Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Obama's Presidential Address

How could you not love this man as our President?

12 comments:

Tanja Wren said...

Being an eloquent speaker does not make him a great president...it makes him an eloquent speaker. What makes a great president is the policies that are put into place and the impact of those policies on the country. So far, the policies that have been enacted are questionable and somewhat disturbing. It remains to be seen whether the policies will harm or help this country.

Tiki said...

I didn't comment on how great Obama is at speaking, but now that you mention it, HE'S FABULOUS! Whether reading the teleprompter or speaking off the top of his head!

What policies are you referring to as "somewhat disturbing"? There isn't one policy that you agree with? He's wrong on everything? You agree with ending the war at least, right?

Tiki said...

Oh yeah I forgot... Bush is the best President the U.S. has ever had... Yeah, forgot that...

sunny said...

I have to agree that the address was awesome and inspiring. There were many things that I didn't know where I stood - such as the automotive bail out, the bank bail out... I saw it as rewarding bad business. His words helped me to understand the need for this to happen. I now see it as an investment in our future, not a reward or means to allow the companies to continue to make bad decisions. The "policing" of the money is the true issue - it is what will make the difference between abuse and progress. I am hopeful that systems are being put in place to ensure that this doesn't continue to happen.

The collapse of the banking systems would be something that would take years, possibly decades for us to recover from. I know it is hard to believe that we have to get more in debt as a means to get out of debt, but if we think of the financial status of America as a business, you have to spend money to make money.

With all moves, there are risks. We have to weigh the risks with the potential benefits and make decisions based on projections - we have to use our experience and history to predict what will happen - not an easy or sure win ever.

What is exciting to me is that much of the spending is to stimulate the economy - something that war - although I agree that it is sometimes inevitable - doesn't do. Much of our debt from our last president was to increase war efforts, no stimulus there.

I would ask you what you feel the weaknesses of the stimulus plan are and what you feel would be a better approach? What makes the approach better - is it a difference in beliefs, or a difference in facts based on historical evidence?

Dialogue is good, searching for truth, but criticism without offering suggestions gets us no where. Let's continue the dialogue.

Tanja Wren said...
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Tanja Wren said...
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sunny said...

I know it is tough to talk on topics where we have strong opinions, but it is even tougher to be open to growth, new perspectives and reshaping your thoughts. I just hope we take all that is said with the spirit with which it is intended. I believe, just as I do with most politicians, that the intention is good. Embrace the opportunities to see things in new perspectives and to become clearer in what we think.

We use this analogy in talking with teachers... when you feel disturbed and you feel like your ground is shaking and your heart begins to beat fast, LISTEN. It is at these times that you are confronting your current beliefs. This is the time to either use your energy to defend what you already know (no growth or progress) or to analyze your thoughts/beliefs and either sharpen your ideas, bringing new clarity or adjust. It is uncomfortable to face the idea that what you believe to be true may not be true for all or that it may be narrow in scope, but this is when we are primed for growth.

How sad it would be if we left this life believing the same things we did when we entered it. View this exchange as an opportunity to grow, at least in the understanding of others. There are no easy answers in politics - much like in parenting - or we would all be doing it right. But through reflection and critical thinking we get closer and closer to a truth.

I can't wait to see the discussion that comes out of this and I hope to see things from new perspectives.

Tiki said...

Tanja - Sorry that you are having problems posting your comments... I deleted the "test" posts that you did earlier...

Tanja Wren said...

My response was specifically to your comment "How could you not love this man as our president?" I did not do a good job in communicating my thoughts. I should have been more specific when I said that I thought some of his policies were disturbing, so I want to clear up that issue.
First, to answer the question you asked about do I not have one policy...not even one that I agree with I would pose the question back to you. Do you agree with every single policy decision that Obama has made? I think the answer to both questions is obvious...NO! You and I do not know all of the policy decisions that Obama has made or will make so we cannot emphatically say we agree or disagree. To be specific about what disturbs me I will list a few. I am disturbed that Congress passed and Obama signed into law (in a matter of days) an "Economic Stimulus Bill" that is practically impossible for anyone to have read. The bill was 1419 pages long!!! I am also disturbed that Republicans were shut out of the process of creating this bill and were then chastised for not supporting it. I am also disturbed by Obama's decision to cut Defense spending. The main purpose of our federal government is to protect and defend our borders and cutting this budget puts soldiers, their families and ultimately US citizens at risk. You mentioned that I must agree with ending the war in Iraq...right? Actually, I am not for ending that war. I am not informed enough about what is happening on the ground in Iraq to know whether that would be wise. That is a decision that must be left to the Commanders in the field who are experiencing the war first hand. They will know whether us pulling out will be in the best interest of Iraqi citizens and US citizens. I then ask you the question, you must be against Obama's decision to increase the number of troops who are fighting in Afghanistan...right? Why is that war OK, but not Iraq? I have never said that George Bush is the greatest president ever. History will be the judge of him. I did not agree with a lot of what George Bush did (he spent way too much and wasn't fiscally responsible), but he did put policies in place that kept us safe. Now, would we have been safe without those policies? Who can know. The point is that every president makes the decisions at the time that they feel are in the best interest of this country. That includes Bush and Obama. The only point I was making is that we don't know enough about Obama's decisions to make a judgment about him. All we have to go on right now is the "great speaker" that he is. Time will tell whether his policies will help or harm this country. I hope they help.

Tiki said...

This is funny to me because this is the first time in either print or verbal talk about Obama that I've ever heard you sound somewhat optimistic. You asked me if I agree totally 100% with Obama.. And you are right my answer is NO. I don't agree 100% with anybody on anything.

In reading your comment, it sounds to me that you are madder at Congress than you are at Obama. He can’t be blamed for what they do just like you can’t blame Congress for what Obama does. I wrote about “Displaced Anger” in an earlier post. It’s easy to do that, but a hard reaction to break. I know I have BIG TIME issues with that.

Iraq citizens… hmm how do I say this without sounding rude.. I care more about the citizens in this country than citizens of another… As my friend put’s it, we are not the police of the whole world! Why do we think that we have to solve other country’s problems and can not solve one of our own? I’m not for ANY war, however I would understand a war in Afghanistan more than one in Iraq. Bush has said many, many times that he believed that they had weapons of mass destruction which is why the war began in the first place and after thousands of soldiers and people in Iraq have been killed, he didn’t find one weapon. Not one! I will say that one thing good out of the war in Iraq was the capture and execution of Saddam Hussein. Obama has announced that he will withdraw a number of forces but leave behind 30,000 – 50,000 to advise and train Iraqi intelligence and surveillance. I don’t agree with that either…

This is also the first time in either print or verbal that I’ve ever heard you say that you DIDN’T disagree with something that Bush has done. You are usually so FOR Bush that I can’t get a word in. I guess people can change. I agree with this “The point is that every president makes the decisions at the time that they feel are in the best interest of this country.” That statement I guess I agree with.

Tanja Wren said...

Unfortunately the displaced anger is on both sides. Bush has been blamed for 8 years (even now when he is out of office) because he was the Commander in Chief. The Democrats have been in power in Congress since 2002, however, blame is always laid at the feet of Bush.
We need to realize that there is enough blame to go around within politics and no one is free from the blame. We all must be willing to continue to scrutinize the happenings on both sides because inevitably it is the American citizen that is impacted the most.

sunny said...

I am enjoying this exchange :) I do believe that when we get to that level of maturity where we stop defending our beliefs and actions and begin to truly reflect - why do we believe the way we do, are my beliefs based on what works for me or are they the "right thing to do", do my experiences limit my understanding and by hearing the voices of others can I grow to better understand the big picture... we can engage in a dialogue where reflection and growth can happen. I see some reflection in this threaded conversation and it warms my sole! I hope this continues and we can all engage in conversations that shed light on commonalities and not only differences. I do believe that many of the problems in our government are systemic and not necessarily based on party affiliation. That said, our beliefs do shape who we most agree with - which is more just a matter of where we are on our journey, not right or wrong.

Blog on sistas!!!