Progress report

It is commonplace these days for my friends, colleagues, and others to urge the critics of President Obama to take a "wait-and-see" approach to his legacy and/or current impact as his presidency unfolds. Change was the mantra of his candidacy for president, but change has been thwarted with a quick dash to the middle on the political spectrum. Candidates always say things when they're running for office that are difficult to accomplish and may not even be a real goal when in office.

I also realize that the federal government - not to mention the Congress - are collectively a leviathan, and that it is extremely difficult to right the ship after the Joe Hazlewood-like commander-in-chief's poor governing. However, there are many things that President Obama could have done in the first year of his presidency that he has not done.

War is never the answer. Yes, I "dabble in pacifism," but I'm a patriot. We have spent so much money - hidden from the public - on the military industrial complex of the past 50-60 years that our national debt is swelling like Mr. Creosote's body. We simply cannot afford to continue with the business as usual warmongering and defense spending binge. So by sending more troops to Afghanistan we are playing into the hands of those we're fighting in the so-called "War on Terror." They want to starve the beast by keeping us in a protracted and expensive - both in terms of casualties and money - war.

A domestic concentration must be on Obama's agenda. Our country needs mending. We need to pay attention, we need to participate in this democratic republic, and we need to stop concentrating on American Idol and other ridiculous reality-television drivel.

It is never a good thing for people to be distracted and to not pay attention to those who are given the privilege of governing us. Watch TV, tune out if you wish, but never take your eye off of the ball. I'm not going to take it easy on President Obama. He's been given an extremely important privilege by the citizens of this country. Corporate interests should never have a superior ranking in the heirarchy to the people. Asking questions - even critical ones - is a form of patriotism.

I'm writing this blog to open up to a creative side that I didn't know I had, but also to satiate my need to be critical of my government. Current affairs, politics, national security, the environment, and other news are part of my daily routine of information gathering and attempted understanding. So welcome to my rant. The poison pen is filled.

I don't want to wait-and-see; I want my voice heard. Informed participation is key.