How Should We Measure the Greatness of President Obama?

This country is flying high on optimism, especially the young and minority populations here-in. What real basis for whooping and hollering is there relative to the election of Mr. Obama?

 

One good thing that is entirely obvious is that a minority in the current socio-cultural climate can actually climb to the pinnacle of all time human achievement. There is no question but that this can only be celebrated as a wonderful thing. This is not to say that the days of inequality are over by any means. There is evidence that globally, racial hatred and prejudice are as rampant, if not more so, than ever. Will Barak Obama’s tenure in office make any difference in the bigger picture? If we want to be realistic, and sometimes we don’t, history leaves us a bit worse than skeptical.

 

Slavery is going on like never before in Asia and <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Africa. The gap is growing between the rich and the poor. The middle class has been suffering fast downgrades even in the past six months. Human nature is little changed from what it was centuries, even millennia ago. Mans cruelty to man, the mismanagement that occurs in ruling circles, and the corruption in the highest places is a norm in the high echelons that trickles into the streets and the families.

 

We look at the great achievements of the past century and a half, and we wonder if man will ever have that level of freshness, optimism and drive again.  Some feel that Barak Obama brings that to the White House with him. Even if Mr. Obama does turn out pay off on the hype that proceeds his tenure, is this set of national or global circumstances conducive to one man’s messianic influence?

 

There have been sterling leaders in the past, though few and far between. Really though in the final analysis, by what measure were these men called great? Some say that George Washington was a great man, but propaganda usually wins out when evaluating your own sentimental patriotic history. Augustus Cesar brought glitter to the Roman Empire, but what happened to those on the outskirts of his realm. How did the non-Roman vassal fare? King Solomon of old is harkened as a near messianic King, and the Jewish people still yearn for a ruler in his image, but even his Kingdom fell apart at the end of his time. Was our own President Roosevelt really a hero, or was he playing into the hands of an evil even greater than the monster he fought and defeated. Alexander the Great is called great not only by himself, but by the tested hands of time. The truth however, is that few hands were responsible for more bloodshed in the history of time. Even infamous fiends are given glorious status, like Genghis Khan and Ivan the Terrible. By what measure will Obama stand out, if he does at all. Will the hype remain just hype, or will he really be a powerful force for justice and good?

 

Please don’t misunderstand the following, because I decry the lost years of plenty and look forward to better economic times. But even so, I wonder at Americans depth and sincerity when the entire world smothers in deep depravity and suffering, but we are wondering mostly about being able to afford our accustomed luxuries.

 

If Barak Obama presides over an economic recovery, maybe some of the credit will go to him. If the war ends under his watch, maybe he will get some brownie points for that. If the whole thing goes into the toilet though, will it be his fault?

 

What is the point of this entire line of reasoning? Well, isn’t it time that we raise the bar on a measure of our leaders? Isn’t it time to ask a little more of them? A global perspective is needed now. Real care for the people should prevail. Hard decisions need to be made, decisions that don’t play into the hands of the power monsters who have been running this out of control world. Peace needs to prevail. Economic responsibility needs to be demanded from those who are playing fast and loose with my real estate and yours.  Our children need a future, and it looks pretty bleak from here.

 

I hope Mr. Obama is the prince of prosperity, the messiah of management, and the king of kindness and bliss. I doubt it though. He’s just another guy whose gotten himself into a set of existing and mounting problems that are way over his head. Greatness is usually bestowed on a man after his proving, not before. Let’s hope that he deserves the adoration. Time will tell.