Obama is set to give his Afghanistan speech tomorrow and by all measures it looks like it is yet another case of more of the same.
What I mean by that is we all worked hard to get him and other progressive Democrats in office to make a real difference and it is not happening. I repeat- IT IS NOT HAPPENING, WE ARE GETTING MORE OF THE SAME.
The war will be going on and on and on and the war profiteers will get more money and more US soldiers will die with no clear purpose.
I wrote this dairy entry almost a year ago when it was announced the Hillary was going to be Sec. of State and my thoughts on that--
http://www.dailykos.com/...
I was ripped down for being negative and not even letting Obama sit in the chair of the Oval office, when my real point was concerns that if he was appointing Hillary (who dragged out the Dem race far too long and gave McSame all the ammo he could use) how can that be change?
Now a year of Obama has passed and I have real issues with what is happening with his choices.
First-Gitmo.
Yeah, I know it is hard to shut down a legal black hole of a prison but at the rate he is dragging this out he will have completed his first term before that place is empty. All the discussion of how we can't hold them inside the country is a joke. But Obama isn't laughing, he's still using that place and not solving the problem.
Second-Healthcare.
A lesson on how to shoot yourself in the foot--tell the party of No that you don't care if a Public Option survives and then have your party's Congress give into them at every turn as they give up nothing. Perfect. Change we can believe in but not change we will get.
Third-Lobbyist.
For someone who said that anyone who lobbied would not get a cabinet spot that sure changed quick. Thanks for staying true to your word. Oh wait, you didn't. Big surprise.
And what was up with having the secret meeting with the insurance lobbyists right before you said that a Public Option wasn't needed? Seems like they got to you already.
Fourth-Big Biz (or It's the Economy stupid).
Thanks for helping the middle class. Oh wait, again that is not right as the stimulus he was in charge of (not Bush's first one) has not ended the rise in unemployment like it was touted to. There are reports from both sides that says that the true unemployment number is not 10% but closer to 17% and it is not expected to go down before the year is over.
All the talk has been how the stimulus would help at the top and work itself to the middle and lower classes. Sounds like trickle down economics to me, which btw does not work.
Where is the oversight on Wall Street and banking to prevent this from happening again? What the hell is up with going to Wall Street and slapping them on the wrist and telling them to behave instead of actually doing the job you were put there for and getting regulations in place and investigating and charging those who broke the law?
If you have a job, be thankful and pray that you are not losing it soon. At least Obama has job security for the next three years so he's good to go.
Fifth-Letting the previous owner get away with murder.
Yeah, that's right, I said it. Bush and Co. need to be investigated and charged like the above bankers for the crimes they committed. Don't give me this BS that looking back won't help because it seems that you are covering for them so that when it turns out that you have been carrying on their crimes you don't get caught as well. It truely seems that Obama is just carrying on the programs that they started.
Sixth-Transparency
We were told that your White House would lift the veil but all you have done is kept it in place. Was that campaign promise yet another lie? Seems so.
Seventh-War. (what is it good for?)
Looks like we swallowed the biggest lie of all--that the US would end the wars we were lied into. Go ahead and make that speech tomorrow, it will only serve to help you have one term in office at this rate.
Before people reply that I am not being fair or that I shouldn't have expected Obama to keep all of his campaign pledges I ask you to do one thing--recall why you voted for him (which issue or top three issues was/were the most important?) and then actually look and see what he has really done in the last year to effect the change he promised. Do you think he has changed any of the big items on your list?
I hope he likes the Nobel Peace Prize that he really got without deserving it (even he would admit to that) and that it is in his pocket tomorrow as he announces his decision to carry on with war.
Honestly, I was hoping that others were right that I was jumping the gun a year ago when I wrote that his choice of Hillary for Sec. of State didn't seem like change and that I hoped it didn't signal what was to happen (or not happen). Sometimes I hate it when I'm correct.