The one-time greatest strength, and Achilles heel of the Obama Administration

[info being]

On October 28th, 2005, I wrote a post about the Achilles Heel of the Bush Administration (http://anotherdreamer.typepad.com/abscondo/2005/10/the_onetime_gre.html). I was correct in that analysis.

Today I think it is also apparent that what was once Obama's greatest strength will prove to be his greatest weakness in the years to come. Barack Obama got to where he is largely because of is win-win approach to problem-solving. He'd much rather work together than pick fights. He'd rather work with the Republicans than work against them.

I agree with this philosophy to a large degree. It is, after all, how I conduct my life. I don't wage wars I can't win. I look for a win-win-win in every situation and believe that, in most cases, there is no real conflict in a situation. However, I don't think this philosophy works in the position of President of the USA.

When faced with the bankers robbing and looting the treasury, when dealing with the fact that the Bush Administration committed war crimes, it isn't enough to play nice. If the current government fails to punish war crimes, fails to punish the subjugation of the U.S. Constitution over the past 8 years, fails to convict the hundreds of bankers who have committed fraud against the American people, then all of these behaviors will only continue.

By definition, until someone enforces the law, the rule of law is dead. Good intentions fall far short.

Even the best man cannot rule in the absence of the rule of law. If President Obama is unable or unwilling to fight, his Presidency will fail and so will our country. To a large extent, when it comes to military and financial matters, his Presidency is demonstrating as much puppetry as did Bush. We are being ruled by the same runaway system. If there is any hope at real change, President Obama needs to fight criminality and corruption or die trying.

[Richardo]

1. "heel"

Just so you know.

[info being]

3. Thanks!

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. You meant to write "heel," right?

Achilles' heel

[Cant trust em]

4. that's pretty good analysis, I'd say.

I'd expect this administration to move a lot of things from the right back towards the left, but generally won't repudiate George Bush's presidency. I see Obama as mostly a reformer who works within a system, not a revolutionary.

[kristopher]

5. Being wise enough...

...to pick your fight and the battlefield is a far cry from being unable or unwilling to fight.

The fact is you haven't seen enough of Obama to yet judge what he is doing regarding the issues you raised. The "bankers" problem has two phases fix the immediate problem then ensure it doesn't happen again. That is what he has said is his plan, how much of the details of that have you seen other than the part involved in fixing the immediate problem?
The same goes for Bush. Do you think the evidence of their wrongdoing is going to disappear if we wait until the economic, energy, climate and education emergencies are addressed?

Some of the most conciliatory people I've ever met were also people that were very capable of taking strong decisive action when the situation and timing was right. You may be correct, but I don't think we have the evidence at this point to draw the conclusions to which you've pole-vaulted.

[FrenchieCat]

6. If I had to choose between Americans getting health care versusu seeing Bush in Jail.....

I would choose health care.

As for the President needing to die trying,
he already puts his life on the line each and everyday.
I only can hope and pray that nothing happens to him.

[info being]

9. Too bad you'll get neither

Cuz he won't fight the insurance companies either.

[empyreanisles]

11. Who says we have to fight them?

I thought the plan was to offer a parallel government-backed system. Everybody wants to get payback instead of looking forward.

[info being]

20. Cuz they won't allow that

hence the need to fight.

[Uzybone]

7. Actually you were wrong

Plame didn't bring anybody down but the small guppy Scooter Libby. The real criminals skated free from blame, no thanks to the media who decided to kill the story once Libby went down.

As for President Obama, can we at least give him a chance before writing his obit? You gave Bush 5 years before your analysis and are giving Obama 3 months to fix 30 years of conservative fuck ups.

[Occam Bandage]

8. I think the Obama administration has set a record

for "number of obituaries written before a half-year has passed," despite doing nothing in particular to warrant them.

[Cali_Democrat]

10. No kidding. (nt)

[asphalt.jungle]

13. the ironic thing is

(s)he did this analysis of bush after 5 years on the job and is crowing about how right he was and for obama it's 3 months.

[leftofthedial]

16. defending illegal wiretaps against US citizens is nothing.

[Avalux]

12. You've got it all wrong.

Obama fights; he just isn't overt about it:

All warfare is based on deception.

Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable;
when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we
are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away;
when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder,
and crush him.

If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him.
If he is in superior strength, evade him.

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to
irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

If he is taking his ease, give him no rest.
If his forces are united, separate them.

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where
you are not expected.

These military devices, leading to victory,
must not be divulged beforehand.

http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html

[stillcool]

14. I agree..he didn't get where he is..

without going up against it. His timing is a thing of beauty.

[info being]

17. Yeah I was thinking law enforcement was all that is necessary

Silly me...somebody commits fraud and they get charged for it. That's how things work in societies that are ruled by law and order.

[leftofthedial]

15. No law, no justice, no peace

[MarjorieG]

18. He'sdefending a lot of Dems, CIA he needs, allies who'd be compromised.

Rock and a hard place. I want health care.

[info being]

19. Good luck with that healthcare bit

[Peacetrain]

21. The greatest strength of the President are his Democratic supporters, Achilles heel, his Democratic

supporters..

[Solomon]

23. BAM!

You hit that one dead on.

[GeorgeGist]

22. Competition is a win-lose strategy.

Democracy is a competitive political tactic. Ipso facto Obama got to where he is because he competed and won; there's no
win-win in war.