BARAK OBAMA'S PRESIDENCY - NO GREAT SUCCESSES?

D

o you remember how much positive vibes and euphoria 
were in the air during the now President Obama's first and second campaigns to become the President of the United States? How  much was made of his and his backers "Yes we can change", pronouncements?

T

he "Yes we can Change" refrain was one which found favour with millions of Americans, and was something which would have bought back some of the lost mojo of the disaffected American electorate. The millions of people who, in common with millions all over the globe, have come to distrust politicians and their promise of making their lives and the world a better place for them and their children.

A

nd so it was, that President Obama and his and the Democratic Party's Public Relations machinery, sought to convince the willing amongst the American public, that, yes, working as a united people, "We can Change" America and the world and make them better. The PR machinery made much ado of the refrain in 2008 and 2012, but, what has been happening during the 8 years of Obama's presidency; both abroad and in America?

H

as President Obama's Presidency achieved, sufficiently or completed, the 'changes' of which he spoke or intended?  More relevantly, do the majority of Americans, and of the millions around the world who bought into the President's dreams and promises, believe that he has delivered them? Does President Barak Obama believes he has been successful in realising his and his Administration's promises about changes?

L

et us look at what the President and his administration has achieved at home. Well, let us look at a sample of what he has achieved at home. Probably his biggest achievement is in getting his healthcare system, what has come to be known as Obamacare, passed. Millions of people will be benefiting from this act, although it is the case that it has been questioned by both those who are in favour of America having a national health care system, such as Britain's, and those who believe that a person's healthcare should be their personal responsibility, with them having it covered with healthcare insurance. There is some concern that, one of the biggest beneficiaries of Obamacare, is the big businesses which provide health insurance. And for all its current deficiencies, Obamacare is still and will continue to be under attack; especially by its Republicon opponents. Consequently, its future is not certain.

T

he President has cited 10 successes which have been achieved during his presidency. In these, he cited the creation of millions of jobs which have benefited the American economy. He cited healthcare coverage, the passing of same-sex unions; American leadership on global climate change (which still has a long way to go to be fully implemented); the  Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership (which is yet to be ratified by the involved countries, including America); the improvement in America/Cuba relations (which is in its early stages); the fight against terrorism (which is still on-going and has probably been made worse by this Presidency); the Iran Nuclear Deal; and something about "the American people."

S

o, in terms of President Barak Obama's successes on the home front, we have the greater health insurance coverage, we have the legalisation of same sex unions, we have a recovery in the American economy, including more jobs being created, we have the beginning of the ending of America's boycotting of Cuba and the beginning of the improvement and normalisation in American/Cuban relations, and probably not a great deal more.

E

specially when we take into consideration the fact that, at the beginning of 2017, it is not President Obama who will be the POTUS, but, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump or, probably less likely, Bernie Sanders. Considering the fact that all Presidents, especially Democratic and progressive ones, tend to have a tougher time getting their policies past Congress, the future of some of President Obama's 'successes' do not look bright. This could apply to the TPTP, global climate change agreements, the Iran Nuclear Deal, and Obamacare.

S

till focusing on the home front, the American Judiciary is still criminalising, killing and locking up African-Americans on a big business-scale. The President has not been able to cite any 'successes' here. Americans are killing each other with guns as if it is likely to become unfashionable or 'illegal' soon. Again, we know how much pain this causes the President, but he has not been able to score any successes here.

A

nd when we look outside of America, we see no 'successes' in America having been able to bring any peace to or lessen the violence which it has initiated and/or stoked in foreign countries, even if it is on the pretext of 'fighting terrorism.' We look at Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and we realise that the supposedly 'progressive presidency' of President Obama, has not really resulted in any improvement over what the Bush Presidency before it achieved. Indeed, it has arguably done worst, since it clothed itself in garments denoting its supposedly higher morality. Bush sent more American soldiers to kill his decreed 'enemies', but President Obama used drones and predators which enable the operators doing the killing to remain safe in their bases thousands of miles away.

A

nd yes, from a reactionary perspective, it is the case that the Iran Nuclear Deal and the American rapprochement with Cuba represent significant successes for the President, and that the unravelling of the Leftish alliance of progressive countries, has opened the door for America to regain her hegemony in the Americas.

W

hen we look at America's relationship with the other two global giants, Russia and China, their is little of comfort, as America's relationship with both is probably worse than it was before President Obama took office. America is fuelling the cold war with both, with its aggressive overt and covert  anti-Russian agreements with former Soviet Union countries, and her attempts to sabotage China's rise to becoming the world's number one economy.

A

nd so, it seems to me that, although President Obama has been probably the most charismatic and benchmarked President of the United States, his presidency has not resulted in any achievement which could not have been achieved by any other POTUS. Especially when you consider the fact that the President's successes and failures are not solely his, but of the team and people he leads.

I

t is probably true that Barak Obama had the will to effect more positive changes in America and American policies, but, in order for him to be successful, he had to be able to make the necessary structural changes in the modus operandi of Washington, to get the system to produce the outcomes he wanted, instead of those which its manipulators want it to produce.

I

t might be the case that, probably the biggest success of the Obama Presidency is that it has made more Americans become aware of the possibilities of them being, as a nation, more progressive in  their politics, in their search for other political options. It is this which, to some extent, is fuelling Bernie Sanders presidential campaign.  

A

s it is for any president or leader, what determines your success in achieving your goals, is the extent to which you are able to change and manipulate the system you have to use to effect your desired changes, or the extent to which that system changes or forces you to change your objectives.

OWOHROD