Why America Needs Barack Obama
I lived in America for 25 years. I grew up thinking the US Government was filled by good people whom, over the years, lost sight of what was best for the people they represent, lost touch with the country. I saw Washington as a hub for career politicians that did whatever was necessary to win the next election, they almost had to if they wanted a job.
With that kind of pressure, I thought, of course they'll give into the interest groups. I could even imagine how it starts, how they'd waiver 'just this one time' on their stance on a minor issue. They say power corrupts; I can understand how, and perhaps even why.
It's easier to give in, get a buck, or get a vote and secure your job than to take the moral high ground and stand up for what you believe in. It's easier to be a puppet for your party, be a monkey for the sponsors, or simply erase your values than to become another martyr fora hopeless cause.
It's the path of least resistance.
It's politics.
It's human nature.
It's Republicans and Democrats.
It's not the person in the role that is the problem, it's the role itself, it's the system that's fundamentally flawed.
This is politics…this is how it will always be.
It's not right vs. wrong, nor good vs. evil.
It's all wrong. It's all evil.
It's politics….
Fast forward to present day…....
I've now been outside of America for nearly 4 years. I can not claim to understand everything that is happening in the US, but I do my best to stay current and I know it's only gotten worse.
I am convinced George W. Bush has caused more damage to the country and to the world than any of us will likely ever know, or even want to know. The last 8 years has seen the US become a bully, trying to force it's will on anyone who disagrees with the current administration. It's a thin line between intimidation and terrorism. I often wonder if we're still the 'good guys'.
I love the US and am thankful for the life and opportunities I've been given. What breaks my heart is how America has nearly become a joke on the global scale. The world sees America and makes judgments based on what they see on television:
They see George W. Bush mis-speaking.
They see war.
They see lies.
They see an obese nation gorging itself while millions starve world-wide.
A country filled with guests from Jerry Springer.
They see cops, crime, guns, drugs, hate, racism and prisons.
They see FOX 'news' sensationalism
A fading super-power where the people are ignorant, lazy and materialistic.
This is the America known to the world, it's the America we have shown them. I tell them there is so much more. I counter every bad thing with 10 good points about America, but even if I were to convince everyone I ever meet, it will never be enough.
When I moved to New Zealand in 2004, the war in Iraq was fairly new, George W. Bush was supposed to lose the next election in a few months, and America could start to repair the damage. Four years later America has millions unemployed, houses in foreclosure, an economy in shreds,and is more in debt with every day that passes. I can't help but be reminded of the Roman Empire in it's decline. I'm tempted to paint George W. Bush as a modern day Nero, but it's actually worse: Bush hand-picked an entire administration of criminals, and we let him.
I am not a Democrat or Republican. In fact, I have traditionally had the all-too-common pessimistic view that voting is simply choosing the lesser of two evils. I look back and wonder what it would be like to have a president like Lincoln or John F. Kennedy. The history books have painted both larger than life. I talk to my Dad about JFK, and his voice has a passion that is impossible to miss. He portrays Kennedy as a man who gave the nation, and the world, hope. Anything was possible,anything could be achieved. The world was a better place because of one person.
And when my Dad finishes speaking, he shakes his head. I don't know if that's recalling the tragic end to the story, or if he's comparing that image of what an American President should be. Either way, it was clear that once upon a time, a politician gave people hope…almost seems hard to believe.
One day, I would like the world to see America the same way I do. I want to talk about a President the same way my Dad talks about JFK. Most of all, I want what's best for America.
