By: American Issues Policy Group
President Obama has reversed United States foreign and domestic polarity.
In foreign affairs, the United States Government has withdrawn from the Middle East. Obama abandoned his “line in the sand” with Syria, leaving 150,000 killed in a three-year civil war. Iraq, devoid of American troops is on the verge of becoming a failed nation-state. The radical Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) owns fully one third of Syria and Iraq.
Iraq is now a client-state of Iran, which is developing nuclear weapons. The on-going negotiations between Iran and the western States have gone nowhere. It is only a matter of time before Iran has a nuclear weapon. Iran is an Obama administration failure.
Obama declared the war in Iraq over, removed American troops, and abandoned Iraq, saying that the terrorist threat from al-Qaida was over, that their forces had been “decimated” and were “on the run.” It turned out that al-Qaida and their allies were stronger than ever and had spread through the Middle East, into North Africa and far beyond. Iraq is now partly controlled by ISIS or ISIL, formerly Al Qaida. Iraq is an Obama administration failure.
The administration’s inept foreign policy in Libya, leading to the deaths of four Americans, including our ambassador, has left Libya a ruined nation-state with the power vacuum still contested. Tunisia is in constant turmoil with two political assassinations in less than six months. Al Qaeda controls North Yemen. Libya, Tunisia and Yemen are Obama administration failures.
Obama passively watched ’s Hosni Mubarak dethroned and a terrorist Muslim Brotherhood President, Mohammed Morsi took his place and decided to destroy the constitution in favor of an Islamic Caliphate. The Army removed Morsi in a coup, and the head of the Army, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, was elected President. Egypt is an Obama administration failure.
Meanwhile, the administration’s strategy in Afghanistan is encouraging al Qaeda and the Taliban to once again become a force for evil against innocent people. Afghanistan is on the verge of becoming a failed nation-state: another Obama administration failure.
President Putin of Russia routinely takes advantage of Obama’s ineptness and fecklessness. Obama sat passively as Russian-backed troops invaded the Ukraine, despite a treaty calling for the United States to respond. For the first time since World War II, a nation (Russia) has forcibly annexed land (Crimea) from another nation (Ukraine). This is another Obama administration failure.
China is threatening is its South Seas neighbors. In country after country, as the United States retreats on the international stage, chaos and evil fill the vacuum left by Obama. The world no longer trusts the United States to “be there” when necessary. This is the essence of the Obama doctrine, which is leading the world into chaos: another administration failure.
Within the United States, Obama is doing the opposite. He is not retreating; he his attacking American citizens, American Institutions; and the U.S. Constitution, and he is using elements of the United States Government to maintain a cover-up.
In almost every instance, Eric Holder’s Department of Justice has been brought into a scandal to “investigate.” When Congress wants to question those involved in the scandal, the administration states it cannot comment due to an ongoing investigation.
First, the administration was taken by “surprise” by the news of Operation Fast and Furious. Then, Holder repeatedly refused to answer questions and refused to identify the highest-ranking Obama administration official that had knowledge of Operation Fast and Furious. Holder also changed his testimony so many times that he became the only Attorney General in history to be held in Contempt of Congress. The investigation is on-going.
The administration was taken by “surprise” by the IRS scandal. Lois Lerner and the IRS are accused of a massive targeting of conservative groups. As a result of Lerner’s refusal to testify, the House Committee found her in contempt of Congress. The DOJ, which had reviewed the case with Lerner and her attorney, did not open an investigation until after Lerner was cited. Now, no one will answer questions about missing emails because of Holder’s on-going investigation.
The administration was taken by “surprise” by the Benghazi scandal. An on-going investigation revealed that no one knew where Obama was on the night in question. Witnesses were not made available for questions by the administration and CIA witnesses were subjected to polygraph examinations on a weekly basis to ensure their silence. Hillary Clinton’s memoir, Hard Decisions, differs from the administration story. Answers are absent because of Holder’s on-going investigation.
The administration was “surprised” by National Security Agency (NSA) spying on American citizen phone calls and emails. Then President Obama told the American people the NSA was not spying on the American people. Then Edward Snowden told the truth: the administration was spying on the American people, collecting telephone metadata and emails. President Obama lied.
The administration swore to the American people that the border was secure. Then 50,000 children penetrated border security because Obama, in 2012, deferred deportation of young illegal immigrants.. Children, unchecked for diseases and other health concerns, are being flown and bused across the country. While the world sees America’s immigration laws are not being enforced, Eric Holder insists the opposite. Meanwhile, Border Patrol personnel are babysitting while drug smugglers fill the vacuum.
Globally, the United States Government retreats from reality. The world is closer to world war than at any time since the end of World War II. More nations are on the brink of becoming failed nation‐states than ever before. And Obama recently stated, “The world is less violent than it has ever been. It is healthier than it has ever been. It is more tolerant than it has ever been.” What alternate universe is Obama living in?
Domestically, the administration has used elements of the federal government to attack American citizens (Lois Lerner, the IRS and DOJ); attack American institutions (the Supreme Court for Citizens v. United, and circumvent the United States Congress via executive orders); cover-up the deaths of four Americans, including the American ambassador (Benghazi scandal); promote excessive regulation (Environmental Protection Agency, Obamacare, Dodd-Frank Financial Regulation); provide the greatest tax increase in the history of the country (Obamacare) while destroying healthcare for 99% of the citizens in order to provide free health care for 1% of the citizens.
By any measure, in the last five and one half years the prestige and respect for the United States both at home and abroad has been substantially reduced. We now have one last hope to not only correct this dramatic slide but also return the United States to a position of respect among nations, and financial stability and growth at home.
Step one is to regain control of the Senate in November giving the Republicans control of one leg of the stool: legislative branch of government as viewed by the founders. Gaining control of the Senate and House places restrictions on an “Imperial Presidency.” Eliminating Harry Reid’s Senate means once again passing budgets: the review, debate and passage of over 200 bills buried by Harry Reid; and, hopefully, the reinstatement of the filibuster and Congressional civility. Two years of an active and responsible legislative branch would do much to reduce the power of our Imperial President.
Step two should be working toward electing a Republican President in 2016 with interest in restoring United States prestige around the world. The effort should also be directed at repairing our economic health with an emphasis on debt reduction. Executive orders need to be reversed. Regulations need to be reduced not increased. It’s time for a Republican president and a Senate interested in reversing the Obama-image of the US worldwide.
Step three should be a concentration on governmental transparency. How many times has this administration been denied or stonewalled investigations into previously cited scandals? Where and when, if at all, did a Democrat question these actions?
If we follow these steps we might be able to restore the America we once knew.