Monday, December 17, 2012

Obama Revealed

President Obama, in a fairly eloquent fashion, revealed his worldview last night:

This is our first task -- caring for our children. It’s our first job. If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right. That’s how, as a society, we will be judged.
 
And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we are meeting our obligations? Can we honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep our children -- all of them -- safe from harm? Can we claim, as a nation, that we’re all together there, letting them know that they are loved, and teaching them to love in return? Can we say that we’re truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose?
 
I’ve been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we’re honest with ourselves, the answer is no. We’re not doing enough. And we will have to change.
 
There's a lot to unpack here. But here is Obama's second term in a nutshell:

  • Government must care for, and be responsible for the children.
  • The President has thought things over, and will now make society change.
When Obama talks about things related to family, he often becomes quite eloquent, and it is in these moments those of us who voted for him the first time round see glimpses of what we hoped we were getting. After four years of it, though, all I can see are the warning signs, and the implicit egotism of his statement that he has been a thinkin', and now this here country has gotta change to align itself to his way of thinkin'. Because, remember:

We can’t tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change. We will be told that the causes of such violence are complex, and that is true. No single law -- no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world, or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society.
 
But that can’t be an excuse for inaction. Surely, we can do better than this. If there is even one step we can take to save another child, or another parent, or another town, from the grief that has visited Tucson, and Aurora, and Oak Creek, and Newtown, and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that -- then surely we have an obligation to try.
 
And here, we have a very American version of Progressivism at work. Obama has been imbued with the spirit of Woodrow Wilson, who always knew best, and was driven to instruct the nation on its duties. Obama knows that laws must be passed, because when there is a problem in Society, there must be more Laws.  And in this, Obama falls prey to the illusion that the proper role of government is to remake society. Society remakes government, not the other way around.

It is probably best for the Country, if not for Obama, that the President will probably be surprised and disappointed on how Society responds to his ministrations.
 



 

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