Day: December 11, 2009

Rare Praise From Left And Right On Obama Nobel Peace Prize Speech

Ronald 2 Comments

Imagine this! President Obama has been praised by people on the Left and the Right for his Nobel Peace Prize speech!

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and columnist Cal Thomas all had a lot of good things to say about Obama’s speech.

But the liberal Nation magazine, certainly disappointed by much of what Obama has done or not done, also lauded the speech, as did columnist Joe Klein of Time Magazine.

It can be hoped that the moral level and realistic nature of his speech can transform the world in a better direction before Barack Obama leaves the Presidency!

The Obama Doctrine: Realistic And Statesmanlike

Ronald 1 Comment

President Obama, in his Nobel Peace Prize speech, enunciated what is already being termed the “Obama Doctrine.”

Obama stated that the US must adhere to a higher standard of conduct, including the ban on torture, and the closing of Guantanamo as a prison base for terrorists.

The nations of the world must engage in tough diplomacy against nations that create instability in the world, such as North Korea and Iran, and must do so in a sense of unity.

The nations of the world must also work to engage with rogue nations and bring them back into the diplomatic community.

Any nation denying economic justice or human rights must be opposed because it undermines the world and leads to war.

War sometimes is unavoidable and just, as for instance World War II against Adolf Hitler, and Al Qaeda since 2001.

The principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. are to be pursued when possible, but evil exists in the world and must be confronted.

The Obama Doctrine can be considered Realism in the world that we face today, and many on all sides of the political spectrum can join together in praising it as practical and statesmanlike!

A Great Step Forward On Restoring Confidence In Future Of The Economy

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The US House of Representatives took a major step forward in restoring confidence in the future of the American economy, when it passed by a vote of 223-202 a bill establishing the greatest set of changes to the banking regulatory system since the 1930s.

The purpose of the legislation is to prevent a future collapse of the economy similar to what happened in 2008. But it also sets up a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to regulate credit cards, mortgages, and other financial products, and give consumers easier understood contract language and information, so as to prevent them from becoming victims of corporate manipulation.

Additionally, the government would have the power to break up companies that have become too large and threaten the stability of the financial system. This would address the argument that some banks or insurance companies are “too large to fail.”

The problem, however, is that the Senate is working much slower on this legislation, and also, the Republican party is again stonewalling support of this essential legislation. So the first battle has been won for consumers, but it is far from certain that this initiative will succeed all the way to legislation signed by President Obama.