“Take me to your leader!”

Posted on December 31, 2012 by johnrachel

Strong, visionary, decisive leadership has been missing for so long in America, we don’t even know what it looks like anymore.

Arrogance and charisma are not the same as leadership. George W. Bush was as arrogant as they come and Barack Obama is as charismatic as it gets. But both represent terrible ideas, a disdain for democracy, and a complete disregard for the will of the American people.

Here’s what I think.

A strong leader doesn’t lie to his supporters out of convenience or for his own political gain, or make mincemeat out of the facts because he thinks he personally knows whats best for the country. He respects us and is truthful, even when the truth is worrisome or painful.

A strong leader takes sometimes controversial stands on difficult issues out of conviction. He looks for direction in a set of principles __ those spelled out with clarity and candor when he ran for office __ not poll numbers and focus groups.

A strong leader is not afraid of tarnishing his own image because his ideas or policies might be unpopular. His concern is the greater good of America and the welfare of the American citizenry, not his place in history.

A strong leader defends and supports those in our society who are the weakest and most need of help __ because a free society and true democracy is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable, not how it venerates and toadies up to its privileged and powerful.

A strong leader is not impressed by money and power, only what fulfills the basic tenets of the constitution and the intentions of the nation’s founding fathers, and what fosters the greater good for the majority of citizens __ the general welfare.

A strong leader recognizes everyone is equal before the law and makes tough choices in enforcing it.

A strong leader cannot be bought or influenced by the rich and powerful and remains loyal to the majority of Americans who entrust him with the responsibilities of his powerful position.

A strong, visionary, decisive leader offers big solutions to big problems. If the car is broke, he fixes it or replaces it. He doesn’t just shine the hubcaps and claim he’s doing all he can, or worse, claim that shiny hubcaps will get the car running again in top form.

There are more but what I’ve outlined constitutes a good start in defining leadership.

I personally believe Mr. Obama, and the House and Senate leadership, both Democrat and Republican, fail on all counts. I don’t know what other conclusion you could draw after watching the fiascos and tragic blunders of the past twenty years.

We have BIG problems in America. They are almost incomprehensibly big. Sometimes they are within the framework of legislative and executive policy formulation. But we also must acknowledge that sometimes they are systemic problems, requiring thorough and fundamental revisions of the way we go about doing things __ BIG solutions.

All the hand-wringing that goes on in the name of shaping public policy, basically a soap opera to keep the masses distracted and uninformed, is cowardly and insulting. This fiscal cliff is a joke. The debate over taxing the rich is simple-minded and tunnel-visioned.

Which points up another example of total lack of leadership. A leader does not let others set the rules of debate, or frame the argument. A true leader brings a fresh point of view, one that is rife with possibilities and potential for positive change. A true leader doesn’t let his opponents decide what and how much will be discussed.

If Obama were serious __ and I’m convinced he’s not __ about actually addressing the enormous challenges facing this country, he wouldn’t be letting a cry-baby like Boehner and a turkey-neck like McConnell push him around. Before those two bozos ever got a foothold, Obama could have cut the legs out from under them by going to the American people, given us some straight talk, and with our support gotten some things done.

Why didn’t he? Why hasn’t he?

Because Obama is not a leader. He’s a follower. To make it even more horrifying, he’s a follower of a nefarious and suicidal neo-conservative world view. Obama is a militant imperialist, a dyed-in-the-wool corporatist, a wannabe elitist, an anti-democratic authoritarian, and a self-aggrandizing narcissist.

Hardly the makings of a strong, independent, creative leader.

With the onset of the New Year, spirits will be high and optimism in good supply.

Let’s hope that these men and women who claim to be the consecrated spokespersons for the American people, who as a result of being elected to the highest political offices in the land probably have little doubt that they are America’s best equipped to steer the country on a constructive course, will finally live up to the high opinions they have of themselves.

Let’s hope we see some real leadership.

It’s been way too long.


This entry was posted in Political Analysis, Political Rant, Social Commentary and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
  • STEWARD CLINTON

    I think you don’t bother to give him anywhere near the credit he deserves. You play the hand that’s dealt, you don’t create the rules. I don’t see you weighing the factual truth of who controls our wealth. A person with insight gets it from walking in the shoes of another. When I did that, I saw a man who had to get elected to do anything about the depression and wars we were about to get ourselves into. As a retired veteran, that was priority for me. As an OSHA rep for six years, his actions in both safety, and the ecology have been historic. I call it a great insight when you are able to awaken the public to the need for their participation, as well as reduce the oil excuse for wars in one fell swoop by making your coutry get all of its DIRTY ENERGY from herself. Now WE have the incentive for clean energy development. I’d say those successes alone are worthy far more than all of your criticism. 

    But you rant on without ANY critical thinking, totally one sided, sweeping generalizations, ignorance bursting from every orifice.

    No sense or knowledge of how his achievement ratio was curtailed via Fox news, Rupert & Neglect of all true issues, racial assaults blared out at him daily. No consideration of the fascists with whom he MUST deal over the Fake Federal Reserve Bank, or their lie called corporate media. 244 achievements that I’ve yet to mention. http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/01/a-long-list-of-president-obamas-accomplishments-with-citations/

    But I fail to see where you consider all that work in your critique. Let alone the 250 or so Filibusters launched against him by the entity you profess as evil. Did you walk in those shoes with your empathy? I don’t think so. Did you consider his family’s testimony? Do you think it didn’t take time and effort to half way unify a totally disfunctional party? Or the effect of turn-coats within his own party, the ground-in ten-year-old DIRT he walked into, ideologies that define the traitors in all parties, the factual horror of Citizens United vs FEC, the sleep sheep voting in the Tea Party as a result of that? Did you? Then please do, and add the courage to even be President while receiving more death threats than any other in history, all that, at the time when we are in greatest danger as a species. I thank GOD he played whatever cards were needed to be played to have succeeded in saving our asses. The investments in clean energy and consistent teaching the population how Congress works, while reinforcing the true priorities, as well as the legislation he introduced, succeed in, and at the same time turned U.S. from austerity-driven depression. Yes I fail to see where you considered any of that. Maybe you think there is no climate change issue. Maybe you never read the Reinvestment Act (the same realities needed now), that President Obama wrote and introduced. If you had you would not be so harsh. If you recognized what he did get done while we were loosing to FISA, and other promises he broke or compromised on, you would see the forest instead of just the dirt it’s planted in.

    Perhaps if you took the time to compare him to any other President in those terms, you would see other’s points of view. If not, then let this letter serve as a clue to what to look for. Better yet, let me provide links. 

    1.     
    WHAT REPUBLICANS REMOVED / BLOCKED FROM THE
    STIMULUS ACT) – Especially second half. http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/07/stimulus.cuts/index.html1.     President Obama & Environment  http://sierraclub.typepad.com/michaelbrune/2012/08/obama-romney-energy-environment-differences1.       Demonizing
    the Jobs Bills they voted down http://redgreenandblue.org/2012/10/04/romneys-90-billion-lie-about-green-jobs-and-solyndra/

    • http://jdrachel.com John Rachel

      “You play the hand that’s dealt, you don’t create the rules.” No, a strong leader makes his case. He reaches out to the people who overwhelmingly elected him and says, “These rules are stacked against us, you and I, who want legitimate and constructive change. We’re changing the rules. We’re leveling the playing field.”

      “I don’t see you weighing the factual truth of who controls our wealth.” No, I know who controls the wealth. So does the President. It’s the American people who’ve been kept in the dark. A strong leader says, “Enough milking the public coffers. We’re nationalizing the banks, taking back the control and issuance of our national currency, creating our own interest-free money, and taking back the reins of our economic destiny from the banksters who don’t give a damn about America and are bankrupting it for their own enrichment. We’re not footing the bill and rewarding failure anymore.” That’s vision and honest leadership.

      “I call it a great insight when you are able to awaken the public to the
      need for their participation, as well as reduce the oil excuse for wars
      in one fell swoop by making your coutry (sic) get all of its DIRTY ENERGY from herself.” I don’t know where to begin on this one. Mr. Nobel Peace Prize Obama is prosecuting numerous illegal wars, has gone back on his commitments to reduce the military, in fact, is building many more military bases than we could possibly need or afford, can’t even whimper an audible ‘no’ to the military/industrial complex or the out-of-control national security agencies, and LIES to the American public about all of this. A strong leader, one with perspective and vision would not be for the militarization of the entire planet, just because the people whispering in his ear and contributing to his campaign war chest insist on it. The Cold War is over. The War on Terror is a fraud. The Bush/Obama/neoconservative agenda and pathological delusions of imperialism are bankrupting the country financially and morally. NO ONE TALKS ABOUT PEACE ANYMORE IN AMERICA! And that in itself will guarantee its impossibility. We are creating more enemies than we could possibly snuff out with all of our advanced technology, drones, whatever. Here’s a question: Name a fucking war that we’ve won since WWII. Here’s another: Name any appreciable benefits that have accrued to the American public in all of these wars. I guess it’s been good for the grave stone industry.

      “Maybe you think there is no climate change issue.” You are really grasping for straws. I have written about this in other blogs. To clarify for you, in case your are reading impaired, I think climate change ranks as the top three threats to the survival of the human race. And this is an area where our leadership __ you want out of some homo-erotic fascination to only focus on Obama but I am talking about the several hundred men who are in positions of political power and responsibility __ has totally failed us. We balk at any reasonable attempt to rein in our contribution to greenhouse gases. We drill baby drill. We frack baby frack. We refuse to even negotiate in good faith, much less sign accords like the Kyoto Treaty. We are becoming the pariahs of the international community. Can any of these putative political geniuses __ Obama, Romney, Bush, whoever __ even pronounce the word ‘conservation’? Has our President been in the lead in bringing the issue of climate change front and center in the consciousness of our nation? You know the answer to this, unless you have your head buried in a comic book.

      I could go on.

      But let me make something clear. I think Obama is brilliant, charming, articulate, funny, charismatic. I really like him as a “guy”. This is not a personal thing with me. I have to draw attention to him only because he has the most visibility of any human being on the entire planet. He has the ultimate bully pulpit. What I resent is the way he has squandered the power of that pulpit, and how he has used his personal gifts to mislead the American public, to actually encourage our ignorance of the problems facing the nation and what actual remedies might exist.

      I tried to make it clear in the above blog posting, I am taking to task every single one of these treacherous sycophants, these traitorous malefactors who at our expense are toadying up to the rich and powerful. I am even giving them the benefit of the doubt, not calling them out for their crimes against the American public, but just saying they apparently lack the imagination, vision, creativity we desperately need in these desperate times.

      Americans are good people. Most want what’s best for others and certainly for their children and grand-children. But to use your metaphor, we have not been dealt a fair hand. In fact the deck is so stacked against us, the country may end up in ruins, despite yours and my best intentions.

      No one talks about any of this. No one even talks about some of the things your yourself brought up. Not Obama, not Pelosi or Reid, certainly not the play-for-pay Republicans.

      If you want to delude yourself that what Obama has accomplished represents bold change and leadership, go ahead.

      Let’s talk again in about five years and see how it worked out for you.

      • STEWARD CLINTON

        I hear ya John, Lets not look and focus on the Filibuster Abuse, Our Vote in jeopardy  Affirmative Action from the most victimized. Anyone who stands up for President Obama, is in your eyes, just naive. I don’t think you hear me though.  
        1. John Kennedy and all the other leaders were assassinated for the very methods you propose. I don’t think that’s necessary anymore. Thought, via this internet, is far more powerful (educates, creates immediate consensus  attention, learns factual truth, reinforces by interaction, etc), i.e. becoming far more unified, effective, and efficient, in exponential ways. I submit the President’s re-election, the actual gain of seats in the House and Senate, prove that. If that weren’t enough add the  number of profoundly effective Progressives elected (Like Allan Grayson, Elizebeth Warren, Sherod Brown – I think over 100 more) as further proof. That proved it’s not necessary to do as President Carter did, and alienate people who in many cases don’t know the historic filibusters, the lack of participation after the election, (now changing). Voting Rights Act still before the Supreme Court. Enemies made in the wake of Iraq. Generals being bought off, not enough power to arrest the Banksters due to banks control of currency, etc. 

          Easy
        to read full record of votes, proving Republican obstruction throughout the
        full term of the President’s service http://www.lcv.org/scorecard/scorecardweb.pdf But discussing this President is more important than the filibuster? Or linking the context to something we “CAN” do? The windo of opportunity is closing on correcting that (filibuster abuse).

        WARS – Enemies made, right or wrong, even a peaceful person ‘must’ acknowledge. The President is only a man. He needs help. You need to help him, yes by pointing out obvious wrongs. But it’s extremely naive to pretend ANY President would have EVER been elected by the oligarchy if he or she were as radical as is needed. Therefore, the senate are of far more significance than he. But without the people educated enough to represent factual truth we’re far more doomed than anything the President’s done (NDAA  ”Indefinite Detention” already stopped by Apellete courts, now is on the list for early action by new Congress). Law (Bill of Rights), still in our favor. Sharing networks still in tact and more vibrant than ever, many empower the masses to live on to learn enough to become the true majority represented. 

        People ignore that an original method for radical change is and can be non-violent. Outnumbered or not, the truth leads. Even radicals and what many call “terrorists”, listen ‘better’ when we use that approach. http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/

        The reality you mentioned of backing out of war is also not easy. Especially when as you mentioned that those you killed are going to naturally seek revenge. Restraint (selves and others) a higher priority, can’t back up war until you stop war(s)/ species extinction, via fascism. Restraint occurring as we speak. Our attention now focusing on the war machine. All generate time, for more to awaken. Remember the gun buying explosion last week? – awaken many more, to register the voices that were just awakened (people who voted despite the 10 million suppressed votes). We, the poor, the less than $250,000, are then far more united with the rest of the world in positive ways than you consider. As we still rapture in identifying the priority truth. The story of Now. Obama some “Helpers” that he needs to continue to improve his weak areas. President Obama is only a man. Wish I heard this amount of criticism about the other factors included when speaking of him, just as I demand for honest assessment of any man. 

        Not to leave out the race card. I saw the rainbow that voted for the man, and the 80% white males who voted for the Hitler base. That’s our biggest problem. I submit even (especially) at the real top. 40% Dems, and 80% Republicans too. But even they are fast learning they are just ignorant. Thanks for the lesson Mr President! 
        2. Be for real. Admit the job he’s done was far more than any person conscious of the hopeless doomsday scenario you paint, could ever have dared expect.  That scenario was far ‘more true’ than before he was elected. And it’s thanks in large part to the preservation of this communication medium (which he and his teams are masters of). To be continued.

  • http://jdrachel.com John Rachel

    By the way, two men who did have the courage of their convictions and attempted to provide leadership in the abysmal vacuum we are enduring, were just shown the door. This is the price paid for honesty, integrity and candor when multinational corporations and banking entities own our government:  “A Tragic Day In History As America Bids Farewell To Honest Government” … http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-Tragic-Day-is-History-as-by-Ruth-Hull-130104-259.html

  • Pingback: National Values 101 | John Rachel