The National Hustle

After nearly nine months in office, President Obama is under heavy pressure to follow through on the campaign promises that got him elected.  Obama inherited a heaping plate of problems from his predecessor, but he now has to take ownership over the successes and failures of these issues, including the economy, health care reform, and the war in Afghanistan.

Although very few Americans had any reservations about retaliating against Al Qaeda and the Taliban after 9/11, the past eight years has seen many Americans become dissolutioned with our role in Afghanistan.  The Iraq War has diverted both military resources and public attention, resulting in today’s all-too-common questions: (1) What are we trying to achieve in Afghanistan?, and (2) Should we send more troops?

To help provide an updated perspective, Frontline aired “Obama’s War” last night:

- Matt

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Compared to the ginormous $170 billion apportioned to AIG to provide executive bonus compensation and a couple of other minor things, the $17.4 billion we put into GM and Chrysler’s coffers seems paltry.  Yet it seems as though the Obama administration is riding roughshod over the long-suffering domestic auto manufacturers.  I mean, lay off!  These guys have been going through a lot:

• First they had to deal with the American consumers’ notion that foreign cars were better built and lasted longer (a complete exaggeration, American cars are perfectly engineered… to last exactly 36,001 miles); Continue reading

Universal Health Care?  In the United States, I feel the term is greeted with the same skepticism/derision as the mythical unicorn, perpetual motion, and World Champion Chicago Cubs.  So why then is the United States the only “industrialized” nation in the world to not have a universal health care system?  And what does the term actually mean to you and me? Continue reading

Despite the majority of reports to the contrary, President Obama has been doing Presidential-type things other than choosing the Tar Heels to win it all in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship and apologizing for not reading the entire AIG stimulus specifics.  On March 9th, Barack Obama signed an Executive Order that removed existing barriers to responsible scientific research involving human stem cells; barriers that were employed by former President Bush in mid-2001.

Human stem cells are the master cells in the body.  Stem cells removed from human embryos just a few days old can divide to reproduce themselves or any of the 300 other cells found in the adult human body.  Stem cells can be harvested from aborted fetuses or from excess embryos stored at in-vitro fertilization clinics.  Both methods of obtaining stem cells require release from the “parents” of the embryo.  Potential usage for stem cells includes repairing or replacing damaged human tissue, leading to scientists’ hope for treating and curing diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease, stroke, and diabetes. Continue reading

This week, President Obama confronted the nay-sayers of his progressive budget:

The American people don’t have the luxury of just focusing on Wall Street. They don’t have the luxury of choosing to pay their mortgage or their medical bills. They don’t get to pick between paying their kids’ college tuition or saving enough money for retirement.

They have to do all these things. They have to confront all these problems. And as a consequence, so do we.

Obama states the obvious that only focusing on the economy (and AIG) is impossible for a successful president, and he’s clearly inherited a bevy of domestic and international issues to address.  He could try to handle them one-by-one, but since the World won’t wait, he should probably start fixing all of them…right…about…now:

• War in Iraq — As we spoon-feed responsibility to the Iraqis in accordance with the agreed-upon mandate, things are improving, right?
• War in Afghanistan — The new administration’s most seasoned veteran of U.S.-Afghan engagement (and I don’t mean just since 9/11), Defense Secretary Robert Gates, is telling everyone who will listen about the complicated difficulties of solidarity in Afghanistan.
• Military presence in Kosovo — Yes, we’re still there, with some criticism that we are using our bases as a European Guantanamo.
• Resurgent Taliban in Pakistan — The tribal regions and Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan are essentially under Taliban control. Continue reading