The world was said to have celebrated when Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. It was, said the giddy celebrants, a major step away from the administration of George W. Bush, which for eight years had moved America into a hawkish military stance and away from civil liberties that his opponents wished to defend. Now, those who celebrated that groundbreaking election - if (and only if) they're looking closely - might notice that not much has really changed. In fact, the only real changes are more money being spent on domestic issues and a more aggressive approach to suppressing terrorism.
There is a popular bumper sticker that depicts George W. Bush overlaid with the slogan: "George W. Bush - No longer the worst president in U.S. history." Obama's fans won't agree but, again, anyone who's not automatically giving him a free pass due to his party affiliation should pause when examining his record.
The Obama presidency has seen the largest run-up in federal debt ever, even after Senator Obama chided President Bush for his own spending habits in the middle part of the last decade. At the same time, Obama has either maintained or extended most of the harsh policies that critics blasted Bush for. Oddly, Obama meets very little resistance for that ramping up. Recently, the U.S. has declared its right to kill Americans abroad without due process or trial if they are associated with al Qaeda and a senior official believes an individual in question to be an imminent threat. Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay, Cuba back in 2007 and again after being elected. It remains open today. The Obama administration has also pursued leaks of classified information with a zeal not seen by the Bush administration. Now, some in Congress are questioning the legality of Obama's favorite method of conducting war - drone strikes.
So, what gives? The major difference between Obama and Bush is that the former seeks laws via Congress and then uses them as justification to carry out his military wishes. Bush largely did the same, but was the initiator of many of the laws that Obama uses as justification to this day. Obama has, for example, lobbied Congress three times to extend the Patriot Act, which Obama's base railed against vehemently while it was in the hands of the Bush administration. Is the Patriot Act different now? Not at all...except that President Obama is in favor of it rather than Bush. That, it appears, is the only difference between the two men on the topic of military force, i.e. - political party affiliation.
There is a popular bumper sticker that depicts George W. Bush overlaid with the slogan: "George W. Bush - No longer the worst president in U.S. history." Obama's fans won't agree but, again, anyone who's not automatically giving him a free pass due to his party affiliation should pause when examining his record.
The Obama presidency has seen the largest run-up in federal debt ever, even after Senator Obama chided President Bush for his own spending habits in the middle part of the last decade. At the same time, Obama has either maintained or extended most of the harsh policies that critics blasted Bush for. Oddly, Obama meets very little resistance for that ramping up. Recently, the U.S. has declared its right to kill Americans abroad without due process or trial if they are associated with al Qaeda and a senior official believes an individual in question to be an imminent threat. Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay, Cuba back in 2007 and again after being elected. It remains open today. The Obama administration has also pursued leaks of classified information with a zeal not seen by the Bush administration. Now, some in Congress are questioning the legality of Obama's favorite method of conducting war - drone strikes.
So, what gives? The major difference between Obama and Bush is that the former seeks laws via Congress and then uses them as justification to carry out his military wishes. Bush largely did the same, but was the initiator of many of the laws that Obama uses as justification to this day. Obama has, for example, lobbied Congress three times to extend the Patriot Act, which Obama's base railed against vehemently while it was in the hands of the Bush administration. Is the Patriot Act different now? Not at all...except that President Obama is in favor of it rather than Bush. That, it appears, is the only difference between the two men on the topic of military force, i.e. - political party affiliation.
