huh? did somebody call me?

obama wasn't and isn't my hero. he has screwed up a lot, mostly by attempting bipartisanship with a republican party so rabid it should be shot. but jjplug said all that needs to be said. ariel is a clown.

Obama's unforgiveable 'crime' is the adoption of a more even-handed policy in the Middle East.

The "Tea party" movement, the "Birther" movement, the obstructionist Republican party, the peculiar Supreme Court decisions of late, and the good Sarah Palin, all seem to be indicating that the USA is becoming, if it is not already, ungovernable. Since they remain the most powerful military state on Earth these developments carry a very real risk for Australia and loony articles like this one only metaphorically pour petrol on the flames.

Pretty damn one-sided Mr Ariel. I'm reminded of that clip of Rumsfeld taken just prior to the collapse of the soviet union, when he assured us that the reason why the Americans couldn't spot the soviet subs on their radar, was that they must have developed some new, brilliant kind of technology. The idea that they didn't have them was inconceivable.

By which I mean, that if you've convinced yourself the other side is wrong, all you can see is the failures.

In the wake of the worst financial crisis since the 20s, the economy is still humming along and showing some dim signs of recovery.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/18/AR2010031804905.html?hpid=topnews

Seems pretty reasonable after what was heralded as economic armageddon.

On to the health bill.

In an effort to indicate that you actually analyse things and don't merely barrack for one side, I'd like to see where you've similarly critized the efforts of the previous administration when they ran into opposition.

Fact is, significant change brings about significant resistance. The fact that Obama may in fact pull off the most significant piece of social reform in half a decade shows that the comments that he was all talk and no action are rubbish.

So now the criticism shifts to public opinion. President Bush ran into significant opposition when launching two wars, however those on the right rarely criticise those on the basis that it was against the wishes of the public.

Regarding international relationships, that's where your commentary is the weakest. Firstly, the Iranians have been able to resist, largely because the 'great Satan' image of the US is much harder to project with Obama at the helm. That alone shows the benefits of not adopting hawkish policies. As for China, in the wake of 9-11 Bush embraced the Chinese because they echoed his tough on terror rhetoric. Obama's policies are merely a continuation.

As I said, this article is so one-sided it comes across as incredibly shallow. More partisanship rubbish, like that which emanates from the Republicans, who seem to have totally lost their marbles in the wake of losing government.

Jon J is at it again, rewriting history by distortion to support his disturbed malevolent view of the world. Your dislike for Obama would not have anything to do with his colour would it Jon J? Any observers who may find that enquiry interesting need only refer to his contribution to comment on the article, 'The Ethics Council: some inconvenient truths,' in association of others of the same racist hacks that proliferate OLO, Loudmouth and blairbar.

Its further significant of the omen Jon J refers to for justification of his misconstructions of where the focus for Americans should be, that the dogmatic aphorism he obviously subscribes to is, ‘never mind the quality, feel the width.’ For the havoc wreaked by George W. realised Obama ascending to leadership of an economy of which its debt equalled four times its national GDP, thanks to another aphorism and myth George W. pursued, ‘the ability of the market to regulate itself.’

Although I concur with his comparison of Obama to the Captain of the Titanic, except unlike the unfortunate Captain, Obama has the advantage of being aware of the safety measures removed by vested interest, that in his case realised the GFC, and the cheap components employed, and management negligence, in its construction, for pursuit of the same comparable vested interest.

For when you are facing such extensive damage the change of a new paradigm is required, a key benchmark for measure must inevitably be the extent of the damage, its common sense. For dramatic disruption requiring such change, by definition needs to be measured. For example, the unemployment rate has effectively remained static since George W, left office.

The 17% Jon J claims I suspect will be undoubtedly and consistently observed of his duplicitous intent, without substance and foundation if scrutinised.

Continued

Although Americans would obviously prefer Obama to be able to demonstrate improvement, I suspect of the racist proclivities demonstrated by Jon J on OLO, he would prefer Obama to be shining his shoes while he’s doing it.

Yes the ‘mug’ American voters who elected Obama, are the same mugs who elected George W., and if they vote out Obama, will inevitably vote in a protégé of George W. It was the same profile of mug Australian voters, according to the endearing descriptions of Jon J, who threw out Costellos’ workchoices, the ‘rabbits!’

“With the setting down of the sun daily,” must be a US Murdoch tabloid we haven’t heard of. As I write, the Health bill has been passed in the US, a reform with general consensus of its requirement, with reliable projections demonstrating their aging population potentially realising US bankruptcy by the mid to late half of this century without such reform, relevant to health care costs.

“Not only has he made diddly squat progress on foreign policy challenges, one could argue that he has regressed America’s influence in the world.” The defining influence of the ‘self centred’ legacy of George W. will be belligerence and militancy, stock and trade of the repressed disturbance of associate racists alike Jon J. Expressions alike ‘axis of evil,’ are perfectly legitimate for world diplomacy according to Jon J?

It would be less disingenuous of this disinformation of Jon J, if he applied balance to his misrepresentation of Israeli intent. Such as, the first reported international terrorist incident is identified of Israeli bombing of a hotel some half century ago, and we wont mention their recently UN confirmed raining of phosphorous ordnance upon a metropolitan area, including a UN compound with an attached school enclosure.

Predicting vaccuous racist diatribe from Jon J is as familiar as that infection prevalent of the disturbance of his bigotry, observed prolific.