News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. July 31, 2015: President Obama is back from Africa.
So what is the biggest news of the trip besides his dancing?
Barack said while he was in Africa on his trip to Kenya this past week that he is a very good President and could win another 4 years.
I say thank God for the 22nd Amendment that prevents him from doing so.
Although he may be on to something … The Republican candidates are so pathetic that if Obama could run for a 3rd term he just might win. That is a commentary on the quality of the Republicans, not Obama’s appeal.
The entire purpose of Obama’s America from the start – now 235 consecutive weekly episodes without a break later – has been to prove week after week, Barack Obama is not and has not been the President most of us elected him to be and wanted him to be and that he led us to believe he would be. Even if many have forgotten!
A True Change Master for the 21st century is what he promoted. Instead we simply got another standard issue Democratic Party President better than the alternative. That is a very low bar and not the making of a Change Master for the 21st century.
So let’s explore President Obama’s trip to Africa for some Truth.
What exactly has he done for Africa as President to improve that continent?
This week I am bringing in a rare media partner to assist us The Economist.
The headline of their story about Obama’s trip says it all. “NEGLECTED.”
So let’s begin by digging into their article from July 25, 2015 ….
“During his first term, Mr. Obama visited sub-Saharan Africa only once, dropping in for less than 24 hours to make a speech in Ghana that raised expectations of greater engagement that went unmet. His second term has been better, but only a bit: two trips so far, including one to attend the funeral of Nelson Mandela; plus an African summit in Washington.”
Here is more ….
“Policy has been allowed to drift. Mr. Obama has passively continued with the actions of his bolder predecessors. Even his successes have under whelmed. Mr. Obama did not extend AGOA to farm products, for example. Power Africa, which began in 2013, is yet to live up to its transformative rhetoric. On aid and development, nothing Mr. Obama has done can rival George W. Bush’s launch of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which promotes reforms (ranging from better vocational education to stronger property rights) in willing African countries, or his huge AIDS-relief effort, which has saved millions of lives.”
I don’t want to be lazy and let the Economist write this entire episode but …
Here is more ….
“And on security, which critics argue ought to be Mr. Obama’s priority in Africa but has not been, the situation has deteriorated. Boko Haram, an Islamist insurgency with a taste for enslaving young girls, has spread from northern Nigeria into Chad and Cameroon. The Shabab, a similarly brutal group, is terrorizing Kenya as well as Somalia. A dozen sub-Saharan countries face jihadist threats.”
Here is a lame excuse for Obama largely ignoring Africa ….
“Part of the trouble is that a President’s time is limited, and much of Mr. Obama’s has been filled by the chaos in the Middle East, the rise of China and the predations of Vladimir Putin. Mr. Obama himself has exacerbated this tendency with his management of foreign policy. His administration trusts its diplomats too little and tries to micromanage them too much using the National Security Council, a body that lacks the bandwidth to master Africa’s everyday complexities.”
Let me translate. Obama is too busy to bother with Africa!
REALLY?
Here is more of this insightful piece from the Economist ..
“Overall, Mr. Obama needs to show more imagination. America could, for example, promote better governance in Africa by digging up and sharing more intelligence about corrupt officials and companies. It should also join the International Criminal Court, which polices the world’s worst human-rights abuses. With American backing, the court would have more credibility to prosecute—and therefore deter—powerful abusers, of whom Africa has too many. Alas, Congress says no.”
Did you hear that? Barack should show more IMAGINATION!! And …
“The reason for Mr. Obama to try harder is that it is in America’s interest to work closely with a continent which will become steadily more important in the future than it is today.” How about that Barack?
Thank you Economist; you are lessening my load this week. It helps to make up for the fact my boss never gives me any vacation time.
So back to the story so what is going on here?
Yet another dose of NON-Change Master Barack Obama!
Sure I will give him credit for Iran and Cuba but it’s not enough. His moves in Iran and Cuba should be standard operating procedures. We are not seeing those kinds of moves in Africa or elsewhere.
The autocrats in China are making great strides in Africa but America is not.
Here is what the Economist says and I agree China is doing much more.
Let’ switch to another media partner to emphasize this point.
Here is what The Wall Street Journal wrote July 29, 2015 …
“Mr. Obama’s visit capped a five-day African trip where he pledged enhanced U.S. economic ties. The U.S., however, is playing catch-up to other world powers, particularly China, which built the 54-member Union’s headquarters where Mr. Obama spoke.”
Yes the U.S. is playing catch up to China more than 6 years into Obama’s Presidency. Say don’t blame Obama? I say don’t applaud him.
Sure Obama said some good things during his trip and made some forceful points to very flawed African leaders. But here is The Thing. It is well over 6 years into the Obama Presidency. It is very late for you Barack and where is the action that is going to change things in Africa. Yet you’re dancing??
America is LOSING in Africa no matter how much of a frenzy there was during Obama’s visit because Africans want to believe Barack Obama is one of them. Hardly! So once again the message and the strategy becomes trying hopelessly to prevent Africa like the Middle East from turning into a terrorist stronghold as we offer more weapons to repressive regimes to keep the very bad guys away from America offering NO hope to most Africans.
Keep on dancing to nowhere. A third term Barack? Really?
