A THOUGHT FOR NOW - PRESIDENT OBAMA'S LEGACY: THE REBIRTH OF THE COLD WAR? THE END.

After the tide of history is finished with it, will President Obama has any complimentary legacy to speak of?

We have also seen President Obama choosing to effectively assume the position of  ignoring the excesses of the Egyptian military and political and economic elite, as they overthrew the elected government of Mr Morsi. Egypt is America's friend, and, if this friendship has to be maintained or protected by the deaths, torture and incarceration of hundreds of thousands of Egyptian citizens, then, that is a decision America is willing to leave to the government of Egypt.

As if what they, Britain, France and America, are doing in Syria is not bad enough, probably the biggest failure of the Obama presidency, is the deterioration in the West's relationship with Russia, and the re-ignition of the Cold War between the two. This is a situation which has arisen from the relentless policy of containment of Russia, by expanding NATO upto the borders of the Russian Federation, which the West and the EU have been pursuing.  As this policy is being pursued, the West continue to 'give reassurance' to Russia, about its 'peaceful and non-aggressive' intent, inspite of the fact that such reassurances are not being reinforced by the West's military deployment and operations in the countries surrounding the Russian Federation.

President Obama is running out of time to rescue what is left of his legacy, but is he running towards or away from the leveller of legacies; the ocean of time?

To this is added the economic sanctions against Russia, by the West, as punishment for Russia having supported the rebels in eastern Ukraine, and the re-integration of Crimea into Russia. Of course, nobody is proposing economic sanctions against America, for her invasion of Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, without any of the governments of these countries having invited them to do so.  With the Ukraine bordering Russia, there is a stronger argument for the latter to have intervened in the conflict in the former - as Turkey is intervening in Syria, you could argue - than for America, Britain and France to be intervening militarily in Syria, Libya and Yemen.

Does prudence not requires one to take more notice of what is being done, as opposed to what is being said, and is this not what is expected of both the west and Russia?

Alas, President Obama has not proved himself to be the inspirational president we had hoped he would have aspired to become, and he will be leaving office, having done hit bit to making the world a more, and not less, dangerous, place for future generations. Even worse, there seems to be no leaders or known candidates in the west, who are likely to do better.

Leaders of nations need the skill and prudence of  mountain sheep or goats, but are rarely found in possession of it.

But we have to remain positive and remind ourselves that it is ordinary people who are used and abused by their leaders and governments, into making the world a place of peace and prosperity, or one of death and destruction. Their are no 'savour' to save or rescue us, but ourselves.

However many good deeds our leaders do, if they fail to do those which are the fundamental ones, then, all the good deeds they have achieved, could come to nought, like a sand castle being washed over by the tide of the sea. It is therefore vital for leaders to be able to identify and achieve the fundaments, which are required for lasting positive changes to be accomplished. In order to provide them with a durable and positive legacy.