusiastically supported it, coincidentally assuming a laissez faire attitude administering this controversial bill. All this occurred under Obama’s watch as the GDP soared. Obama supporters have considered this the high water mark of his presidency.
    Labor force participation declined from 102.5 (index 2009=100) to 98 in 2015. There was an inverse relationship between labor force participation and the Federal debt. As Federal debt increased labor force participation declined.
    Workers share of the economy was 335 CPI in 2008 and 340 in 2014. Wages were static and nearly 40% of Americans were not working. Accordingly under Obama the nation has significantly moved in the direction of a welfare state. Some of the largest cities (New York, Chicago) in the U.S. have huge and expanding welfare populations. Runaway welfare breeds mediocrity coincidentally decreasing freedom with its increased dependency on the government.
    Home ownership declined from 68% in 2008 to 63.5% in 2015. In summary student loans, food stamps, GDP, money printing increased from 2008 and labor force participation, workers share of the economy and home ownership declined. Costs of student loans, food stamps, GDP and money printing continue to rise.
    The above brief of America’s decline from 2008 to 2016 must be considered as a significant part of President Obama’s legacy. His supporters conveniently ignored this dismal record.
    Other examples of his legacy are not as easily quantified. The president through another executive order doubled the time to receive welfare benefits and removed the important work stipulation for welfare recipients.
    He reduced the efficiency of the border patrol and other state policing agencies to question illegal entry after immigrants entered. They were only authorized to stop and interrogate immigrants charged as felons. How many terrorists have entered our country under the umbrella of unchallenged immigration? This is the same man who facilitated immigration for 2500 Palestinians and openly declared a willingness to accommodate 10,000 Syrian refugees. Would the president have been so sanguine if all these immigrants were potential Republicans?
    By omission he failed to enforce existing federal laws allowing sanctuary cities to blossom and flourish hosting illegal immigrants. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles to cite a few, proudly defy federal laws in this regard. Americans are paying to feed, house, educate and provide medical services to millions of people not paying taxes.
    It has been estimated that the U. S. spends about $338 billion a year on undocumented illegal immigrants. The nation has an obligation to take care of its citizens incapable of taking care of them selves. We have no obligation to assume the unnecessary burden of supporting illegal immigrants at the expense of our own population.
    During the debate involving sequestration the president closed the White House to tours including visiting school children to save money and the same for National Parks.
    The White House and National Parks belong to the people not the president. The latter is only the steward of these facilities. It is ironic that the man who closed the White House to public tours saw fit to “treat” the public to a TV tour (CBS 11/20/2016) of the White House in his last full month in office during the Christmas season. Presumably this gesture made up for his previous executive order.
    The president removed guided missiles emplaced earlier in Poland with their cooperation by the Regan Administration. This decision facilitated Putin’s bold occupation of the Crimea and portions of the Ukraine further threatening eastern Europe. This position was consistent for someone who before his election on TV considered our national anthem offensive to other nations. “Rockets red glare/bombs bursting in mid-air” were deemed unnecessarily belligerent. We mustn’t upset other nations.
    His administration was responsible for the present treaty or understanding with Iran concerning their commitment to expand its nuclear program. This domestic and globally unpopular commitment contained no agreed upon inspection requirement. In addition, we released hundreds of millions of Iranian funds (a prime supporter of terrorism) presumably frozen earlier because of their aggressive nuclear program.
    The Obama Administration finally acknowledged they were aware of Russia’s efforts at cyber hacking in October and probably earlier. Contrary to his empty claim of a transparent administration, the public was informed after Trump’s election. Suggesting collusion between Trump and Putin pertaining to the election’s outcome was a thinly veiled excuse for Hillary Clinton’s loss. Striving for lost credibility the Obama Administration hastily responded by deporting a number of Russian diplomats. While Obama knew cyber hacking was going on, what did his administration do to solve this very serious security breech? So much for a fluid transition between parties leaving the Trump Administration to sort this out.
    The Obama Administration’s failure to support the only true democracy (Israel) in the explosive mid-east was misdirected. Israel and Palestine have important and serious issues to treat. Resolution of a one state or two state structure will be a challenge for both countries to achieve, but this might’ve been done without the intrusion of the UN. The latter has historically been critical of or outright hostile to Israel. The Obama Administration unequivocally threw the U.S.’s considerable influence behind the UN’s recent resolution for sanctions against Israel. It took President Obama five years to visit Israel. While we continue sub rosa to send millions to support Israel, we have publicly danced in attendance to the UN. This was another problematic position the Obama Administration generated leaving it for Trump’s presidency to resolve.
    Perhaps the biggest legacy of the Obama Administration was that the nominate leader of the free world failed to lead. During his first term President Obama took his apology tour to the mid-east excluding Israel criticizing American exceptionalism. Imagine. A President of the United States apologizing for the nation’s prominence in global affairs. We played a role in helping to win World War I. We played a major role in winning World War II. We financed the Marshall Plan to revitalize Europe. No insignificant feat. We’ve supported NATO with a huge, long term, financial and military contribution. We’ve provided the site and supported the activities of the UN.
    A French diplomat railed against American Empirialism.. General Colin Powell responded: The only real estate we want in Europe is a place to bury our dead. Over 100, 000 American Service men and women, who served in Europe, are buried in cemeteries throughout Europe. How many countries from other parts of the world can make this claim? Another European diplomat questioned using English as the language for a European conference. An American diplomat responded: We might be speaking German if it wasn’t for us. What was the president apologizing for?
    Based on the apology tour after three months in office he was unbelievably nominated for the Noble Peace Prize which he received in 2009. Presidency also includes the title and responsibility of the Commander-in-Chief. Should a president in office accept the Noble Peace Prize? Such an award would seem counter-intuitive for the person charged with managing its armed forces. Would this award handicap a war leader’s decisions to commit military forces?
    Obama overly controlled and restricted potential military action at critical times in Syria which might’ve produced significant results for the future. His commitment to effective action was inconsistent and restrained. This obvious vacuum of leadership was quickly filled by Russian-Turkey action which aggressively brokered a cease fire treaty between Syria’s Government and rebels. They clearly co-opted America’s leadership role, diminishing our influence in the mid-east and the world. The recent emplacement of troops in Poland may be too little too late.
    It shouldn’t pass without noting that from the Holiday season in 2016 to January 20, 2017 President Obama appeared on TV three times (White House Holiday Tour, farewell to congress, the History Channel) and a major farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago. Coincidental with this the Life Style section of the Chicago Tribune (Jan 15) presented a piece “Tallying Obama’s Legacy.”
    The piece presented a review of two books assessing the President’s achievements. The apologists struck fast. The reviewer assured us that these books were “not the fly-on-the-wall White House histories or Rush-to-print Obama biographies.” According to the reviewer both books were laudatory about Obana’s accomplishments.
    “His actions to turn the economy around were measurable and generally accepted as positive out comes in the reality based world.” The rush to canonization stimulated by TV appearances and these books certainly supports the title of the present piece Desperately Seeking Legacy.
    The present account is the barest outline of some of Obama’s legacies. Mainstream historians will provide a more definitive picture. In view of some quantitative data presented herein; for now we’re left to ponder apologists’ accounts.

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