Is Obama`s political legacy threatened by Trump? I very much hope so!
Before I present arguments for the bold statement above, let me be clear that I am not a Trump supporter. The sheer fact that Trump is now the world‘s most powerful man, constitutes much of what is wrong with our world today. As this is quite obvious for the educated reader, I will refrain from clarfifying why exactly this is the case, and instead concentrate on the issue at hand.
Barack Obama is, so far, not only the first black but also the most sympathetic president of the United States. He is the embodiment of eloquence, authenticity and coolness. Perhaps due to his congenial nature, and his slogan “Yes We Can“ people both inside and outside the USA trusted him to make changes for the better, and act in favor of peace, liberty and democracy.
However, a close observation on what precisely was issued under Obama is sobering, to say the least. Thus, I will get to the heart of things immediately.
The war expenses, the national debt and the budget deficit of the USA increased dramatically during the Obama administration.
Additionally, the much vaunted Obamacare, after all, mainly benefits two institutions, namely the insurance companies and the revenue authority IRS, and offers few merits for the ordinary citizen.
The infamous Guantanamo prison on Cuba is still operated despite the fact that Obama promised to shut it down within one year after his election.
Likewise, the use of drones to eliminate potential threats to national security was significantly extended and never before were so many people in and out of the US put under surveillance (NSA scandal).
Finally, Lybia was invaded, Europe militarized, and the Cold War revived.
I do not aim at disparaging Obama, though, the verities listed above leave no doubt that there is a profound difference between what Obama symbolizes, and what he actually represents, or in other words public appearance and political action.
The ambivalence, probably, reached its climax as he received the Nobel Peace Prize, eventhough he had literally not done a single thing which would have justified such an honour. In contrast, to face the truth, it is neither exaggerated nor overly satirical to state, that a man signing off death sentences to to alleged threats to national security, is still worthy of the Noble Peace Prize.
On account of the political obstruction on the part of republican members in Congress, I admit that Obama had a hard time passing new laws and make changes. Nevertheless, with reference to the headline of this article, I hope my intentions became apparent. It is simply the case that the situation within and outside the States has worsened under Obama, and from a critical point of view, this represents his legacy.
Thus, in this respect, I hope Trump really poses a threat to ongoing wars, further indebtedness, clandestine assassinations, and global surveillance. This is highly improbable but hope dies last.
Sources:
http://www.konterrevolution.at/obamas-vermaechtnis-eine-kritische-bilanz/
https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Unter-Obama-waren-die-USA-am-laengsten-im-Krieg-3221957.html
