When FDR famously said that we need only fear “fear itself,” he was only partly right. The greater danger in modern American politics turns out to be political cowardice. For while we are all susceptible to fear, it is the coward, the person who is unreasonably and excessively afraid who poses the greatest danger in challenging times.
Barak Obama is a coward. His cowardice is evident in the clear record of fearful inaction that is now too long and consistent to explain away as 11-dimensional chess moves:
1. Obama’s cowardly deference to the anti-gay bigots (More DADT)
2. Obama’s cowardly capitulation to the Military-Industrial-Complex (“There is no peace dividend”)
3. Obama’s cowardly subservience to Goldman Sachs and the rest of the gangster financial industry (Trillions in future taxpayer liability to pay astronomical Wall Street salaries and bonuses)
4. Obama’s cowardly protection of the coverage-denying medical insurance industry. (The “public option” will emerge as a mangled and inadequate program so feeble that it will continue the dominance of the insurance companies and provide only token relief to the underinsured.)
But Obama’s greatest and most pernicious act of cowardice is his abject failure to restore belief in the competence and authority of government. Ronald Reagan’s infamous acts of civic vandalism (“Government is the problem”) will not be undone by Barak Obama, because Obama is too cowardly to challenge the ideological legacy of the Gipper. Vast new government-directed employment programs are the only hope for reversing the steady growth of joblessness in America. Only vigorous Federal programs aimed at energy independence and rebuilding national transportation infrastructure can put millions of American’s back to work. But Barak Obama is afraid to do what FDR did: make the US Government a primary engine for the revitalization of America.
Obama is a coward, and America will pay a heavy price for his failure to confront our great economic problems with the necessary courage.
13 comments
Skip to comment form
he is a sell-out. His actions have been deliberate since he gave that rousing speech at the 04 convention. Earlier this morning on one of the threads, one of the commenters, I can’t remember who, stated that he was a smart man. Perhaps, but I would call him cunning rather than smart. A truly smart man would realize the error of his ways, a cunning man would think he can talk his way out of things, just as obamination is doing.
He suuuucks, big time.
was most aptly represented by Harry Reid, who recently said that 60 votes in the Senate is not enough to get anything done. 60 f’n votes. A popular president, practically a referendum on Democrats in Congress, and Harry Reid wants to caution us that it’s really not enough to accomplish anything of substance. Bah.
Say what one will about Republicans, but they managed to do much more with much less.