President Obama: Running the Gauntlet

Merriam-Webster defines the word “gauntlet” as a double file of men facing each other and armed with clubs or other weapons with which to strike at an individual who is made to run between them.  Now that we have the definition of the word gauntlet out of the way, as used in this article, let us address President Obama’s most recent “running of the gauntlet” that originated this past week with the President’s two day meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and former head of the Russian KGB / former Russian President / current Russian Prime Minister –who by the way in hip hop vernacular is still considered by most Russians to be the Russian big baller / Russian shot caller – Mr. Vladimir Putin. 

Essentially, the two day meeting between arguably the world’s two most powerful men (Obama and Putin) yielded very little in “ground shaking” significance.  As expected, both President Obama and President Medvedev agreed to proceed with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty which if enacted, would reduce the nuclear offensive warheads between both superpowers by one third.  The fallacy of this agreement is that the remaining amount of nuclear weapons -if launched- between both countries against each other, would still destroy the world many times over. God forbid, if nuclear weapons were ever launched between the United States and Russia, aimed at U.S. and Russian cities, the world as we currently understand it, within minutes, would no longer exist. 

In terms of foreign policy, because President Obama appears to support the last U.S. administration’s plans for creating a missile defense system in Eastern Europe which by the way the Russians are adamantly against, expect little to no help from Medvedev or Putin in helping Washington cope with Iran’s obsession in obtaining nuclear material that could be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. Such a threat if materialized would certainly incite Israel to conduct a military preemptive strike against Tehran that could ignite an already smoldering Middle Eastern tinderbox into a full blazed Jihad against Israel and Israel’s best friend and ally, the United States.  Due to the potential apocalyptic outcome of this “dangerous game” between two superpowers, this phase of President Obama’s “running of the gauntlet” is by far, the most dangerous, “shield up, sword drawn” Mr. President.     

President Obama’s official visit to the African country of Ghana this past Saturday marked the President’s first visit to a Sub-Saharan African nation as the President of the United States.  Although the selection of visiting Ghana instead of Kenya (Kenya being the birthplace of President Obama’s father) was made as a political gesture in support of how well Ghanaian President, John Atta Mills, is currently running his democratically elected government, Kenyans in general understood as did most of Sub-Saharan Africa the importance of President Obama’s historic visit to this region of Africa.  Africa and Black Africans for over two millennia have a history of being exploited by both Arab and European.  In fact, an interesting and enlightening novel to read is Chancellor William’s “The Destruction of Black Civilization - Great issues of a Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D.” 

Conquering Arab and European armies helped paved the way for the establishment of African colonialism, which through its inception, created a system of Black African subjugation. This subjugation provided both Arabs and Europeans the means to ruthlessly rule Black Africans in accordance to religion, skin color and social class. As often taught, people who are divided are a people who are easily conquered. By forcing the conquered Black African to absorb the ruling classes’ religion, values and social order, a de-sensitizing of all things relative to Black African history, beliefs and culture had begun to take root. This unfortunate system which started over two millennia ago is the main problem behind Black Africa’s identity crisis and Black Africa’s governmental troubles. 

As President Obama has given hope of a better life (through government) to tens of millions of Americans, tens of millions of Sub-Saharan Africans also see President Obama as a democratic symbol of future hope and future goodness for their own native lands and for their own native people. It is President Obama’s presence in this poor region of Africa that fuels the hope of these proud Black Africans.  For some, “Hope” may be just an American political slogan, but for the Black Sub-Saharan African, “Hope” is an idea which they pray will one day unlock the “shackles” of “African mental colonialism” which has only bred war, corruption and human despair.  So President Obama, as you and your family mingle with the average Ghanaian who fights to live by the principles of democracy, please understand the importance of your speeches and the importance of your vision for Africa.  Please sir, understand that these proud people do not want charity or welfare, what they want translates into a partnership in commerce.  The Ghanaian people just like most people worldwide, believe in the adage of “teaching a person to fish” versus giving a person one fish to eat.  I think that sending a corps of young MBAs to Ghana and other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa as teachers who can teach the intricacies of starting businesses would be a terrific start for a new U.S. / African relationship / partnership.  In return for these young MBAs dedication, they can be rewarded in terms of academic debt forgiveness and hire ability status as they too look for future employment in international business.  Mr. President, the possibilities are endless.  However, for every good deed possible, there are enemies domestic and foreign who will try to thwart such a noble endeavor.  Mr. President, in light of the magnitude of this week’s African visit, to successfully pass the second stage of this week’s gauntlet, “helmet on”, “shield up” and “sword drawn”.  

In closing, when President Obama returns to Washington, D.C, this week, by far the diciest issue for him to tackle will be Health Care Reform. Recent polls suggest that three out of four Americans want a public option that will enable all working Americans to be able to afford health care protection for themselves and their family should a serious illness occur. As it currently stands, over half of Americans are not properly insured to cover the total expense of medical treatment should a major health problem occur. Unfortunately, it appears that there are several major stumbling blocks for Health Care Reform. Since a public option would empower Americans to have a choice between buying health insurance coverage from the government or buying coverage from a private health insurance company, lobbyists who represent health insurance corporations are waging a hard fought war against any governmental health care coverage plan.

(1^st ) It’s always about profit and the increase of profit for the health care insurance companies.  (2^nd) Although there is a loud cry from Americans to allow a governmental public option, there are members of Congress and the Senate (who by the way have governmental health insurance) that receive large campaign contributions from health insurance corporations. (3^rd) As a reward to the health insurance companies for their campaign contributions, certain members of Congress and the Senate turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the plight of struggling Americans that are often forced into bankruptcy as a result of an accumulation of debt that occurs as the under insured / non insured individual attempts to pay the cost for life saving medical procedures. The far majority of Americans pay a monthly health insurance premium that is equivalent in cost to what they pay towards renting an apartment or for what they pay towards their monthly mortgage. Without a supplemental health insurance policy to make up for what their regular health insurance policy does not cover, most Americans cannot afford to become seriously ill. (4^th) A legitimate bi-lateral concern is where will the President along with Congress find the money to fund such a mammoth project?  With near record unemployment, rising cost of food and gasoline, where does the government find the money to help America’s sick?  I don’t know but personally, I’d like to see marijuana legalized and taxed, but hey, that’s a whole new topic. Either way, Mr. President, as you are running through the third and final phase of this week’s gauntlet, please remember,  “helmet on”, “shield up”, “sword drawn” and just to be safe, “pistol loaded”, hell, you’re going to need all the protection that you can get. Lions, and Tigers and Bears Oh My!