Posts Tagged ‘Obama’

Debtroulette.

Posted: July 27, 2011 in English, Ramblings
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The clock is ticking. Furiously. Mercilessly.

If by August 2nd 2011 the American Congress and President Obama haven’t reached an agreement to raise the debt ceiling, America the world is going to face a financial storm from the likes rarely seen before. And it’s not as if the world economic health is topnotch right now. That this whole matter has evolved into a crisis is an understatement.

To summarize the whole debate: the Republicans will only raise the debt ceiling if spending is cut furiously (living up to their motto “less government spending”), while Democrats push for more taxes on the rich (or more accurately: put an end to some tax cuts granted to the (super)rich under the Bush area).

I don’t claim to have the whole picture and I’m the first one to realise that opinions and articles found on the web are often biased, yet I have the very clear impression that Republicans are the ones playing the most dangerous and unfair game:

- the debt ceiling has been raised numerous times in the past since its creation back in 1917,  some 74 times since 1962 (source);

- it has been raised many times between 2002 & 2010, when a certain G.W. Bush – Republican last time I checked – was mostly President (see a/o this page);

- the US debt doubled under Bush and even tripled under Reagan’s watch, the other Republican hero;

- US tax rates are now, to a great extent, lower than under Reagan and even under Eisenhouwer (source);

- tax rates for the rich have dwindled from some 30 % to 18 %;

- the Bush tax cuts and wars (Irak, Afghanistan) are the principle reasons for the recent surge in US debt (source);

- some Republican leaders acknowledge they’re playing with fire and that defaulting on America’s debt would lead to a financial catastrophe;

Why are the Republicans taking such risks? Has the Tea Party taken over? Have they still not overcome the fact that their President has a more tanned skin than his 43 predecessors? Have they all become fan of “après moi le déluge”? Or are they raising the stakes in a game of bluf poker to a level not seen before?

But the one question that I keep asking myself all the time: why isn’t the average Joe not responding to this ? How come the American public is watching this catastrophy in the making without reacting to it?

If anyone can provide a sound explanation : I’m all ears!

Sleept tight (?) Mr. President!

Posted: May 2, 2011 in English, Ramblings
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And so, the big news of the day is that President Obama succesfully ordered the execution of Osama Bin Laden.

Truth to be told, I hesitated about the word I would use: execute, kill, murder or assasinate? Indeed, as far as I know, Osama Bin Laden hasn’t been brought to justice, hasn’t been tried nor assigned any defense attorney whatsoever. Killing someone without a due trial is and remains murder in my book (except for cases of self-defense or requested euthanasia). And yes, I do know the 9/11 victims didn’t have a chance either. But when you start using the methods of those you despise, you start lowering yourself to their level (and one can wonder who truly lost in such scenario).

But I guess this is a rare voice of discord, since people (in the West) rejoice about the disappearance of Osama Bin Laden and congratulate President Obama with this handling of this matter, to the point that one article concludes : “All in all, it was a good night to be president“.

Was it? I honestly hope it wasn’t!

For I would hope that any man who orders the execution of another man spends at least an uneasy night. Being a politician, leading a country inevitably calls for some tough choices – if you think about the common good in the long run, that is. Some of those decisions, quite a few actually when the sea’s rough, should keep you up, wide awake, all night long, since you know that some people will suffer because of the way you handle certain matters.

But making the conscious decision to have a human being executed is from a whole other level. So, if the leader of my country were to take such decisions, I sincerely hope he would spend quite a few sleepless nights prior and after he’s giving his order.

P.S. This all reminds me a lot of a subplot in the superb West Wing series, which I can only wholeheartedly recommend for any of you who haven’t yet seen it!

How the Birthers lost, won and lost again.

Posted: April 28, 2011 in English, Ramblings
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And so President Obama released his Birth Certificate, giving in to a swelling tide of doubts that were cast as to his real birthplace.

Yet, the so-called Birthers shouldn’t celebrate any victory tonight, for:

1) they lost, since no smoking gun was found. Barack Obama is indeed an American citizen and as such complies with the constitutional conditions. He was rightfully elected President and nothing in the birth act shows the opposite (but do check out this delicious parody right here).

2) they scored a victory as well though, since they forced the President of the United Stated to answer their queries, despite the fact that evidence previously produced by Mr. Obama had addressed the issue sufficiently.

3) but they lose again, for they find the question of where the President is born more important than him handling issues that are – in any sound person’s opinion – way more urgent and important to tackle (the state of the US economy; the fact that one out of seven US residents is actually poor; three (!) wars being handled at the same time; the US debt; the quick deterioration of the US educational system; growing inequality between rich and poor; and countless others).

4) and they truly lose in the end, for this whole question reveals, imho, their true problem: they simply can’t handle the fact that a ‘black’ man is their President.

Quo vadis, USA?!