Had Obama been a true progressive, he could not have had a better situation handed to him by the consequences of 30 years worth of failed policies covering economic, trade, and rampant militarism, but he, like way too many Dems. is not, and never will be a true progressive. History will show that Bill Clinton will go down as the man who solidified Dems surrender to big business, and his followers like Summers, Emanuel, Rubin, Baucus, and the other DLC hacks have retained their power in this Administration despite their proven idiocy. These people, no matter their failures, remain in the D.C. power elite, a group which has no doubt about its superiority to all those it does not recognize on a first name basis. When faced with the choice of a typical Dem (there are some exceptions) and a Repub, your choice is between someone who will violate you with lubricant or bone dry. That is your choice, but either way we know what it's called. We are left watching an allegedly intelligent man wondering why the stimuls and bailout have benefitted no one but the banks and Wall Street, why joblessness continues unabaited and yet it would take only one trip to any mall to see why. The "made in" label rarely says "made in the usa". Here's a hint, "leaders"; in an economy which is 70% consumer driven, you HAVE TO MAKE THINGS YOURSELVES, IF YOU SIMPLY IMPORT OBJECTS AND SELL THEM TO EACH OTHER, MUCH OF IT BOUGHT WITH MONEY YOU BORROWED FROMTHOSE WHO MADE THE OBJECTS, YOU WILL HAVE NOTHING SUSTAINABLE. FURTHER, IF YOUR BEST TECHNOLOGY GOES INTO MAKING DEVICES THAT KILL PEOPLE, WHILE YOU LET YOUR CONSUMER SECTOR WITHER, YOU WILL END UP LOSING OUT TO THOSE WHO DO MAKE THOSE PRODUCTS BECAUSE THOSE PRODUCTS ARE WHAT PEOPLE WANT, AND THEY WANT THEM EVERY DAY; OUR DEATH TOYS ARE NEITHER NEEDED OR WANTED BY MOST. AFTER ALL MOST OF THEM NEED TO BE REPLACED ONCE USED AND HOW MANY COUNTRIES WANT TO DOMINATE ALL OTHERS WHICH IS THE PURPOSE OF THESE TOYS? THE COMMUNIST CHINESE ARE SMARTER THAN OUR LEADERS, THEY KNOW THAT ECONOMIC POWER IS WHAT MATTERS, THAT ONLY DINOSAURS SEEK TO RULE THE EARTH BY FORCE AND THEY END UP BEING SUPERCEDED BY MORE EVOLVED LIFE FORMS. REGARDING AFGHANISTAN, WE ARE FIGHTING THE TALIBAN, A REACTIONARY GROUP THAT DESCENDED FROM THE MUHAJADIN WE AIDED 30 YEARS AGO AGAINST THE USSR AND WHOSE SOLE DESIRE IS TO KICK US OUT AND INSTALL SOME REACTIONARY GOVERNMENT. BIG DEAL, WE DEAL WITH SUCH GOVERNMENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD. THESE PEOPLE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH 9-11; ARE WE TO INVADE AND OCCUPY ANY COUNTRY WHERE AL-QAEDA MIGHT ONE DAY REESTABLISH ITSELF? CLEARLY, THESE WARS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH TERRORISM AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH A DYING EMPIRE DOING THE ONLY THING IT KNOWS HOW TO DO AND WHICH FEEDS THE PROFITS OF THE MILITARY DEATH MACHINE AT THE EXPENSE OF TRUE NATIONAL INTERESTS. TERRORISTS ARE NOT AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO THIS COUNTRY, AND WE SHOULD REALIZE THAT BY CONFRONTING THEM WITH POLICE WORK, SOLID INTELLIGENCE, AND, WHEN NECESSARY, LIMITED MILITARY STRIKES, BUT THAT WOULDN'T FEED THE WAR MACHINE AND THE EGOS OF THE D.C. POWER ELITE WHO KNOW NOTHING OF WAR BUT JUST CAN'T STOP LOVING IT. THE LEADERS OF THIS COUNTRY ARE DOING JUST WHAT THEY WERE PUT ON THIS EARTH TO DO; RUN US INTO THE GROUND WHILE PURSUING THE NARROW INTERESTS OF THE VERY FEW AT THE EXPENSE OF THE NATION. THIS NATION WILL RIGHT ITSELF WHEN\, AND ONLY WHEN, OUR ATTEMPT AT WORLD DOMINATION COLLAPSES AT OUR FEET AND THE WORLD JUST REFUSES TO STOP LOANING US MONEY AND FINDS SOME OTHER CURRENCY TO BE THE WORLD'S RESERVE CURRENCY. UNTIL THEN, WE'LL KEEP GOING ON OUR WAY, GETTING EVER NEARER THE PRECIPICE.