Written by Frank Li
After comparing President Obama with (1) President Truman (Barack Obama vs. Harry Truman) and (2) President Nixon (Barack Obama vs. Richard Nixon), it’s time for me to compare him with President Lincoln for two main reasons:
It’s a well-known fact that President Obama likes to compare himself with President Lincoln.
Our country needs to be saved again (“Saving America, Chinese Style”), perhaps as badly as what President Lincoln faced in his time.
Short-Term: Government shutdown (U.S. Government Shutdown) and the debt ceiling.
Long-Term High unemployment and monumental national debt.
1. Abraham Lincoln
According to Wikipedia,
Abraham Lincoln i/ˈeɪbrəhæm ˈlɪŋkən/ (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its greatest constitutional, military, and moral crisis-the American Civil War-preserving the Union, abolishing slavery, strengthening the national government and modernizing the economy. Reared in a poor family on the western frontier, Lincoln was self-educated, and became a country lawyer, a Whig Party leader, Illinois state legislator during the 1830s, and a one-term member of the United States House of Representatives during the 1840s. He promoted rapid modernization of the economy through banks, railroads and tariffs to encourage the building of factories; he opposed the war with Mexico in 1846.
2. President Lincoln’s two major achievements
Preserving the Union.
Abolishing slavery.
3. What is President Obama’s biggest achievement?
If you ask President Obama this question, his answer is perhaps “Obamacare”.
Let me answer this question by comparing what President Obama did against President Lincoln’s two major achievements, one by one.
3.1 Preserving the Union
Barack Obama faced formidable challenges (e.g. the Iraq War and the Great Recession) when he was elected to the American Presidency. He did everything possible to remain popular, in order to be re-elected again. Specifically,
The Iraq War: he ended it – good job!
The War in Afghanistan: he pro-longed it through a massive escalation in 2011, at least partially, for the sake of his re-election in 2012. For more, read: For Obama the Road to Reelection Runs through Kabul.
The Great Recession: President Obama has been dealing with it with massive spending. Our national debt has bloated from $9T in 2009 to $17T today, rapidly rising (see chart below). Worse yet, nobody knows how we are ever going to pay back this debt! Worse still, we are practically still in the Great Recession, with the real unemployment rate at some 15%.
3.2 Abolishing slavery
President Obama has been the leader of the Democracy Party, the party of new slavery! For more, read: The Democratic Party is the Party of New Slavery!
Here is an example (from www.DailyJobsUpdate.com): the U.S. population receiving food stamps jumped from 28 million in 2008 to more than 46 million on 2012, a net increase of more than 18 million under President Obama’s watch, so far!
4. Obamacare
Here is an excerpt from my last post (U.S. Government Shutdown):
The real benefits of Obamacare for America are debatable. As far as I know, here are what’s wrong with it:
The implementation for business has been delayed for one year, but the implementation for individuals has not been delayed. What kind of law is that?
The government, which includes the Obama administration as well as Congress, has been exempted from it. What kind of law is that? Congress must pass no law that does not apply to itself!
Obamacare includes an item which allows members of Congress to send their kids to college for free (to them). What kind of law is that?
Now, add your own opinion about Obamacare …
5. Discussion
Barack Obama is no Abraham Lincoln! Look at the image below – Do you see any resemblance between the two?
Here is the starkest contrast between them: President Lincoln abolished slavery (i.e. work without pay), while President Obama has led many into new slavery (i.e. pay without work)! For more, read: The Democratic Party is the Party of New Slavery!
6. Closing
President Obama is facing two immediate challenges now: government shutdown and the debt ceiling! Let’s see how he will come out of it …
As for his place in history, President Obama still has three years to shape it, but I am not optimistic …