Today is the 50th birthday of
Barack Obama, the president of the United States of America.
I would like to start with wishing you a very happy birthday, Mr. President, and may you have many, many more!
Then I would like to stick my neck out - and prepare to get it chopped off - as I am now going to comment on conditions in a country of which I am not a citizen.
My excuse for doing this is firstly that I am Swedish, we have always been great at telling everyone else how they should run their countries. I will flatly admit that Sweden has taken some steps along the American highway, but luckily we haven't gone as far down the path yet. We have politicians here also with an overconfidence in the markets ability to solve problems in an acceptable way.
Secondly it is that I am totally flabbergasted when I hear that everyone is disappointed with Obama´s policies, the poor, the African Americans, the elderly, the sick, the gays and the workers, the trade unions and so on ad infinitum. Obama has not done enough it is said, he has not spoken out for this or for that position and he hasn't fulfilled the promises he made when he was running for president.
Thirdly it is that I, my countrymen, all Europeans and the whole world economy is dependent on the American state and it´s economy functioning well. From afar I must say that the only thing that seems to run effectively is the American military and the pornographic industry.
Politics is the art of the possible, ladies and gentlemen, and I must remind you that the Americans voted a majority of Republicans into Congress two years after Obama´s election, thus effectively making him a
"lame duck". We have all seen and heard the Republican party of the U.S. reviling and constantly working again him. Most recently in the budget-crisis where they effectively held a loaded gun to the presidents head while pushing him against the wall. In fact it was not only Obama and the Democratic party of the U.S. standing there, it was the whole world economy and we all watched in awe to see how far they would push it. The whole world is dependent on the American economy
It is extremely strange to acquire some small insights into how the American political system works or doesn't work. For a Scandinavian and European there seems to be a
"Friedmanesque" overconfidence in
"the (holy) market" and
"less government" solving all problems.
In my mind every civilized country - and especially the richest, most talented country in the world should at least take care of its poor, its sick, its young and its elderly. It is not possible to ask the market to take care of this without government regulation and without setting acceptable standards of what society wishes the market to achieve.
I wish you a wonderful day, Mr. President, you have your work cut out for you tomorrow and in the foreseeable future. I also hope you get four more years as president, because in my mind - and I think in most Europeans - you are the best thing that happened to American politics for a long time. And for the world.
Looking at the alternatives that are proclaiming themselves as candidates for the presidency in 2012 I get terrified.
Yes you can, Mr. President!
(P.S. I may delete most of this post because on second thought I do not think the ramblings of a gay, middle aged Swede will be to any benefit for Obama, it´s just me venting...)
