Eugene Robinson' terrific Christmas column

[impik]

...Since last Christmas, our government has begun to tackle huge, structural problems that had long gone unaddressed: health care, climate change and education. To state the obvious, not everyone agrees with Obama's proposed solutions. But it's promising that the nation is so passionately engaged in debate about wonkish policy initiatives -- public option vs. Medicare buy-in, carbon tax vs. cap-and-trade. This nation is at its best when it's going somewhere and doing something, not when it's standing still.

On Christmas Day 2008, much of the rest of the world saw U.S. foreign policy as bellicose and dangerous. Today, the United States is celebrated for having rejoined the community of nations by rejecting torture, respecting the Geneva Conventions and embracing international institutions. When Obama went rogue at the Copenhagen summit and cut a side deal, at least he worked in concert with other major powers -- China, India, Brazil and South Africa. He didn't sit home and thumb his nose at the idea of nations working together as stewards of the planet.

The difference a year makes isn't all about Obama, though. It has become trendy to say that Congress is hopelessly dysfunctional, but the House and Senate did step up to grapple with these big issues. Congressional leaders saw that the safe course -- do nothing -- was not an option...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/24/AR2009122401537.html

[rasputin1952]

1. This line speaks volumes...

This nation is at its best when it's going somewhere and doing something, not when it's standing still.

As long as we're moving forward, we do pretty well...those few times when we regress, that's when I worry...:hi:

[Electric Monk]

3. Invading Iraq was going somewhere and doing something :/

/just saying...

[rasputin1952]

4. That was one of the times this nation regressed...

Regression is almost invariably disastrous.

[lamp_shade]

2. Wonderful article.

[Clio the Leo]

5. Pirates ..... dont forget the pirates......

[JTFrog]

6. K&R

[tilsammans]

7. K & R!!!

:patriot: