Day 101: How Far We've Come, How Far We Can Go

Hi everyone,

Well, you probably heard that it was either yesterday, or, by my count, today, that Barack Obama passed the hallowed 100-day milestone as president. This litmus test of a new president's progress began with Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, when, in his first 100 days, he got moving immediately to take on the Great Depression.

Similarly, given the weight of the current economic crisis, it has come as no surprise that Obama and his administration have had to hit the ground sprinting on this. This is why, while it may not be applicable for other cases, I believe that in this case, this litmus test is a good way to go in measuring how we're doing. Whether you agree or disagree with, like or dislike Obama, you have to agree that he has had to get moving very quickly.

So, with this in mind, let us review what progress has been made since the 20th of January, look at where we have come up short, look at the challenges that lie ahead for this administration and this country, and then I will issue one overall grade, as opposed to my first grade report, where I broke it down into several areas.

So, what have we gotten done? An epic economic recovery act was passed, a tax cut for most of us, instead of those at the top (though some non-rich folk continue to insist that their taxes are going up, don't ask me why). A new strategy to end the Iraq War, and to revamp the strategy in Afghanistan, was announced. Just a week into his tenure, the President signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay act, which makes it easier for women to sue for discrimination. Later, a White House Council on Women and Girls was created.

Even as President Obama took massive spending measures to counter the economy, he has made moves to curb spending in unnecessary places, putting forth a plan that would help the economy, but also bring the deficit down (I don't know how that's even possible). We are starting to see some signs of progress on the economic front, in the sotck market, for instance. And, when it comes time to go overseas, it's nice to have someone in charge about whom I don't have to give an exasperated sigh, instead listening to thoughtfully, yet with a touch of pride.

Another small example of the progress that has been made. You remember the inexcusable response to Hurricane Katrina, right? Well, a much smaller episode occurred recently to provide some contrast to an actual, functioning government. Back in March, the Red River that borders North and South Dakota and Minnesota began a tremendous flood. It was said that the city of Fargo, right on its banks, would become "the next New Orleans."

Well, the Federal authorities and the National Guard headed there, and a legion of volunteers, young people who gave up their spring break, headed for Fargo. Everyone put down sandbags and shipped in supplies, and now that the floodwaters have come down, the town of Fargo is still standing. A wonderful little testament indeed to what good the government can do if done right. Indeed, far from being the problem, government can actually be quite helpful in these situations.

Wonderful, indeed, but all is not well. What do we still need to do? Unemployment remains high. I suppose the initiatives, particularly of the "green" variety, would take time to kick in. Still, the issue of the banks needs to be resolved. We cannot continue to pour government money into this indefinitely. There must be some action to stabilize the banks and the financial market. Similarly, I believe that the situation with chrysler could have been handled differently. They were given 30 days before they were to go into bankruptcy. It seems they could have used a tad more time to make the difficult merger with Fiat. The whole of the financial world remains very precarious. Stabilizing and fixing the economy will be no easy task.

Then, there's the foreign front. I mentioned earlier North Korea's defiant F-U! to the world's rules. Recently, the Taliban has established the toxic sharia system of law in the Swat Valley in Pakistan. Taliban territory has been creeping forward, and now looms just 60 miles from Islamabad. Pakistan's unstable government and its nuclear arsenal are what make Pakistan such a pivotal place on a world stage. In case you're wondering, the Israel-Palestine conflict isn't going anywhere. Time magazine this week quoted a Carter-era adviser as criticizing Obama's lack of a move on that front. Given that Israel's newly-elected leader is much more hawkish, the Obama administration will have to take the lead soon in that area if it wants to set the tone there, and establish a two-state peace. Given President Obama's standing around the world, if he talks, people will listen.

Okay, this was just the first 100 days of the Obama administration, but what lies ahead? After all, a four-year span of time has 1,460 days, an eight-year span has 2,920. So this is still a small fraction of the duration of the Administration. Ahead, there are the caveats I mentioned with North Korea and Pakistan. Bringing the War in Iraq to a stable end will not be a simple task. The challenge of building a stable Afghan government is even less inviting. Finding methods to get off of foreign oil and finally declare energy independence will take some considerable investiment.

Which brings me to the environment. Reports on global warming develpoments are quite alarming. Scientists have calculated that the polar ice could disappear in just 30 YEARS. Most of our current energy sources, petroleum, coal, feed into the vicious spectre of global warming. So not just any old new energy will do. No, it seems our whole paradigm needs to be thought through again, and reinvented. This is something we will all have to do, not just the folks who live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As one cartoonist put it, "Back in 1932, we had an abundance of fossil fuels...now we have to grow our economy by investing in human capital."

And this is the central paradox of our task: grow the economy, but shrink our footprint on the Earth. This environmental front is an entirely new historic frontier indeed. Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt had their tests, but they never had to worry about global warming or nuclear weapons. But then, the bigger the challenge, the bigger the payoff, if you're an optimist, and I actually am an optimist. I think that we can get through these tough times. I believe that the country can overcome the environmental mess, renovate our society, and spread peace to these volatile pockets of the world in Afghanistan, Somalia, and such.

This isn't the first time the nation was in peril. We have weathered Civil War, Depression, World Wars. Though it took time, we rose above slavery, segregation. Each time, our character has been revealed, built up, even, and we as a people have emerged stronger for it. I don't wanna get cliche, but I believe we as a people and a country are just as capable as anyone of overcoming these challenges. National security, the economy, the environment, these three areas promise the most development in the next few years. So now that day 101 has arrived, don't go anywhere. The story has just begun. And I, your (sort of) correspondent will be here to report it to you every step of the way. So stay tuned! Well, in the future, but for now, that's all, folks.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.