Opinion Forum

Obama’s Fatal Flaw

October 25th, 2010

On the campaign trail last month, Obama lambasted Republicans, saying, “Republicans have not come up with one new idea.” Putting aside the fact that Obama is factually incorrect (see Rep. Paul Ryan’s “A GOP Road Map for America’s Future”), his statement embodies the fatal flaw of progressivism.

Winston Churchill said, “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Obama disagrees.

Each and every “new” policy of Obama’s administration in the last 20 months has one thing in common. Their foundations are lodged in wishful thinking, hope, if you will, that Obama’s perception of reality will magically translate into the underlying reality. They are all “new” solutions to old problems.

New solutions to old problems are an essential element of America’s spirit of entrepreneurship and one of the reasons America leads the world in innovation. Unfortunately, Obama’s view of progressivism completely excludes the lessons of history.

It comes as no surprise to students of history that Obama’s solutions are not working. From bailouts to the deceptively named “stimulus” programs, from ObamaCare to the government take-over of many segments of the formerly private economy, every solution Obama has proposed or implemented has been tried in the past. And they have all failed in the past. Just as they are failing now.

Whether due to ideology, ignorance, hubris or naivety, Obama appears to believe he can define his own reality. He is like a young child who by closing his eyes convinces himself that no-one can see him. Obama is the result of a liberal education untempered by real-life experience or economic necessity. Or the lessons of history.

Our founders designed the system of federalism, wisely leaving to the states the ability to experiment with new solutions. The states are America’s laboratories, implementing new solutions on a small scale, minimizing the risk of failure and those darn unintended consequences. Until now.

Never having been held responsible for the outcome of his actions, Obama sails merrily forth advocating his, not so new, ideas, secure in the knowledge that the American taxpayers will be paying the very real cost of his mistakes. As we are now doing on a daily basis.

Obama’s reliance on the ideological tactics employed by many of his known mentors and friends has resulted in a measurable decline in America economically, politically, socially, and militarily.

His inability to allow for the possibility that history, tradition or conservative principles may offer a possible solution to the current economic mess America remains mired in guarantees that America’s problems will not be solved as long as Obama holds office.

As Obama struggles to redefine reality to his specifications, history marches on, with dire consequences for the future of America. As history shows:

The average age of the world’s greatest civilization from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith

2. From spiritual faith to great courage

3. From courage to liberty

4. From liberty to abundance

5. From abundance to complacency

6. From complacency to apathy

7. From apathy to dependence

8. From dependence back into bondage

Obama is either unaware of the course of history, or he is counting on it.

(This article was also posted at Right Bias.)

Articles written by Nancy Morgan
Tags: change, conservative, economy, hope, ideas, ideology, liberal, progressive
Categories: History, Politics | Comments (4) | Home

4 Responses to “Obama’s Fatal Flaw”

Tom Carter | October 25th, 2010 at 12:30 pm

Nancy, you said two things that I think define the problem — “Obama appears to believe he can define his own reality.” and “Never having been held responsible for the outcome of his actions….”

I didn’t vote for Obama because he had virtually no experience doing anything that would even remotely indicate that he was up to the presidency. No one who has ever done anything substantive, like running a small business, being an executive in a large business, or being in a leadership role in the military could have survived without understanding what reality is and learning about being responsible for what you do or fail to do.

Obama isn’t bad or evil, he loves his country as much as anyone else, and he wants to do a good job. He just isn’t capable of doing it.

Lisa | October 25th, 2010 at 1:51 pm

All good points, Tom, although I do not see evidence that he loves his country. I often evaluate Obama’s performance by how I would rate him as a military officer in a leadership position. In our day, I do not think he would make it past the rank of captain. In today’s army, he might make it to major. If he did not use the teleprompter as a crutch, I think we would shiver at his stark lack of executive experience and leadership ability.

“He is like a young child who by closing his eyes convinces himself that no-one can see him.” Nancy, I often see Obama on the elementary school playground. His 60 plus golf outings are his play dates that happen regardless of what else is happening. His constant blaming Bush for everything and the fact that he constantly takes time to bash Fox News and conservative radio are just a couple of examples of his immaturity and lack of focus on more important issues. Maybe he should open his eyes and look into the mirror and tell himself that he is the POTUS and he is above these immature rants.

Nancy Morgan | October 25th, 2010 at 2:36 pm

Tom,
I don’t agree. I believe Obama dislikes this country and wants to bring us down to size. Dinesh D’Souza’s new book offers interesting points.
As for being evil – I believe Obama is merely amoral. Willing to be an empty vessel with someone else dictating his actions (Soros?).

Tom Carter | October 25th, 2010 at 4:25 pm

Lisa, I completely agree. He very much needs to grow up and get a grip on the fact that he’s the President of the country and everyone in it. His radical leftist approach to most things may have served him well as a community organizer (assuming he was effective in that role), but it has wreaked havoc on the country and on him and his party.

But, Nancy, I don’t think he dislikes (a much better word than “hates,” the favored term of many conservatives) the country at all. He’s just an inexperienced politician in way over his head. I don’t think anyone else is “dictating” his actions, although like everyone else he listens more to a circle of friends and advisors, some of whom aren’t any more capable than he is. I don’t think that includes Soros (however much money he spends in support of Democrats).

I didn’t want Obama to be president, but once he won it, I was ready to support him and wanted him to be successful, for the good of the country. Now the only picture I want to see is his backside as he leaves the office for the last time.