There is a certain number of Americans who feel any criticism of the Obama administration’s policies are actually a personal affront upon the President himself. Their claim is often that such disapproval is, at its best, merely partisan or, at its worst, racist. Last September, former President Carter said as much, saying that “an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man…”
From time to time, pundits and pontificators suggest the same of other critical thinking Americans, from the Tea Party to the Grand Old Party. Nevermind that a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll last week indicated that 60% of Americans believe that the country is off on the wrong track. Or that only 17% of Americans approve of how lawmakers in the Democrat controlled Congress are doing their jobs. Or that 50% of Americans would vote to defeat every single member of Congress, including their own representative.
So, with all that pushed aside, and for all of those Americans who believe that criticism of this administration reveals some psychological deficiency, within the rest of us, let’s try illustrating how you can be quite disagreeable with someone’s actions, even if you don’t know their political party, race, or even gender.
Let’s take the apolitical and mun-dane kitchen trashcan for illustration purposes. From time to time, this trashcan in the break room overflows. And instead of some folks simply emptying the trashcan, they seem content to just stack their garbage upon the already piled high garbage; like they are playing a rancid game of Jenga.
And if your trashcan has one of those pivoting top lids, this adds a whole other level of complexity to the matter. Folks come by and shove empty pizza boxes, their 64 oz. foam drink cups, and their to-go box of seven-day old kung pow chow chicken into the already filled trashcan, wedging it all into the little remaining space beneath the pivoting top lid. And when these folks decide that they cannot continue building the tower of trash to stretch any taller to the ceiling, these same folks will begin placing more trash around the trashcan; almost as if they are paying homage to the trashcan.
At this point you wonder why someone just didn’t empty this overflowing trashcan, instead of just jamming more trash into it. It’s unsightly, and sometimes smells. This illustrates the point that any opposition to this unsanitary condition has nothing to do with the personality of the person who contributed to it. It does, however, have everything to do with their position on cleanliness, which according to an ancient Hebrew proverb, is next to godliness.
Now, you may simply not be in favor of participating as a bystander to this mess and want to clean it up yourself. You may speak out, post a memo in the breakroom, or send out an e-mail to everyone in the company. In fact, Americans are responding the same way to the direction our country is moving, but not because of the personality, color, or political party of our President…it’s about the effect of his policies on our country’s future.
You see, I am opposed to the effect of Obama’s policy initiatives, not Obama’s personal characteristics. Just like I am opposed to the policy some folks have of not emptying an overflowing trashcan. I guess folks view emptying an overflowing trashcan as someone else’s responsibility). They seem unconcerned how their obliviousness will affect the next guy who comes along. This is like Obama’s 2010 budget that, over the next decade, would raise taxes on all Americans by nearly $3 trillion and increase each American household’s share of the publicly held debt an additional $74,000.
And I guess folks may simply not have the time to properly dispose of their trash, like the members of Congress who were too busy last year to read the details of the $789 billion stimulus bill (before voting for it). Perhaps your co-workers intended to return and fix the mess that they left behind. The problem is, like Congress’ intentions to fix this, or that, tomorrow never comes, does it? This year, Social Security will pay out $29 billion more than it takes in. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office reported last week that Social Security will now be in the “red” in perpetuity. But we’re still expanding government.
You see, despite those who say criticism of the White House is rooted in racism, or animosity towards the President, they're wrong. The particulars of anyone who won’t take the time to empty an overflowing trashcan is insignificant, but it’s not about their personality, skin color, party affiliation, etc… It's about the effect that the actions of a few will have on the many. And if we can have such fundamental differences regarding a relatively insignificant matter as the breakroom trashcan, then for goodness’ sake, we can have the same fundamental differences on important policy initiatives set forth by this administration…and without being labeled or admonished for having them.
Louis R. Avallone is a Louisiana contractor and attorney. He is also a former aide to U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery and editor of The Caddo Republican. Follow Louis on Facebook, on Twitter @ louisravallone, or by e-mail at louisavallone@mac.com.
Much has been written (and spoken) that is highly critical of President Obama’s choices, from economic policies to the number of vacation days he has spent. However, much of this criticism may be misplaced. Sure, there is the out of control spending; so much spending that Obama is set to borrow $4.4 trillion since being elected, almost the same amount that our government borrowed in the preceding 200 years.
Then there’s the 41 rounds of golf that Obama has played since becoming President (that’s fice full work weeks off to you and me). And there’s Air Force One’s photo-opportunity and fly-over Manhattan, at a cost of $328,835 of taxpayer dollars. Then there was Obama’s date-night with his wife in New York City, which cost over $73,000. There was also Michelle Obama’s choice to wear a $540 pair of designer sneakers to visit a Washington, D.C. food bank in April of last year.
And, of course, there are the vacations to Hawaii, Florida, Spain, France, and most recently to Maine, which is the same summer home of the Astors, the Rockefellers, and, more contemporarily, Martha Stewart.
Then there are also the White House parties and concerts, from the direct-from-Broadway plays to performances by Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, and Queen Latifah. It has been estimated the Obamas spent at least $10 million on such White House engagements in 2009 alone.
And even though Obama has spent taxpayer dollars on entertainment at a greater rate than any U.S. President, and his parties have averaged one every three days since being in office, you really just have to understand what is going on, behind the scenes, psychologically. It may not be his fault.
This may all be caused by what psychologists call the “sudden wealth syndrome.” This is what often happens when folks win the lottery or otherwise acquire “sudden wealth,” and the responsibilities that come along with it, but without the experience and wisdom of how to best manage it all. This leads to poor choices and, before you know it, the money is gone and they are in worse shape than they started in.
Roughly one-third of lottery winners find themselves in difficult financial trouble, or bankruptcy, within five years of cashing in their lucky numbers. For example, one lottery winner cashed in his winning ticket for $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery and now lives on his Social Security and food stamps.
Another lottery winner won $18 million in 1993 and soon she had filed for bankruptcy with only $700 left in two bank accounts and no cash on hand.
From these examples, you can see that the transition to “sudden wealth” means change. And change means stress. Psychologists explain, under this condition, the brain functioning shifts to the ancient, or reptilian brain, which is concerned with basic survival, rather than rational, creative, or long-term thinking.
And this may be where we are today. Obama won the “lottery” when he was elected President, and his “sudden wealth” is the power of the presidency, including the U.S. Treasury, and the sacred responsibilities that lie therein. Like so many lottery winners, Obama’s lack of executive experience has simply left him ill-equipped to manage his “sudden wealth” and his policy initiatives reflect mere ancient, or reptilian brain functioning, which is more concerned about his political survival than the critical analysis of the long-term solutions needed for the most pressing issues facing our country. Maybe this overriding concern for political survival explains his persistence to remain in partisan “campaign mode,” as he travels across the country.
And when the ancient brain is in charge, many psychologists believe that cognitive abilities, coping skills, attention span and memory are all compromised, resulting in irrational and exaggerated thoughts. Does irrational and exaggerated describe most of the policy initiatives from the White House? Well, you be the judge.
From amnesty for illegal aliens and nationalized healthcare, to “cash for clunkers” and an economic stimulus bill that has cost taxpayers $224,857 per job “saved or created,” irrational and exaggerated may be the most complimentary and respectful characterizations.
There are also other signs of these irrational and exaggerated thoughts. Listen to Obama’s speeches. They routinely demonstrate his belief that he knows more about creating jobs than entrepreneurs, more about medicine than doctors, and more about the meaning of the U.S. Constitution than our nation’s founders, even though his primary work experience is as a community organizer.
Maybe the psychologists have it all wrong, though. But it sure does seem to me that Obama’s lack of experience in managing such matters is leading our nation to make one poor choice after another. And like so many lottery winners, who likewise lacked experience in managing their “sudden wealth”, before you know it, the little money that our nation has left will be gone and we seem certain now to end up in worse shape than when Obama took office.
From “date night” in Manhattan, to the $10 million in White House parties (so far), and to the out of control government spending, Obama is clearly suffering from advanced “sudden wealth” syndrome. Both he, and his family (of Democrat legislators), need our support and understanding during this difficult time, especially this November.
And you thought George W. was the only reason for our nation’s woes.
Louis R. Avallone is a Louisiana contractor and attorney. He is also a former aide to U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery and editor of The Caddo Republican. Follow Louis on Facebook, on Twitter @ louisravallone, or by e-mail at louisavallone@mac.com.
Post a Comment