Kind of reminds one of the Obama administration's inability or unwillingness to plan ahead, to establish contingency plans that support some kind of overarching strategy or policy. It seems that this White House administration either arrives late with what usually appears like an ad hoc approach to a problem or issue or is so late that the strategy, even an ad hoc one, never materializes. Consider:
- After weeks of brutal suppression of the rebels in Libya, the President beLATEdly allowed U.S. armed forces to be used against the regime's military assets. How this fits into an overarching strategy is unknown, since other Middle Eastern countries, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, are also brutalizing their own citizens looking for freedom. The President of Yemen recently sent out his sniper goons to gun down innocent protesters and Bahrain has called in foreign troops from Saudi Arabia to brutalize their protesters. How does all of this fit into the use of military force in Libya, which is of little strategic importance to the U.S., and standing on the sidelines in Yemen and Bahrain, which are U.S. allies? Does not sound like we have a cogent strategy for this part of the world, just an ad hoc reflex action.
- The President has been very LATE in bringing Congress into the loop in Libya where he is using our military power to attack a sovereign foreign nation. So LATE, in fact, that it does not look like he plans to bring Congress into the discussion at all. Doesn't the Constitution require that through the checks and balances of our system of government, that the President must get approval from Congress before militarily attacking another country? The last two Bush Presidents followed this Constitutional requirement, why is the Obama administration LATE in doing the same with this Congress? Since he has been considering military options for weeks, proper Constitutional protocol should have been followed.
- The Obama administration was LATE in solving the BP Gulf oil spill last spring, so LATE in fact that the Federal government more or less stood around waiting for BP to come up with the ultimate answer. This is hardly a well thought out plan when doing nothing is your approach or plan. We pay large amounts of taxes for the government to protect us and its lack of a contingency plan or preparedness plan was so very evident. Their plan and reaction to the spill was so LATE that the Gulf suffered tremendous environmental and economic damage.
- The Associated Press has a report out today reporting that the government of Portugal has resigned, an interim government is now in place, and that the country of Portugal will need large amounts of bailout money from somewhere in order to reverse its declining economy and financial system. Why? As a country, Portugal was LATE in getting its financial house in order after it was ravished by the Great Recession, with its national debt reaching unsustainable levels. In the U.S., the Obama administration has also been LATE getting our country's financial house in order, so LATE that their plan to curtail spending was to submit a Federal government budget that adds over $9 TRILLION to the country's debt in the next ten years. Their austerity plan is so LATE that it does not exist.
- Although Obama the Presidential candidate pledged to get our troops out of Iraq during his campaign, his plan for removing U.S. troops from Iraq was so LATE that he ended up using the Bush withdrawal timetable.
- Although Obama the Presidential candidate pledged to significantly reduce the amount of budget earmarks that Congressional members set aside for their campaign donors, his plan for accomplishing those reductions is so LATE that earmark volumes and their dollar value is as high or higher than at any time prior to his administration.
- Although Obama the Presidential candidate pledged to close the prison at Guantanamo, he has been so LATE delivering that plan that the prison is still open and is likely to remain open for the foreseeable future.
- Although the Obama administration was quick to criticize and seek legal action against the state of Arizona for its new state immigration law, the administration has been LATE in coming up with any kind of effective alternative that would deliver a sane and effective national immigration policy and plan.
And that is the main point. Its' either LATE, LATE, LATE or worse yet, never existing when it comes to execution and contingency planning. The President can no longer blame Bush, that administration is now ancient history. He is LATE on every important problem and issue and the country suffers via a weakened economy, a weakened financial system, an embarrassingly muddied foreign policy and military policy, and a weakened democracy. He had control of the White House and filibuster control of Congress in his first year and majorities in both houses of Congress his first two years, there is absolutely no reason that he played the role of White Rabbit and has always been LATE.
Of course, he has been on time for a few events. During the Gulf oil spill crisis, the President was on time for his six or seven golf tee times, he was on time for the several vacations he took, and he was on time for the several California campaign trips he made while oil gushed into the Gulf. He was on time for his recent South American meetings and banquets despite the fact that he had just placed U.S. armed forces in harm's way in Libya, with one U.S. jet being downed. He placed the military in harm's way in a potentially unconstitutional manner, without Congressional approval, and without an overarching strategy. Last week after a briefing on the Japanese earthquake disaster, he was apparently on time for his scheduled golf tee time. He has been on time for his annual ESPN television appearances to discuss his college basketball tournament picks and apparently he was on time to film a television commercial for the George Lopez show a little while ago.
Thus, he is not always LATE for everything. Seems like it is just the important things he is LATE for like the economic future of the country, U.S. armed forces, foreign affairs, ecological disasters, terrorists prisons, earmarks, and the many issues that effect most Americans. He and his white rabbit administration continue to live in some sort of Wonderland, where being late is okay, while the rest of us live in the real world where being late is rarely wonderful
Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at http://www.loathemygovernment.com/. It is also available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please pass our message of freedom onward. Let your friends and family know about our websites and blogs, ask your library to carry the book, and respect freedom for both yourselves and others everyday.
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