Monday, July 30, 2012

For What He Hasn't Done

President Barack Obama will be remembered best not for what he has done, but for what he hasn't.

For openers, President Obama hasn't taken us to war with Iran.

He hasn't taken us to war with North Korea.

He hasn't taken us to war with Syria.

As part of a United Nations effort, he expedited the demise of the Libyan dictatorship, but he did not take the U.S. to war with Libya.

He did not raise taxes on 95% of Americans.

He did not push to expand federal subsidies on the oil cartel. The Republican majority in the House effectively squashed any effort by Congress and this president to end federal subsidies to the oil barons.

He did not raise the Pentagon budget, but has consistently lowered defense spending.

And, think about this: if John McCain or Mitt Romney ordered the taking down of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, and believed Pakistan to be hiding bin Laden for years, we would be at war with Pakistan now.

President Obama didn't promise to restore America, and bring America back to some mythical, magical time in our history that never actually existed. This country was founded by people of color, Native Americans. In truth, the only valid way to restore America would be to return America to Native Americans.

Most of all, he didn't make promises that even Houdini couldn't keep.

A hundred years from now, historians may well consider the Affordable Care Act one of Mr. Obama's signature accomplishments as presidents, but his greatest accomplishment of all has been to resist the ongoing global temptation to enter into armed combat with otherwise autonomous states. .

But, how the Obama administration looks from the vantage point of history is a luxury this country can't afford now. The real possibility of global economic and social collapse is immediate, and a president who will lead us, once again, blindfolded into the theatre of battle would be a disaster, and must be avoided at all costs.

The true test of a commander-in-chief is not prowess at coming up with a strategy to deploy troops, but instead the ability to come up with a strategy to avoid a military solution And, in his capacity of commander-in-chief, as one who has steadfastly avoided military conflict in Iran, the future may show President Obama to be more important not for what he has done, but for what he hasn't.