Obama Can’t Have It Both Ways

by Don Azarias
March 1, 2013
I don’t know if the reelected President Barack Obama knows that he can’t have it both ways.
During his 2008 presidential campaign and in his first inaugural address, he spoke of various social service programs and entitlements for all Americans that also include blanket coverage for illegal immigrants. It was a shrewd political strategy to ensure his victory in the polls. And he used the same campaign strategy in 2012 when he declared his support for gay marriage and the DREAM Act, midway through the campaign, in order to ingratiate himself to the gay community and to the Hispanic and other minority groups. We may still recall that, previously, he had a nebulous stance on these issues until he realized that supporting them would ensure him of another four years in the White House.
In his second inaugural address on January 21st, he defended modern entitlements like it’s something etched in stone that’s consistent with basic American principles.
“We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. Government programs to combat poverty and assure health care do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great.”, he said.
Obama’s socialist ideology in favor of big government was so apparent and more pronounced in his second inaugural address. It was glaringly in direct contrast to President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address when he told the American people: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” It was also not consistent with President Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inaugural address when he proclaimed: “Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.”
But in order to forge ahead with his social service programs, Obama needs bipartisan Congressional support which is really hard to come by considering how polarized Democrats and Republicans are on Capitol Hill. Not only that; Obama seems to think that only he is the one elected by the American people and that Congressional lawmakers, especially Republicans, are not and that they don’t even matter in a democratic and capitalistic form of government like that of the United States’.
How can Obama implement his signature health care reform program that, in reality, lacks flexibility and affordability? The nation is more than $16 trillion in debt and counting. Yet Obama made no mention of how he would fix the financial morass that the United States is stuck in. He seems to be unmindful of the fact that, since he took office, he had incurred $6 trillion more in federal debt.
He keeps blaming the Republicans as they try to assert the fiscal discipline that’s needed to save the nation from financial ruin. And it’s sad that, in the final analysis, the Republicans are always at the short end of the stick in their attempt to take a stab at fiscal responsibility. Like most Americans, however, I believe that only those people who feel that they are entitled to government assistance, are the ones who are protesting the loudest.
I’m not questioning Obama’s sincerity in advocating liberalism toward the middle class and those Americans living in poverty. But America is no longer the richest country in the world, with seemingly unlimited resources, it once was. And because of its generosity, here and abroad, it had turned from a creditor nation to a debtor nation almost overnight. Spending money we don’t have in order to fund those unaffordable government programs only exacerbates the severity of nation’s debt and deficit.
Most recent surveys show that majority of the Americans are no longer as charitable as before. The economic downturn had affected them financially and they are in less tolerant and generous mood when it comes to helping foot the bill for those people on the welfare rolls and those who are receiving other forms of government assistance.
As the country’s president, Obama certainly knows that the United States is still reeling, financially, from the impact of the Great Recession and can no longer support those unaffordable government programs without increasing the nation’s debt load. And, as a responsible political leader, Obama has to realize that he can’t have it both ways.
With regard to the Social Security and the Medicare programs, I don’t believe that they should be considered entitlement programs, like the Medicaid, since those participants and current senior citizens and retirees have paid their hard earned money into it. As to why the federal government calls it as such is beyond me.
Those hard-working Americans are well aware of the $2.7 trillion Social Security surplus that the federal government had “borrowed” from the Trust Fund in order to fund its other programs. Will it ever be repaid? Who knows? The White House and Capitol Hill political leaders couldn’t care less. They have generous pension and health care benefits when they retire. And it’s sad that the Social Security and the Medicare programs would not have been in such dire financial straits if the federal government has been playing the role of a good debtor.
Obama and his Democratic allies should come to their senses and cut those unaffordable entitlement programs like Medicaid, food stamps and other government-sponsored safety net programs. Like most Americans, I believe that, if the proper government agency would only exercise due diligence in raising the bar in order for recipients to qualify for those goverment programs, it would be able to eliminate those ones who are undeserving of government assistance. Consequently, it would help the United States cut its debt and deficit to a more sustainable level.
Furthermore, blaming Republican lawmakers for the U.S. debt and deficit is, in my opinion, not only unfair but also counterproductive.