by Frank Li, Ph.D.
America is in deep trouble. Nobody deserves more blame than President Obama and his predecessor, President George W. Bush. Out of disappointment and despair, many older (and wiser) Americans (i.e. age 50+) are reminiscing over Ronald Reagan (see Looking for Ronald Reagan – and Not Finding Him .) While I consider Reagan to be one of the best Presidents in America’s history, I doubt even President Reagan would be up to the challenges of today. Why? Times have changed – It’s the political system, stupid and it’s the new China factor, stupid! Specifically, here are my two arguments:
- From 1950 to 1999, the American Presidency mattered little. Anybody reasonably intelligent could have been President without it having made a huge difference. This is not true today, as evidenced by what America has been going through since 2000, with far worse yet to come. Unconvinced? Read this: Behind the poverty number: real lives, real pain.
- Since 2000 the American Presidency has mattered a lot more. Both Presidents Bush (W) and Obama are proven disasters, far worse than the previous worst [in recent history]: President Jimmy Carter!
What was so special about the year 2000? The world had changed so much after the Cold War ended in 1989 that 2000 turned out to be a tipping point, with emerging economies, especially China, becoming formidable competitors to the West – like never before. China has not only the size to compete with America, but also a totally different political system – one which is, in my opinion, slightly better than the American political system. America, on the other hand, has not adapted accordingly since 1989. America’s foreign and economic policy has not adequately adapted. The political system has hardly changed at all over more than 200 years. By 2000, America had not only more economic competitors than ever, but also more political enemies (e.g. Islamic extremists) than ever. No American President, from 1950 to 1999, faced such dual challenges, especially on the economic front. Two examples:
- Job losses due to economic downturns have been temporary before, but more and more permanent after 2000.
- Years of excessive spending and screw-ups by American politicians (e.g. Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid, public-sector unions) have finally caught up with us.
As a result, the incompetence of the American political system in general, and specifically of the American Presidency, has become more and more evident. President G. W. Bush turned off the beacon and launched a reckless war with Iraq, while President Obama has made a bad situation much worse by spending like there is no tomorrow.
What was the common thread between these two disastrous Presidents? Most damage was done during their 1st term! Why and how? Getting re-elected at all costs! Consequentially, today America has not only even more economic competitors and political enemies than in 2000, but also much stronger duals than in 2000!
Worse still, further damage will be done to America’s economy throughout President Obama’s remaining time in office. He has started a new class warfare against the rich. Rob the rich to help the poor? Everybody will be poor! Any doubt? Just ask the Chinese living under Mao or the citizens of the former Soviet Union! This is good politics for President Obama, but bad economics for America!
America desperately needs a great President to turn things around! How great? A combination of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan! Specifically, here is what must occur:
- President Obama must not be re-elected!
- Elect a Republican as the next American President! Neither Rick Perry nor Mitt Romney is perfect (e.g. Seeking Neither A Warm Body Nor Superman). But either will be far better than President Obama for two key reasons:
- Both of them exceed my minimum requirements for the American Presidency: such as being older than age 55 and having had a full-term governorship.
- Both of them have a far better proven track record than President Obama, who had no track record as an executive of any kind before becoming the President and has had a terrible one as the President.
Now, how to choose between Rick Perry and Mitt Romney? Apply, if not demand, a litmus test as follows:
- Commit to 1-term (i.e. 4 years) only. No fooling around for re-election!
- Commit to significant constitutional changes. Set term-limits for all top political offices, starting with the American Presidency to be 1-term (e.g. 6 years) and more.
The bottom line: the American Presidency matters now more than ever! Having a President serving for no purpose but his own re-election? Allowed no more!
America, change or die! Now is time to redefine the American Presidency by electing a new President, who will get his priorities absolutely right without ambiguity: country first, constituents next, and personal agendas last!
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About the Author
Frank Li is the Founder and President of W.E.I. (West-East International), a Chicago-based import & export company. Frank received his B.E. from Zhejiang University (China) in 1982, M.E. from the University of Tokyo in 1985, and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in 1988, all in Electrical Engineering. He worked for several companies until 2004, when he founded his own company W.E.I. Today, W.E.I. is a leader in the weighing industry not only in products & services, but also in thought and action. Dr. Li writes extensively and uniquely on politics, for which he has been called “a modern-day Thomas Jefferson” (see page 31).