Since I was opposed to both John McCain and Barack Obama, I was always going to be disappointed with the result of the U.S Election. What I wasn’t ready for, however, was the absolutely glee demonstrated by almost everyone I know, from my own family to seemingly everyone in my corner of the internet.
So why is that 99% of everyone I know perceives the new president differently from me? The only way to find out is to give my reasons for doubting Mr. Obama and hope for some feedback.
Fact: He voted for the Wall Street bailout.
Me: The constitution doesn’t give the government the power to bail out private companies.
Fact: He voted for the FISA bill.
Me: He therefore legalized George Bush’s warrant-less eavesdropping powers, which were both illegal and unconstitutional.
Fact: He plans to increase the size of the Army by 65,000 soldiers and the Marines by 27,000 troops.
Me: I would have expected the $1 trillion U.S debt would have encouraged him to reduce the size of the military.
Fact: Unlike the French president Sarkozy, Obama has not admitted that Georgia were the aggressors in the South Ossetia conflict.
Me: I think it was shameful how the Western media reversed the story and labeled Russia the aggressors, and even more so that Obama supported a $1 billion aid package to the country that started the conflict.
Fact: The CIA has no proof that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, yet Obama says Iran is “a threat to all of us”.
Me: I think it’s irresponsible for a president to make such statements without proof. The run up to the Iraq war was much the same.
Fact: He plans to send two more combat brigades to Afghanistan.
Me: This just makes me angry. Why does everyone think this war is justified? It’s absolutely not.
So those are some of the reasons I’m not jumping for joy about Barack Obama being elected president. People can disagree with my opinions, but you can’t argue with the facts. Of course, everybody is different, so if you agree with Obama’s past actions and stated policies, then I respect that.
I hope this clears up any confusion, and people respect my views.
