This morning, while watching "Good Morning America", I learned that President Barack Obama's approval rating has gone from 68 percent to 57 percent. The eleven point drop is largely due to his proposed health care reform package, which is being lauded by many but openly criticized by others.
I have yet to read through President Obama's proposal. I plan on doing so within the next couple of weeks. But I do applaud President Obama for being the type of politician who is staying true to his campaign promises by addressing the issues. Truth be told, he took the Presidential Oath of Office knowing that he had inherited a mess from George W. Bush.
A historical analysis of Bush's two terms in office reveal that he took America and the rest of the world down a road that it should have avoided at all costs, the road to death and destruction. I can only imagine what went through his mind after the September 11th (2001) terrorist attacks. Based on what happened in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, his decision to attack the Taliban in Afghanistan was probably justified. But why did he have to lie to us, contending that the Saddam Hussein-led Iraq government was amassing Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and training terrorists. United Nations inspectors report that Iraq never even had WMDs.
But what disturbs me the most is some Americans' unwillingness to acknowledge President Bush's role in the current mess. When he took office more than eight years ago, he was working with a surplus. Rather than build upon the surplus, he opted to give it back to the American people. Soon after, he embroiled us in two wars, the first in Afghanistan, the other in Iraq, seemingly thinking these wars would be cheap. So, in hindsight, was it a wise decision to put more money in our pockets? I think not.
If you didn't notice, the Bush Administration, and the Republican Party for that matter, ran a shell game on us. They blatantly lied to us, and we, the American public, didn't even raise a fuss. We just fell prey to the positive spin they placed on the "War on Terror" and American prosperity. And anyone who questioned them was labeled a traitor.
People, I don't think President Barack Obama is into running shell games on us. I believe he is willing to do what is necessary to restore America to its pre-Bush state. Should we question his spending habits? Sure. But we should also become more aware of the measures he's taking to save us money in the long run.
President Obama is working on real solutions, not trying to make our problems worse. The issues that he is trying to address are many, and they will not be resolved within his first 200 days in office (I hope you don't think he can make the problems go away by waving a magic wand). Their amelioration is going to take time, the kind of global diplomacy that the Bush administration was unwilling to employ.
What do you think?
I look forward to reading your responses.
Jeffery A. Faulkerson, MSSW
From "THE PURPOSEFUL WRITER"
http://www.purposefulwriter.blogspot.com
Posted By: J. A. Faulkerson
Friday, August 21st 2009 at 10:28AM
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