The Politics Of Paranoia

Yesterday, I wrote about the politics of paranoia, but really only restricted it to external views, particularly that of the United Nations, and the belief (which I find more than just a little paranoid) of some inevitable United nations takeover.

Today, I would like to focus on paranoia on the domestic front.

There are some people that I personally know (not about to mention names or anything, but they certainly exist) who truly believe certain things to be true, although they are far from indisputable - and in many cases, far from credible.

One, for example, is that President Obama is already taking over with dictatorial powers.

Now, I have admitted in the past, and will readily admit presently, to not being the biggest fan of President Barack Obama. When his 2008 campaign seemed full of energy and promise and, yes, hope, for so many millions of Americans (and many millions of people outside American borders), he was viewed almost as if he possessed divine status. People seemed to think that the man could do no wrong.

But I'll admit to not being swept up in the thing. The first time that I voted was in 1992, and I had felt extremely excited that a Democrat actually had a chance to win the White House. Clinton had not been my first choice back then (Senator Tom Harkin was). Initially, it seemed like he was destined to get his ass kicked. After all, George H.W. Bush had enjoyed over 90% approval ratings, supposedly, a little more than a year earlier. He looked pretty strong early in 1992, and it was not all that clear that he would prove vulnerable. Plus, even when he did seem vulnerable enough to potentially lose the race, there was Ross Perot who surprised many and came out of seemingly nowhere to be a viable candidate, even perhaps favored.

Yet in one unbelievable week, Ross Perot dropped out of the race, right around the time of the Democratic National Convention. And anyone who saw Clinton in this past Democratic Convention, or knows how effective a speaker he can be, Clinton was amazing during a very successful Convention for the Democrats. They jumped ahead in the polls, and never looked back.

Still, this is not a blog about my own faith, but rather, my own disillusionment with politics. Needless to say, Clinton disappointed me. he was not what I had hoped he would be, or even thought he would be. I still voted for him again in 1996, because it was between him and Dole, and I thought that was an easy choice. But my enthusiasm was not nearly so strong.

Now, when Obama came around in 2008, I had long lost my belief in politicians, and particularly, of the two major parties. I had come to believe that neither party was actually interested in anything more than getting sponsors and seeking for more and more funding in order to win elections, so that they could remain viable and get more sponsors and seek more funding. My skepticism had grown considerably, and although he sounded great and seemed different, I still viewed him within the prism of a self-serving politician with a false sense of entitlement. I hoped that my admittedly harsh judgment was wrong, but the fact of the matter is that the past four years have proven this judgment right, harsh or not.

Like any politician, Obama did not keep his promises. He did not do many of the things that he promised to. Yet, that does not bother me so much, because a President is not all-powerful (nor should he, or someday she, be). Through little, and possibly no fault of his own, he was not the man who was able to bring the two parties together. However, Obama said he would protect the environment, and he did not. He claimed he would close Gitmo, and he did not. He had criticized his predecessor for endorsing torture, yet he kept that option open for future Presidents, as well as himself. He claimed that he would end the war in Iraq, yet he simply reduced the American forces there to 50,000 and simply stated it was no longer a war, while increasing American presence in Afghanistan. Finally, this is the President that signed the NDAA into law, although he expressed regret even while doing so.

When he first got into office, I was tentatively happy. After eight long years of Bush & Co., most Americans (and almost the entire rest of the world) seemed ready for something different. I was just glad he was not Bush, and hoped he might prove to be better my admittedly low expectations. But, he was not. In many regards, in fact, he has at times been alarmingly and inexcusably similar to his predecessor.

In short, he has not been the President that many had hoped he would be.

But is he a dictator?

True, he has assumed alarming levels of power, and essentially suspended habeas corpus with the flick of his pen.

Still, that does not warrant comparisons to Hitler or Nazi Germany. He finally succeeded where his predecessors (note the plural there) failed in passing through a fairer healthcare system - no small feat in the United States of America. To show just how difficult and extreme the opposition, look at how many were outraged by this, and remain outraged still. CEO's threatened to fire employees if Obama won this past election. Some Denny's raised their prices, and the owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster expressed strong opposition to Obamacare by threatening reducing full-time workers to part-time. After sales took a hit, he backed off this plan, which if anything, should prove as yet another example of the power of the consumer in this extremely capitalist country of ours.

People seem to believe that this guy is truly on the verge of grabbing all sorts of powers, and all sorts of crazy conspiracy theories abound. He is about to abolish the right to bear arms. Obama is a secret Muslim, and he is about to convert all Americans to Islam. He is not a "real citizen" of the United States, the nation that he has been fairly elected President of - twice, now. Despite winning the election, a few thousand people in numerous states are hoping to secede from the Union, and despite being a tiny, tiny minority of the population, just look at how much press they get.

Now, again, I am not thrilled with Obama, and am less than impressed with his track record. Obviously, people were wrong in believing him to be almost like a divinity, and that he would come into office and fix America's problems with a wave of some magic political wand. Like Clinton said, no President would have been able to fix the problems in such a short time, because the problems were so extensive.

Yet, it seems like many conservatives must have been asleep for the previous eight years, because all of the problems that Obama was not able to fix were suddenly huge problems, although they not only existed, but were in fact caused, by Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush. Those conservative critics of Obama, who so loudly criticize this man to the point of demonizing him, seemed somehow silent prior to the election in 2008,l although that was precisely when these problems sprouted to begin with.

So, yes, I have my difference with Obama and his supporters, to say the least. And yes, these include abuses of power that I personally find absolutely inexcusable. However, I will not question his nationality, or slap a moustache on him, or claim that all of these enormous problems that the nation faces are his responsibility because they exist on his watch, as if the previous history of how they mushroomed simply were erased, or conveniently did not exist.

I do believe that it is the responsibility of an informed citizenry to keep strong pressure on their elected officials, because they are the public servants, not rulers for private interests. These are people hungry for power, and it would be irresponsible to simply let them have their way.

But to come out with such outrageous nonsense? Fine, you disagree with Obama, but to make it appear as if he has ordered troops to come knocking on your door as we speak, to take the guns away, and rag you off to some concentration camp?

Ridiculous.

I know not what course others may take, but as for me, I choose rationalism over paranoia.



Below is a link to an article all about the Red Lobster/Olive Garden thing. I rarely ate at either place, but I can tell you this much: so long as this man remains in charge of these places, I will actively seek to stay away from them. the one truly indisputable huge thing that I think Obama did right (although he did not go nearly far enough with it) was to bring a fairer, more affordable healthcare to Americans, and I don't want to hear any more about super rich people lecturing me, and all the others who helped these rich elites become rich elites, all about the evils of such a system, and claiming that maintaining the status quo is far preferable. I will keep that in mind, next time I feel hungry, and still pass right by Olive Garden, and hold off so that I can go to some other place to spend my money instead.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/olive-garden-owner-hold-off-200230971.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CZ6ssFQFScAxMXQtDMD