Do you Remember when...

Image courtesy of Nairaland.com

Do you remember "The Wizard of Oz"? How the whole story was based on finding the courage, the compassion, and the right idea to make things all right in the end? I do. I remember the tin man, who was left out so long, without anyone to help him take care of himself. After a while in these conditions, he loses his ability to move. Maybe this was a metaphor for losing the Will to change, and move on with life. Maybe the cowardly Lion was a visualization of the way that no one ever seems to reach their potential, being afraid to reach for anything... Then again, maybe not.

I do remember the wizard, hiding behind magic tricks, and technological advantages, scaring everyone with the big brother principle, yet inspiring them, and giving them something to believe in. In this way, America is like our lost group of tag-alongs, searching for the way back home. Each of us may want something unique, and each of us may find that we already have it later on, but we need someone to show us that it is there. Here's where politics come in. 

America, once the thriving industrial center of the world. We once had more disposable income that most other countries. It was once shameful to accept anything that wasn't covered in sweat when it entered your palm. Now... 

Now things are different. 

We are currently in a decade where things don't look up. The market has crashed. The government has lowered its own credit limit. There are a record number of people without jobs, living on unemployment through one fruitless job search after another. This, like in all drama, is where the hero shows up. 

Our Hero enters the stage like a lightning bolt. He starts out as a community organizer, quickly moving to state senator, U.S.A. Senator, and then comes on stage with a speech about Hope, and about change. He starts his campaign, rallying everyone behind him with hopes and promises. Ending the war, bringing the troops home, creating jobs to end the financial drought. 

Remember near the end of the movie, when Toto pulls away the curtain to reveal the old man, stammering at his sudden vulnerability,  and suddenly seeming so much less likely to be able to cash in on his promises? Well, the time has come. After this term, being mostly over at this point, we should see now that none of these hopes and changes have been the kind we need. Trusting the candidate without experience, we gave this man his presidency without making him take the time to let the weight of responsibility really sink in, and learn the difference between what America WANTS and what she NEEDS. 

With re-election right around the corner, the President has a lot of explaining to do, or better yet, more promises to KEEP. These aren't things he'll be able to read off of the teleprompter. These aren't apologies for the American peace of mind. These won't be accomplished by hiding behind a wall of curtains. In case anyone was wondering what we deserve to have made up to us, here's a short list of examples. 

1. The healthcare reform law that was supposed to reduce the healthcare premiums, but has done the opposite. Even for the people that initially supported it.
2. Allowing a leak of information stating that we were spying on the UN Secretary General. It is becoming increasingly apparent that virtually nobody in the Obama administration or in Hillary Clinton's State Department has much of a clue about foreign policy.
3. Two year wage freeze on the federal worker salaries. No details needed here. That's about two million mistakes in one shot. 
4. Allowing the TSA access to your personal..."information", usually in the form of photographs with a magic camera that can see through your clothes, and DOESN'T erase the pics like it was supposed to. (Yes, a few hundred of those have leaked as well.)
5. The Dream Act... In short, the legislation would permit young people to become U.S. residents after spending two years in college or the military. It would apply to immigrants who were under 16 when they arrived in the U.S., have been in the country at least five years and have a diploma from a U.S. high school or the equivalent. Already no jobs, but hey, we can use a few million more people riding the unemployment wagon. Why not? 
6. Most Americans are tired of wasting hundreds of billions of dollars and precious American lives trying to "help" in the middle east. But instead of ending our occupation, and bringing our men and women home, he's actually made things worse, and further escalated the war.
7. The Bailout... Not saying anything else, so that the blog remains family friendly. 

Yes, we voted for change, Yes, we bought the story from the charismatic wizard on the stage... but now that the curtain is off to the side, and the truth is standing there before us, I personally, have been greatly disappointed. The only change that I now desire is change in leadership. Let's all just hope that we don't follow our traditional penchant for sending another idiot in his place. 

For the record: I have no personal issues with our president, but he has made decisions that have demonstrated his leadership ability, or lack thereof. Next time, put a businessman in the whitehouse, and tell him that this is to keep his "company" from going further into the red. If it is even possible at this point, I would like to see some kind of profit in the future. Be careful though, make sure this guy puts it in writing that all of his proposals aren't outsourced.