http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/03/bp-successfully-slices-busted-oil-pipe-try-place-new-cap/
I am really hoping this works! In my opinion, the truth is that Obama can be held responsible for some things involving his administrations reaction (or lack-there-of) to this crisis, but he is not responsible for the spill and he is definitely not responsible for fixing it. His daughter Maaliya’s question “Daddy, did you plug the hole yet?” is really the same thing many Americans are expecting of him. She is 11. Expecting her daddy to be able to solve this problem is fine for her, and to be expected of a child. But for the American people to have a similar paternalistic expectation of him is, well, childish and extremely unrealistic. To be sure, Obama bears some responsibility for this kind of expectation given his and some of his followers promotion of him as our “Saviour-In-Chief”, but it seems that some expected him to go down to Louisiana, raise his staff, and instantly make all of the oil stop flowing and disappear.
The American people have been building this unrealistic relationship at least since the days of FDR in his sweater sitting by the fireside. Do you think any president is really going to say no to these expectations?! It is a major ego booster!! What politician doesn’t just lap it up when the people tell them they can practically perform miracles? I think our recent presidents have actually begun to believe and promote the hype on this. In any emergency now it seems that many Americans look up to the sky and wait for the Big Government Manna to fall from Washington instead of getting right to work doing whatever they can personally to alleviate the suffering. It’s the problem of instantly asking “What is the government doing about this?” instead of “What can I do about this?”
It’s time to stop waiting for “Big Daddy Government” to solve our problems and to end the people’s childish expectations of our government. Think and act for yourself.
“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” is part of JFK’s inaugural speech. Here it is with more context:
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shank from this responsibility – I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavour will light our country and all who serve it — and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”
I believe he had it right. This paternalistic attitude that has flourished in the last seventy or so years is primarily what has now led us to the socialism that we have today. Our democratic republic is in greater danger now than it has ever been since the Civil War. We are one of the “few generations” JFK so eloquently spoke of! I, for one, am taking up that fight!
