President Barack Obama is certainly not a socialist. In fact, he is more of a Tory, as some media sources in America and even the BBC have stated.
Elected on the Democratic Party’s platform, he resembles much more closely Eisenhower, Nixon, and Ford — moderate Republicans. He has been very pragmatic, his foreign policies have often mirrored Republican policies, and he has tried to work with Republicans.
Obama’s economic policies have not hurt the economy — it is up for debate whether or not the stimulus, for one example, worked or not. According to the “Washington Post,” six studies say it did, one said it only partially worked, and two said it did nothing.
GDP is rising at a slow but steady rate of 2 percent, Wall Street is largely back on its feet, and the housing market is coming back, with more people buying new or preexisting homes, which is causing the construction industry to gain momentum. Those are only a few of numerous areas where improvement is evident, and while the economy is still in a fragile state, it is moving in the right direction.
Unemployment recently fell from 8.1 percent to 7.8 percent, but then rose to 7.9 percent within the past two weeks. This is not a troubling sign, though. This increase indicates at least a small amount of confidence in U.S. workers, as more have decided to actively look for work again.
Under Obama, Americans are paying the lowest taxes in 30 years. According to Factcheck.org, taxes were at their lowest in several decades when Obama took office, and then lowered again in his first year.
In fact, middle-class citizens received some major tax breaks during his first term, going largely unnoticed. Not all taxes have remained at the same rate or have been lowered; indeed, taxation for the healthcare legislation as well as for numerous miscellaneous things has increased.
With the passage of the healthcare bill, the U.S. now has universal healthcare. It is not a flawless piece of legislation, but overall provides numerous benefits to Americans of all age. In addition, healthcare costs and premiums have stabilized and are rising much more slowly than they had over the past decade.
Obama’s foreign policies, albeit controversial at times, have been far from weak.
He escalated the drone program, which has brought down numerous top leaders within al-Qaida but has also resulted in an unsettling amount of collateral damage. He also ordered Seal Team Six to take down Osama Bin Laden.
He worked closely with NATO forces to oust Muammar Qaddafi from his position of power in Libya without making America the leading force in that operation, a move commended by European leaders. The U.S., in conjunction with nations around the globe, has put crippling sanctions on Iran. Not all of these problems, such as with Iran and Libya, have been “fixed,” but the world is moving closer to accomplishing its goals.
His approval ratings around the globe are exceptionally high, especially in Europe where his approval rating is above 90 percent in several nations. Truth be told, the view of America held by the world has gotten dramatically better over these past four years.
Progressive and historic changes have been made at the state level, such as marijuana legalization and the legalization of gay marriage. Congress has seen historic changes as well. Women now hold more seats in the U.S. Senate than ever before, welcoming to the table new women of various backgrounds.
America is far from “the pathway to Greece.”
We, the American people, did not lose last Tuesday, nor did the country or the Constitution lose. America is making progress, and as slow as it may be, it is still progress.
We should expect more improvement and changes over the next four years.
We can expect more money for education in the U.S., tax rates to remain close to their current rates, a progressive movement in the states, and a steadily growing economy. We can expect a continuation of the president’s strong foreign policies, both pragmatic and potent, and a push for progress in his domestic policies.
The future actions of our leaders will not be flawless, but we should approach these next four years with optimism, not pessimism. It is time to work together, to end the slander and McCarthyism, and it is time for moderation and for the radicals to leave the media and the government.
It is time for Americans to move forward.