This pot smoking hippie's letter to his Republican friends
Of which I have more of (being a sixty year old white dude that lives in suburbia) than Democratic friends or progressive friends.
Tired of the "Obama is the worst pres" bullshit. I want to put a consise paper together to counteract that. This is the beginning, some stuff I put together today.
I will cite it eventually, (any help will be appreciated) and may have some things wrong or have omitted many things. Please let me know.
I focused on foreign policy after an entire group caught me by surprise changing their argument from Obamacare/the economy to foreign policy. Which I think is exactly the opposite of reality. They know not much about what is going on and I thought some background was in order.
I started with things I don't like to keep their interest and I know it is things they don't like either. I also tried not to point fingers at Bush or the Republicans.
Not like:
Ties to monsanto and the FDA.
Not aggressively prosecuting BP officials and the corporations for criminal actions (proven in court!) For the BP spill.
Hasn't spoken out against Citizens United or Corporate Personhood strongly enough. This to me is the central issue, unless this changes nothing changes. We will move farther under corporate control unless this changes.
Nominating a hard line anti cannabis federal prosecutor to CA, thereby setting back CA's cannabis industry by leaps and bounds. He has rectified that since, but in the beginning this move hurt every aspect of the medicinal industry. This move continues to hurt because it essentially stopped the flow of money to campaigns (Richard Lee and other entrepenuers) to further legalization efforts (which would cost tens of millions of dollars to win).
TPTA: This is horrible and would kill what is left of the economy.
Non aggresive prosecution of the bankers, hedge funders etc that caused the economic meltdown in 2008.
Like
Taxation: Going after off shore tax evaders. An estimated 800 billion in taxes not collected every year.
He threatened swiss banking with heavy penalties and actions unless compliance with US policy in turning over tax evaders.
Every year he has cut taxes for middle class. What's left of it.
Economy in general. Numbers don't lie. Stocks at an all time high. Unemployment below even the Republican dream levels. While housing is far from robust, and now jobs are paying less as we transition from a manufacturing based economy to a service/retail,healthcare based, employment is down below every best case scenario..
Gay rights: Huge here. Earth shaking changes under Obama's administration.
Marijuana policy: Huge moves justice no longer fighting both medical and recreational cannabis at the federal level in states that have legalized. A move to legal banking. more to come. That said, he hasn't done enough.
Voting rights:
Guns: He has never mentioned gun laws, except in the broadest sense. Obama, nor congress, has even attempted any meaningful gun legislation, no matter the hype and fear tactics used by the NRA to keep gun enthusiasts pouring dollars by donation by into what is by all measure, a gun manufactures run organization. Not to mention creating a false hysteria causing American's to buy more guns than ever. From the gun manufacturers.
I personally would love to see much stronger gun laws. Assault rifles, stronger background checks, training etc. Been a numerous times victim of gun violence, had a few friends threaten and carry out suicides using guns and seen people who consider themselves "responsible gun owners" leave them in reach of children, stick them in their mouths threatening suicide during domestic disputes. They have dropped them on the ground in public spaces and had them go off while cleaning etc. Everyone is a responsible gun owner until they aren't.
But that doesn't mean I will ever support "taking away your guns". Or anything remotely like that.
Healthcare: Huge win. Creating jobs, saving taxpayers money. Is it perfect? Of course not, but is it better than it was? Leaps and bounds.
I personally think the US needs to move to universal healthcare. This isn't that.
Immigration:
Obama has deported more illegals than any other administration.
He has aggressively pursued those who hire them.
Since he has been in office the number of illegals entering the country has been a negative number but that is more reflected in loss of housing and construction jobs than Obama's policies.
Foreign policy
Iraq, ISIS, Afghanistan: Ended both wars. The folly of the previous administration, Abu Graib and other incidences of torture created ISIS. The simple fact is Bush broke it, he owns it. The region, when Hussein ruled, was far better off before we invaded.
Syria: No troops on the ground, another Petro dollar proxy war. With Bashir in charge, Syria's oil is China/Russia owned. With Bashir deposed, Syria's oil is up for grabs. The "rebel" fighters are ISIS/al Queda and the president is a horrible human being, so who do you support? Obama and the EU are aiding the rebels, but you can't tell me that is the correct path there.
Iran: the nuclear agreement is huge. Iran has never attacked anyone outside of their borders. The Ayatollah has issued a Fatwa against nuclear arms and attacking another country and no matter the President's inflammatory statements, the country is ruled by the Ayatollah. While i am personally against nuclear anything, IRAN and any other country has a right to the technology. As long as it is monitored and does not allow weapons. Iran is the most advanced country in the ME. In ten years they will be far more culturally advanced than they are now according to experts due to the technology advances and education of the young people.
Of course Iran's oil is (you know this is coming' don't you?) China and Russia's.
Israel/Palestine: Standing up to Netanyahu is precisely the right thing over Iran and the nuclear agreement. He is a racist war monger who relies on the US to have his back both militarily and financially. The fact that he wants to keep the Muslims in the dark ages forever and incurrs on their territory daily is enough for me. This does not make me anti Semitic. The threat is real, Israel is being attacked daily, and will continue to be threatened, but there has to be some kind of give and take. Having a person that refuses to move to a less hostile position and refuses to consider a two state system (with firm borders) is the biggest obstacle to peace in my opinion.
Israel has and will continue farther and farther into the West Bank and Gaza daily, and that is as central to the issue as much as "radical Islam" is.
Russia/Ukraine: Some background: The aggression against Ukraine started during the Olympics,days after the newly elected President of Ukraine (who campaigned on a pro Russian platform) reneged on a deal with Russia (which was a very good deal for the Ukrainian people) and opted to make a far worse deal with US//Euro concerns.
Crimea is how the oil gets moved. To China.
Absolute rout here. Putin is over. Apparently his absence in march of 2015 was tied to a near removal of Putin from office. US and Euro sanctions, in conjunction with the Saudi/OPEC have destroyed his economy. He has told all the Oligarch's to bring their money back to Russia because further sanctions will freeze trillions of Petro dollars. ( in march of 2015) Putin cannot sustain his economy unless he cedes Ukraine and Ukraine's oil to US/euro interests. He can't win. And he will have decimated Russia's once robust economy.
China: refused to take US dollars in payment for some time now. Two other countries joined them in March 2015. China's petrol/energy ties to Russia, Iran and Syria.
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